Information technology and communications (ICT) companies are reporting increased confidence in the economy this quarter in a recent survey, as rising sales of mobile devices have driven strong demand for touch-screen, embedded-systems and cloud-computing products and services, the Taipei Computer Association (TCA) said yesterday.
In a survey conducted between Dec. 17 and Dec. 28, about 36 percent of 322 companies registered to participate in this year’s Computex expo said they were optimistic that the economy would improve this quarter, while 35 percent expressed pessimism.
Companies that produce computer systems and data storage devices have the highest confidence in the economy, the survey showed.
Vendors of communication products, peripherals and components appeared less optimistic about the economy, as they are affected by economic conditions in European countries, according to the report.
Separately, the TCA surveyed foreign buyers coming to attend this year’s Computex expo and found that a majority of European buyers were still pessimistic about the global economy because their home countries’ economic conditions remained fragile, while buyers from South American and African countries reported being highly optimistic about this quarter’s economy.
Among the polled foreign buyers, medium and large-sized enterprises said they were optimistic that the global economy would recover at a faster pace than that predicted by small-sized firms.
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