Acer plans to expand server sales to compete with HP Dell

Beijing time February 8 morning news, according to foreign media reported today, the world's second largest personal computer retailer Acer said this year plans to expand the server business to win more profits, while with HP and Dell to scramble for corporate computer customers. Gianfanco Lanch, Acer's president and CEO, Gianfranco Lanci February 5, said: "Can not only be targeted at the consumer market of computer manufacturers, to the all-round development in all markets." This year we will see our actions in the field of commercial computing. "In the third quarter Acer launched a low-cost netbook for the consumer market aspire one and high-end Ferrari notebooks, jumping over Dell to the world's second-largest computer maker."　　Lanci said server sales accounted for 4% of Acer's total sales this year, but had a profit margin of twice times that of other products. "Acer sounds ambitious and would be very advantageous if it Galvin Huang the server business," Calvin Huang, Daiwa analyst, said. "He has moved the Acer stock rating to Buy," the company's users will increase, and Acer's development is equivalent to having a second engine (outside the PC). Acer's share price surged 128% per cent last year on the Taiwan Stock Exchange, surpassing the 78% rise in the Weighted stock index (TAIEX).　　Shares fell 12% per cent this year, in line with Taiex's decline. Lanci said Acer last November released blades and modular servers, and plans to release the full server family at the end of the quarter.　　It will also help Acer win more business computer customers. Ferrari Notebook Acer launched a low-cost netbook in June 2008, Aspire One, to seize market share in the bad conditions of the global recession.　　The Acer Ferrari Notebook offers a price of $2000. "We are right to develop the consumer market and expand the commercial market first," Lanci said. The reverse will be a catastrophe. "Global server shipments fell 17.9% per cent year-on-year in the third quarter, under the influence of the global recession and shrinking corporate budgets," according to IDC, the US market research firm, in its December report. IBM still ranks first in revenue, followed by HP and Dell.　　Global computer shipments of servers are up 2.3%, and Acer, with 14% per cent of its market share, followed HP and ranked second. The server's profit Lanci says the server's gross margin is between 15% and 20%.　　Acer's gross profit margin in the third quarter was 10%. "Acer may want the server market to grow rapidly in the next few years, and they want a piece of it," said Angela Hsiang, analyst Angela Xiang KGI Securities. She tuned Acer's rating to "outperform" (outperform). "It will take some time." Because Acer has not done server products, it needs strong research and development capabilities. "Hewlett-Packard, the world's largest computer supplier, accounted for 13% of total revenue last year, with server division operating profitBattalion profit of 11.3%, accounting for gross margin of 24%. The world's third-largest computer retailer, Dell's third-quarter server and network division, accounted for 12% of total revenue.　　IBM, the world's largest server retailer, sold its PC business to Lenovo in 2005 to launch the PC market. "Acer may need to set up a distribution network of servers so there may not be much profit in the first place," said Galvin Huang, an expenditure analyst. Giampiero Mobiro Gianpiero Morbello, Acer's vice president of marketing, said in an interview that Acer would increase its marketing budget by 30% to assist in the sale of its servers, excluding sponsorship spending.　　Acer is currently a sponsor of F1 Ferrari, Italy's Serie A team inter and the Olympic Games. Lanci said that Acer's revenue this year is expected to grow 15%, notebook shipments will exceed 40 million units, growth of 35% to 40%.　　Acer is set to release its first-step earnings for 2009 this week, Lanci said sales were roughly unchanged from 2008. Analysts expect Acer's net profit last year to be 11.8 billion NT dollars (about $367 million trillion), up less than 1% per cent. Net profit is expected to rise to NT $16.4 billion this year. (Shuko)