Dubai: Packard Bell, a brand of the Acer Computer group, on Wednesday announced it is entering the PC market in the UAE.
"I know Packard Bell has not been a very important player in this region so far, but we are going to be," said Marco Cappella, an international director with the company.
Packard Bell is one of several computer makers (the others being Gateway and eMachines) that Acer has purchased over the last 14 months. The Packard Bell acquisition was completed last March.
Packard Bell hopes to capture 3 to 4 per cent of the UAE market over the next year, according to Shashank Sharma, a local manager for the brand, although long-term goals are much higher.
The Packard Bell brand is also being promoted in Saudi Arabia and Russia. Cappella attributed the company's recent expansion to its acquisition by Acer.
"Our [previous] owners have never had the financial strength to launch in a new area," he said.
Massive company
Packard Bell saw revenue of approximately $1.5 billion (Dh5.51 billion) in 2007. The brand was originally established in the US and expanded into Europe in the 1990s. In 1999, the brand was withdrawn from the US market after years of poor image and performance.
Acer is using its recent acquisitions in a multi-brand strategy that was announced last month. The Packard Bell brand is targeted towards end-users looking for style and functionality. The Acer brand is aimed at people looking for cutting-edge technology, while the eMachine brand is for people looking for basic functionality.
Cappella compared the new strategy to that of many automobile manufactures, such as Fiat, which owns both the Fiat and Alfa Romeo brands. Although Acer and Packard Bell will be competing in the same market, Cappella said Acer is positioning the brands to avoid any overlap.
By Scott Shuey
© Gulf News 2008
