ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Original design manufacturer

An Original Design Manufacturer (ODM) is a company that designs and creates products according to the specific requirements of other companies that want to sell the product under their own brand name. It's like a chef creating a special recipe for a restaurant's menu.

So, imagine you want to make a new phone, but you don't have the expertise or resources to do it yourself. You would approach an ODM and give them your specifications and requirements such as the phone's size, camera quality, battery life, and so on. The ODM would then use its designers, engineers, and production facilities to make the phone according to your needs.

After the phone is made, you can sell it under your own brand name even though you didn't design or manufacture the phone yourself. It's like putting your logo on someone else's product.

ODMs are particularly popular in the technology industry, where companies want to quickly roll out new products without investing heavily in research and development. By using an ODM, companies can save time and money, while still getting a high-quality product that meets their requirements.