Taiwanese PC maker Asustek Computer Inc (華碩) yesterday launched its ZenFone smartphone series in Colombia as part of the firm’s effort to achieve its annual smartphone shipments goal.
It is the first time the company has introduced its smartphone products to Colombia. The entry into the market could also help the firm expand the reach of its smartphone business.
“The company’s goal is to sell as many as 20 million to 21 million handsets this year,” Asustek chief financial officer Nick Wu (吳長榮) said.
The company sold 13.5 million units in the first three quarters of this year, which means Asustek needs to ship another 7.5 million units to reach its goal.
Asustek’s smartphone business accounted for 22 percent of the firm’s quarterly revenues of NT$108.4 billion (US$3.33 billion) in the second quarter of this year, up 6 percentage points from the 16 percent recorded in the first quarter.
The company in May told investors that it expects the smartphone segment to drive 20 percent of its annual revenue this year.
“Asustek’s robust smartphone segment has helped the firm to offset the PC segment’s decline amid overall weakness in the PC industry,” Wu said.
Asustek’s smartphone business, which entered the market in April last year, plays an important role in the firm’s corporate transformation plan.
Company chairman Jonney Shih (施崇棠) said he hopes Asustek can transition from a PC maker to a smartphone maker, with smartphone revenue contributing to more than 50 percent of profits by 2018.
Asustek shares dropped 1.34 percent to NT$295 in Taipei trading yesterday, underperforming the TAIEX, which gained 0.04 percent.
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