US Army Ban/ DJI’s Response
In a BBC news report, DJI – the world’s largest drone maker has announced that it is adding privacy mode for its drones This development came just two weeks after the US military (Army) banned its troops from using DJI gadgets, and instructed its teams to uninstall ALL DJI apps from its computers – based on unspecified cyber-security concerns.
In a bid to counter the negative and adverse effects of the Army’s ban and its dire potential consequences on the growing/lucrative recreational market that DJI drones have captured, and is planning to expand into in the coming years – DJI apparently made a very logical move… read on.
DJI, a brief company background
DJI stands for Dà-Jiāng Innovations Science and Technology Co. It is a Chinese technology company based in Shenzhen, Guangdong. DJI is acknowledged as the world’s leader in the civilian-drone and aerial imaging (photography and videography ) technology industry, cornering some 85% of the global consumer drone market. The company’s product lines include integrated camera systems, gimbals, platforms, and more.
Founded by Frank Wang in 2006, it has made leading drone brands such as Phantom, Mavic, Spark and Osmo series, and lately, the Matrice 2000 series – for hobbyists, enthusiasts, professionals and businessmen alike, capturing billions of dollars worth of business in the process. Research and development continues to get the company to address safety, security, and privacy concerns, and in a manner somewhat similar to the way Apple grew, is creating a legion of loyal fans to buy these commodity-drones at affordable prices.
Currently, DJI has almost saturated the $500 and above drone models (which accounts for the pricey but smaller drone market compared to the mass market ($100 and below). In a bid to capture the latter market, DJI is in a frenzy to build manufacturing facilities, and global satellite offices to integrate its operations to include software/hardware development, logistics supply and management, marketing offices, and information offices to keep the flying public and other stakeholders – for safe and legal ways to fly drones.
Global impact of drones use
No doubt the positive impact that drones will bring to the way the world lives, works, plays, and enjoys life to the fullest- are many.
Drones are starting to become so common place for recreational users that there are now selfie-dedicated drones. While this may be a fad, it does point to the fact that the industry is now starting to a mature enough point that drones can become instruments of business, rather than toys. Often, it is the other way around, that instruments of business then become cheap enough to become toys. This is what makes the opportunities for Drone Services businesses so great, and the impending global impact so significant.
In an article to be released on Skybase.aero after the Commercial UAV Expo in London in November, we will discuss what the skies will look like out to 2050, examining this global use more closely.
References:
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-40935860
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/04/us-army-bans-chinese-made-drone-citing-cyber-vulnerabilities.html
https://www.theverge.com/2017/10/2/16398386/dji-privacy-drones-local-data-mode
