R AYMARINE
ON ITS A-GAME WITH PLOTTERS
Company’s feature-rich A Series packs advanced technology into a more compact unit
By Chuck Husick
Raymarine holds an enviable
franchise in the chart plotter
market with a product range
that extends from systems using 5-inch
screens, through black-box equipment
that incorporates variations of the
largest available display screens. Its
products benefit from the latest technology and, as it was in the case of its
benchmark Digital Signal Processing
(DSP) fishfinders, the company is often
a pioneer.
The breadth of its product range provides significant strength in the competitive marine electronics market, while
at the same time creating a large number of compelling targets for their competitors. Raymarine can’t afford to allow
a product or system to become stale —
loss of share in one segment can have
serious consequences elsewhere, especially in a market where buyers often
move progressively upscale, making
brand loyalty important. Awareness of
this concern led Raymarine to introduce the new A Series chart plotters.
Creating a product or a complete system that’s based on new technology —
for example, what Raymarine accomplished in creating its E Series and the
companion Digital and HD Digital radar
sensors — presents a unique set of
challenges and opportunities. The new
technology can provide a valuable,
often critical marketing advantage. If
the job is done right, the new gear will
outperform the products they replace
in your own line as well as trump the
competition.
This type of design project entails a
(Above, from left) With its A Series line of GPS/chart plotters and fishfinders, Raymarine set out to combine the technology of the company’s top-end multi function displays in more compact units. The units are built to the waterproof specification IPX- 6, which is full immersion in three feet of water for up to 30 minutes. The design of the new mounting bracket
makes it easy to install and remove the unit. (Below) Raymarine’s testing of its new A Series line of GPS/chart plotters to
high-pressure water jet spraying pays off in real world use aboard small to mid-size boats.
lot of hard work, long hours and financial risk, but for those engaged in the
effort it is usually great fun (at least in
retrospect, when memories of the really trying and discouraging times have
faded). Creating the updated products
required to renew a franchise in an existing market segment can be equally
daunting, especially since the excitement created by a dramatic change in
technology is not part of the development process.
The creation of Raymarine’s new A
Series GPS chart plotter and dual-func-tion GPS chart plotter/fishfinder range
presents a useful case study of what it
takes to maintain and enhance a hard-won market position.
Based on extensive discussions and
demonstrations with Dan Bilger, product manager for the new A Series, we
were able to gain substantial insight
into the details of the process used by
Raymarine to create the A Series.
