Acer Inc., the world’s second largest PC manufacturer, located in Taiwan, has revealed that the launch of Microsoft Corp.’s Windows 7 operating system has been positive for year-end PC sales, with gains meeting expectations. Chairman & CEO of Acer Group Gianfranco Lanci said the company is keeping its quarterly revenue outlook and maintaining a 15 percent sales growth target for the coming year.
“When we saw the features of Windows 7, we already knew that it would be good for demand,” Lanci told reporters on Thursday. “We have no plans to revise.” Acer is the market leader in low-cost netbooks and laptop PCs. It expects sales to stay flat from the previous quarter and expects sales to rise 25 percent from the last year.
Acer’s competitors, including Dell Inc and Hewlett-Packard, also experienced sales growth after the launch of Microsoft’s latest operating system. Acer reported a quarterly net profit of $108 million last month, a rise of 14 percent from the previous year. It expects to ship 42 million units in the netbook market in 2010, which would represent a growth of 50 percent.
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Earlier this year, Acer president Gianfranco Lanci predicted that his company would overcome Dell for second place in global PC shipments, and it appears his dream has come true.
New IDC data figures show that Acer has in fact surpassed Dell for second place, with both manufacturers still behind HP, as of the Q3 2009.
“Between this quarter and the next, we can finally pass Dell,” Lanci added. “I would expect not only to pass Dell very soon, but also to breach the gap with HP.”
According to IDC, HP is in first at 20.2 percent market share, followed by Acer at 14 percent, and Dell in third with just under 13 percent. Lenovo remained in fourth with 9 percent market share and Toshiba came in fifth at 5.2 percent.
Gartner figures released the same day have slightly different numbers but the same lineup.
Dell remains the number one manufacturer in the United States, however, slightly above HP, but far ahead of Acer.
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According to a new report, Acer is planning on producing an Android-based smartphone as well as a “other devices” by this fall, each using the open-source operating system.
“The entire industry is looking at Android,” said Acer president and CEO Gianfranco Lanci said. “I think it’s too early to say if we’re going to see Android on a netbook in the near future,” he concluded however, not committing to any particular device.
Recent data suggests that Android is becoming more popular in phones, and the landmark T-Mobile G1 recently sold its one millionth handset.
As previously reported, the first known Android-based netbook is expected to sell for $250 USD and should be available soon.
