Hewlett-Packard (HP) Taiwan Ltd is looking forward to solid business this year, fueled by demand for its personal computers and printing solutions, company executives said yesterday.
"This will be a year where the introduction of software will boost hardware demand," Dennis Chen (
He said that computer sales would be generated by the launch of Microsoft Corp's Vista operating system late this month, with momentum gathering from the second quarter onward.
As a variety of new gaming software will be available to cater to the newly launched game consoles such as Nintendo Co's Wii and Sony Corp's PlayStation 3, a new segment for gaming-based notebooks would also be greater, Chen said.
"These notebooks will have to be higher-end machines to support the smooth gaming operation, which will boost computer makers' average selling prices," Chen said.
HP Taiwan will continue to solidify its No. 3 position in the local notebook market, which has long been dominated by domestic brands Asustek Computer Inc (
HP Taiwan managed to eat into the commercial segment of IBM Corp after the latter's PC business was merged into Chinese vendor Lenovo Group Ltd (
Overall, HP Taiwan's personal system group -- whose businesses include notebooks, desktops, personal digital assistants and work-stations -- will post 10 percent more sales this year over last year, Chen said.
Meanwhile, the company's imaging and printing group (IPG) is aiming to improve its sales by 7 percent this year.
"The printing market will ride on a new boom this year, especially with more users opting for color printers instead of monochrome," said Edwin Huang (黃建章), IPG vice president and general manager.
Consumer confidence was low for much of last year, however, the IT Month expo put an end to that. HP printer sales increased 20 percent over the previous show, he said.
Market researcher International Data Corp said in a recent report that laser multi-functional printers (MFPs) saw total sales of 18,885 units in the third quarter last year, representing quarterly growth of 21 percent and an annual rise of 38 percent.
HP is the leader in the international A4 MFP printer market, followed by Samsung Electronics Co, the report said.
China has claimed a breakthrough in developing homegrown chipmaking equipment, an important step in overcoming US sanctions designed to thwart Beijing’s semiconductor goals. State-linked organizations are advised to use a new laser-based immersion lithography machine with a resolution of 65 nanometers or better, the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said in an announcement this month. Although the note does not specify the supplier, the spec marks a significant step up from the previous most advanced indigenous equipment — developed by Shanghai Micro Electronics Equipment Group Co (SMEE, 上海微電子) — which stood at about 90 nanometers. MIIT’s claimed advances last
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) has appointed Rose Castanares, executive vice president of TSMC Arizona, as president of the subsidiary, which is responsible for carrying out massive investments by the Taiwanese tech giant in the US state, the company said in a statement yesterday. Castanares will succeed Brian Harrison as president of the Arizona subsidiary on Oct. 1 after the incumbent president steps down from the position with a transfer to the Arizona CEO office to serve as an advisor to TSMC Arizona’s chairman, the statement said. According to TSMC, Harrison is scheduled to retire on Dec. 31. Castanares joined TSMC in
EUROPE ON HOLD: Among a flurry of announcements, Intel said it would postpone new factories in Germany and Poland, but remains committed to its US expansion Intel Corp chief executive officer Pat Gelsinger has landed Amazon.com Inc’s Amazon Web Services (AWS) as a customer for the company’s manufacturing business, potentially bringing work to new plants under construction in the US and boosting his efforts to turn around the embattled chipmaker. Intel and AWS are to coinvest in a custom semiconductor for artificial intelligence computing — what is known as a fabric chip — in a “multiyear, multibillion-dollar framework,” Intel said in a statement on Monday. The work would rely on Intel’s 18A process, an advanced chipmaking technology. Intel shares rose more than 8 percent in late trading after the
FACTORY SHIFT: While Taiwan produces most of the world’s AI servers, firms are under pressure to move manufacturing amid geopolitical tensions Lenovo Group Ltd (聯想) started building artificial intelligence (AI) servers in India’s south, the latest boon for the rapidly growing country’s push to become a high-tech powerhouse. The company yesterday said it has started making the large, powerful computers in Pondicherry, southeastern India, moving beyond products such as laptops and smartphones. The Chinese company would also build out its facilities in the Bangalore region, including a research lab with a focus on AI. Lenovo’s plans mark another win for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who tries to attract more technology investment into the country. While India’s tense relationship with China has suffered setbacks