Chinese drone maker taps local distributor

PHILIPPINE IT equipment distributor MSI-ECS has added a new hightech device to its portfolio: drones.

The company announced on April 21 that it will be the official distributor of DJI (Da-Jiang Innovations Science and Technology Co., Ltd.,) products, a Chinese company known for producing civilian drones and imaging technology.

MSI-ECS will be carrying everything from the Guangzhou-based company’s most famous Phantom series — its flagship quadcopter now on its fourth iteration — to the compact Mavic Pro drone and handheld Osmo camcorders. It will make them available in partner retail stores nationwide.

This is in response to the growing drone industry which, according to a February study by American research and advisory firm Gartner, Inc., is “growing rapidly” with global market revenue expected to “reach more than $6 billion in 2017 and grow to more than $11.2 billion 2020.”

The same study predicted that “up to three million drones will be produced in 2017,” a 39% increase from 2016 tally.

Capitalizing on that popularity, MSI-ECS is focusing on two segments of the market: personal and industrial.

“In the Philippines, the interest and usage of civilian drones have also grown dramatically and we are confident that its use for commercial purposes will also gain momentum,” Jimmy D. Go, president and CEO of MSI-ECS Philippines, said in a company press release.

The entry of drones in MSI-ECS’s portfolio, he said, will also help to “blur the lines between personal and commercial applications.” Commercially, drones are currently being used for inspections in the energy and transportation industries, to name a few, using the camera installed on the drones to make aerial surveys and inspections easier. Delivery drones were considered the next big thing as Amazon.com and UPS have started experimenting in using drones to deliver parcels while others have toyed with the idea of other applications such as delivering medicine. But according to Gartner, delivery drones will comprise less than one percent of the commercial market by 2020 as the technology is “mired with logistical issues” though chances are high it will find “a niche business-to-business application.” Mr. Go said during the launch at the Enderun Colleges in Taguig City that the company is looking at the government, construction and tourism as some of the industries which will benefit from using drones. “The partnership [will start on] the consumer space... to get people acclimatized with the use of drones [and realize] its fundamental economic value,” Jan Gasparic of DJI’s strategic partnership and business development said during the launch. Mr. Go added that the commercial drone products of DJI will be available on pre-order basis in the country. While DJI products are currently being sold by third-party retailers in the Philippines, MSI-ECS pointed out that theirs would be the only ones that will come with the official warranty, with customer support and will be as “compliant as possible” with current regulations set by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP). CAAP regulations covering remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS), the official name for drones, include getting permits, licenses and prohibitions to fly in airports and certain no-fly zones such as military camps and the Malacañang. —