KUALA LUMPUR: Acer Inc, the world's second largest computer maker, expects to form partnerships with Malaysian companies as the firm widens its interest to software and content.
Its president and chief executive officer Gianfranco Lanci said for its new products like the LumiRead, the firm plans to tie up with leading local companies to provide localised digital content.
The partnerships could be on a revenue-sharing basis or other terms, he told reporters from regional media at a global press conference in Beijing, China.
In introducing the LumiRead, an e-reader equipped with 6in display and 2GB Flash memory, and able to hold up to 1,500 books, Acer announced that it has signed agreements with leading bookseller Barnes & Nobles of the United States, Internet book retailer Libri.de of Germany, and digital content provider Founder of China.
Lanci said Taiwan-based Acer is also working with other content providers in other countries but cannot announce the agreements yet.
"For the Asian market, we need localised content for the different countries and will be working with the leading companies in this area," he said, adding that Acer also plans to partner with software firms to provide differernt applications for its new products.
Acer chairman J.T. Wang said the firm intends to remain strong in the computer hardware business but it is also looking into software as it is an area that could drive growth.
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"Our involvement in the content business can help Acer to triple its business," he said, adding that the firm has targeted to take the top spot from current global leader the Hewlett-Packard Co in two years.
In the Malaysian market where Acer is already ranked No 1 with a 34% share in the notebook computer market and 27.8% market share in desktop PCs, the firm plans to strengthen its position with new products.
Stating that Malaysia "is very important" and the operations centre for Asia, Lanci said new products like smartphones and mobile Internet devices will be introduced to the market before year end.
He also said that about 30% of Acer's business comes from small and medium businesses (SMBs) and the vendor is targeting this area for growth with its new line of servers that was launched last December.
On the Asia Pacific region, Lanci said the region contributed 20% to Acer's total revenue last year, with 5% coming from China, and it recorded the best performance among the regions.
He said the region is expected to account for 20% this year but from a bigger revenue base, and its contribution to grow to 25% to 30% in three to five years' time, driven by demand in China, India and Indonesia.
At the Beijing event, Acer also announced its clear.fi concept, which is designed to open up any home network and simplify the sharing of all kinds of digital content across different platforms and systems.
The clear-fi console will be pre-installed on all new Acer devices, ranging from notebook computers to smartphones, said Acer's president in charge of product development, Jim Wong. - Bernama
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