HP seeks higher PC sales in the region

SINGAPORE (JP): Hewlett-Packard (HP), the American company which dominates the printer market, expects to improve its personal computer (PC) sales in the Asia-Pacific region.

Chin Hon Cheng, director for computer sales and distribution, acknowledged that while HP has been leading in the printer business for the last three years it has yet to do as well with its PCs.

"HP plans to be number one in the PC market but it will be difficult," Chin said during a recent press tour here.

"Two years from now, we hope to be number two in PCs," he added.

HP currently ranks sixth in the Asia-Pacific PC market, with a market share of only 3.9 percent in the second quarter of 1996. Samsung of South Korea topped the list with a market share of 7.1 percent, followed by Compaq of the United States with 6.9 percent, IBM of the United States with 5.5 percent, Acer of Taiwan with 5.4 percent and Trigem with 4.2 percent.

Chin is optimistic that there is great potential for HP computers to do well in Indonesia despite the tightening competition. "I see that the Indonesian market will grow by about 50 to 60 percent this year," he said.

"Young Indonesians, like most Asians, believe that the fastest way to get ahead in business is to use international access, which includes information technology," he said.

Indonesia's small and medium businesses will be the target market for HP computers, he said.

Chin said that HP expects a growth rate of 97 percent for the sales of its laserjet printers and 60 percent for its deskjet printers in Indonesia this year.

To boost its sales in the Asia-Pacific region, HP plans to launch new printers by the end of this year, he said. (yan)