Acer Hopes Inexpensive Laptops Will Win SMBs

Technology Articles | January 3, 2008

Acer's company chairman predicts a huge gain in sales for their desktop PCs and laptops. Laptop sales alone could jump 50 to 70 percent this year, compared to last year. With the cost savings, Acer could be the answer to SMBs prayers for cost-effective hardware purchases.

Earlier this year, Acer's chairman made some pretty big predictions about the potential growth of his company's business — so big (a possible increase in sales of 70 percent) that it seemed like wishful thinking.

Yet his wishes have been coming true. The Taiwanese manufacturer overtook rival Dell to become the No. 2 seller of PCs in the world in 2007's third quarter. Analysts are expecting even bigger numbers for Acer in the final quarter following its $710 million acquisition of Gateway.

Acer's gains have largely been generated by its consumer business, but it will launch a renewed effort at winning the business of North American SMBs in the coming year. A key product is its Extensa 4620 laptop, which comes with either an Intel Core 2 Duo or a Pentium dual-core processor, reports eWEEK. The machines are priced at $799 or $699, respectively.

Not surprisingly, considering the highly public dissing that Acer Chairman J.T. Wang gave to Vista this summer, the Extensa laptops will come outfitted with Windows XP - though the machines will be capable of running Vista.

To really win the loyalty of SMBs, Acer will also need to offer strong support and related services, a strategy already practiced by competitors HP and Lenovo.

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Ann was a leading media authority on automated teller machines before coming to IT Business Edge to cover tech alignment and business value. Read Ann's blog, SMB Big Picture, to learn cost-effective strategies and smart investments to grow your business.