Asus keen on No. 2 spot

Named after Pegasus, the winged steed of Greek mythology, Asus computer will attempt to fly to the second spot in the local notebook market this year, its regional executives and local distributor say.

Based on the 2004 market data of IDC Philippines, Asus is the fourth leading brand of notebook computer, trailing behind HP-Compaq, IBM and Toshiba.

Michael Bangayan, president of Banbros Commercial Inc., local distributor of Asus products, says it’s nevertheless a good position to be in since they only entered the branded notebook market three years ago.

Bangayan notes that competition is getting stronger even from the so-called "white boxes" or the unbranded units. He is confident, however, that Asus’ continued focus on adding rich features, competitive pricing and service and support will improve its market share this year.

"Our strength is retail-based not corporate, but we plan to improve on that, too. We don’t have the global customer deals that our multinational competitors enjoy, but we remain to be competitive by focusing on features and support. We are the only one that offers two-year warranty for retail customers and three-year warranty for corporate clients," Bangayan adds.

Recently, Asus launched three new notebooks based on Intel’s Sonoma chip. The W5000A, W3000 and V6000V target specific markets that go for rich multimedia features.

Among the stand-out features are the W5000A’s 12.1 inch-wide screen that complements its built-in 1.3 megapixel webcam with 180-degree swivel capability; the W3000’s two-window multitasking display that can be viewed in its 14 inch-wide screen; and the enhanced 3D graphics support found in the 15-inch V6000V model.

Asus mobile phones

Not content in just manufacturing motherboards, graphic cards, optical storage devices and a slew of other consumer IT products, Asus has added mobile phones to its current business with plans for local rollout in the next quarter.

Asus’ J101 and J102 mobile phones, which are now available in Taiwan, complete the company’s bid to be in the business of "3C" – computer, consumer and communications, says Nicholas Lee, sales specialist of AsusTek Computer Inc. in Taiwan.

"Asus has at least 11 major product lines and entering the cellphone business will make us more user-oriented," Lee adds.

Darwin Wu, deputy sales director of Asus SEA, says they are not worried that cellular phone giants are already in major markets like the Philippines, an established Nokia country.

"The known cellphone brands are also in Taiwan, as well as the local brands. But by offering good quality units, it is also possible for us to win market share. We plan to do the same advertising campaign here in the Philippines as we’ve done in Taiwan... It doesn’t mean that if you are a latecomer you can’t do good business. We’ll try to take advantage of the market situation and learn from the problems of manufacturers which have been here longer," explains Wu.

Last year, Asus’ revenue reached $8.3 billion, making it the No. 4 enterprise in Taiwan. It also enjoyed 40 percent share of the Taiwanese market for notebook computers. The company has 24 branch offices overseas.