Quanta Computer Inc (廣達電腦), the world’s largest notebook PC contract maker by revenue, yesterday said it would broaden its partnership with 3M Co developing new-generation touch screen solutions.
Quanta’s shares rose by the daily limit to close at NT$61.4 (US$2.09) in Taipei after it said in a filing to the Taiwan Stock Exchange that it was in talks with 3M.
Quanta may use a technology developed by the St Paul, -Minnesota-based conglomerate that can register more than 10 simultaneous screen touches with a six -millisecond response time for notebooks, netbooks, tablet PCs and all-in-one PCs, according to a 3M statement.
“Quanta is excited about the possibility of developing new consumer products, which incorporate the latest in multi-touch capabilities,” C.C. Leung (梁次震), founder and vice chairman of Quanta, said in the statement.
The Taoyuan-based notebook computer maker plans to use 3M’s materials, electronics and sensor designs for touch solutions and integrate them into the production of notebook and smart handheld devices for individual customers, he said.
The latest announcement follows Quanta’s alliance with 3M’s touch-solution subsidiary, 3M Touch Systems Inc, in June last year at Computex Taipei to work together on touch-enabled technology and applications.
Smaller rival Compal Electronics Inc (仁寶) said last month that it was investing NT$2 billion in a newly formed subsidiary, Henghao Technology Co (恆顥科技), to engage in capacitive touch-panel production.
Meanwhile, Quanta said yesterday revenue grew about 38 percent last year to a record NT$1.09 trillion from NT$791.84 billion a year ago.
It shipped 52.1 million laptops last year, surpassing its full-year target of 50 million.
Compal said in a statement that its revenues jumped 34 percent to NT$851.9 billion last year from NT$636.81 billion in 2009. It shipped 48 million portable PCs last year, missing its target of 50 million.
Other PC makers reporting revenue yesterday included Asustek Computer Inc (華碩) and Wistron Corp (緯創). Asustek’s sales advanced 5 percent to NT$244.2 billion last year and those of Wistron climbed 12.5 percent to NT$614.7 billion.
“It’s below expectations as they’re affected by lower sales at Acer, which is their largest customer,” Steven Tseng (曾續良), a Taipei-based analyst at RBS, said by telephone.
He has a “hold” rating on Compal.
The sales decline “should be a one-off because of the European weather,” Chang Chih-ming (張志銘), head of investor relations at Compal in Taipei, said by telephone.
Fourth-quarter shipments were unchanged from the prior three-month period at 11.7 million units, compared with Compal’s projection for 5 percent growth.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING FROM BLOOMBERG
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