Hewlett-Packard's (HP) chief executive Mark Hurd visited Taiwan earlier this month to meet with some of the company's local suppliers, a source at the US-based electronics firm said yesterday.
"He mainly paid visits to local contract manufacturers to forge stronger business relationships with local partners," the source from the local HP office said on condition of anonymity.
Hurd met with top executives from Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (
HP has been sourcing IT components and products from these suppliers, as well as other major players such as Quanta Computer Inc (
The source said that Hurd preferred to maintain a low-profile visit -- his first to Taiwan since taking over as CEO in April last year -- in contrast to the much-publicized visit of his predecessor, Carly Fiorina.
Fiorina came to Taipei for the second time in October 2004, making a splash with her meetings with President Chen Shui-bian (
HP is expected to remain the largest foreign procurer of Tai-wanese IT products this year, followed by Dell Inc and Sony Corp.
Its total procurement from Taiwanese firms is expected to reach US$20 billion this year, up 17.6 percent from last year, according to the statistics from the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
Total procurement by foreign firms this year is forecast to amount to US$73.3 billion, up 10.9 percent from last year, with computers, IC and flat panels as the three largest items, the data showed.
The total amount is expected to rise more than 10 percent next year, the ministry said.
HP overtook Dell in the third quarter to become the world's largest PC maker, fueled by strong momentum from markets outside the US, such as Europe.
It forecast last Tuesday that revenues would top US$100 billion for the first time in fiscal 2008, with growth driven by its computer hardware and printing businesses, as well as cost-cutting efforts. HP reported revenue of US$91.7 billion for fiscal 2006.
Polytronics Technology Corp (聚鼎科技) yesterday announced that it is buying Henkel AG’s thermal clad dielectric material (TCLAD) business division for US$26 million as the Taiwanese firm aims to improve its technology, product portfolio and revenue performance. Polytronics, headquartered in the Hsinchu Science Park (新竹科學園區), is a supplier of protection components and heat dissipation materials. The firm entered the metallic heat-dissipation substrate market in 2007 and developed a unique solventless production process. Its board of directors approved signing an agreement with Henkel to acquire the German chemical firm’s TCLAD division in the US. The purchase includes all assets and business interests, including equipment,
SIZE MATTERS: Medium-sized hotels that do not have the support of parent groups are more vulnerable and are forced to take action, a REPro Knight Frank researcher said About 50 hotels across Taiwan are seeking to exit the market as they succumb to the bleak business outlook amid international travel restrictions imposed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Yomi Hotel (優美飯店) on Minsheng E Road, Sec 1, in Taipei is seeking to transfer ownership with an asking price of NT$950 million (US$32.15 million) and a pledge for a lease contract that guarantees a 3 percent return. The budget hotel, with room rates that start from NT$1,400 per night, maintains normal operations, but has been struggling since March, when the government placed restrictions on inbound and outbound travel. Occupancy rates for hotels in
‘SENSITIVE MARKETS’: The previously unannounced project would involve the company handing over control of data to a third party to sidestep privacy concerns Google has abandoned plans to offer a major new cloud service in China and other politically sensitive countries due in part to concerns over geopolitical tensions and the COVID-19 pandemic, two employees familiar with the matter said, revealing the challenges for US tech giants to secure business in those markets. In May, the search giant shut down the initiative, known as “Isolated Region” and which sought to address nations’ desires to control data within their borders, the employees said. The action was considered a “massive strategy shift,” said one of the employees, who added that Isolated Region had involved hundreds of employees
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday posted monthly revenue that suggested second-quarter sales surpassed analysts’ estimates, underscoring how its technological lead is helping the chipmaker weather the COVID-19 pandemic and US sanctions on its second-biggest customer Huawei Technologies Co (華為). Apple Inc’s main iPhone chipmaker posted sales of NT$120.88 billion (US$4.08 billion) for last month, up 40.8 percent year-on-year and bringing its revenue for the second quarter to NT$310.7 billion, beating the NT$308.8 billion analysts expected on average. TSMC, a barometer for the industry thanks to its heft in the global supply chain, had previously lowered its revenue outlook for this
RSS