Acer Inc.'s (ACEIY, 2353.TW) strong shipment growth last year
helped it nearly supplant Dell Inc. (DELL) as the world's No. 2
personal-computer maker for all of 2009, according to iSuppli
Corp.
The research firm said the Taiwanese computer maker achieved
leading market-share growth amid the world's top five brands for
the year. It saw its market share rise to 12.7% from 10.6%, as
shipments jumped 21% to 38.5 million units in 2009.
Dell, in contrast, saw its market share fall to 12.9% from
14.5%, as its shipments fell 10% to about 39 million units. Acer
has in recent quarters outsold Dell, which has been feeling the
downturn longer than most companies, largely because the
corporations that account for a large portion of its revenue were
among the first to cut back. The company has been moving to
diversify, including its acquisition of Perot Systems and its
expansion into smartphones.
"Acer's 2009 success was driven by the notebook PC market," said
iSupppli analyst Matthew Wilkins. Notebooks accounted for nearly
80% of Acer's shipments last year, which allowed the company to
capitalize on the fast-growing mobile-computing segment while
limiting its exposure to the desktop segment.
Acer's notebook PC shipments grew 28% in 2009, compared with a
20% jump for the overall market. Dell's desktop PC shipments fell
at a greater rate than the overall desktop segment. Furthermore,
its shipments grew at a much lower rate than that of the overall
market. Dell's share of the global PC market has fallen in recent
year, according to iSuppli.
Shipments at Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ), the No. 1 PC maker, rose
7.4% to 59.6 million units as the company's market share also grew.
The No. 4 and No. 5 PC makers, Lenovo Group Ltd. (LNVGY, 0992.HK)
and Toshiba Corp. (TOSYY, 6502.TO), each reported a double-digit
increase in shipments, as well as higher market share, according to
iSuppli.
- By John Kell, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2480;
john.kell@dowjones.com