Samsung targets 8% notebook market

Samsung India is betting on the mobile personal computer segmentto boost its IT business. After foraying into the notebook segmentin India last December, the electronics company has launched a newrange of notebooks and netbooks, aiming to garner a 7-8 per centmarket share by 2010.
Ranjit Yadav, director – IT business, Samsung India Electronics,said, “We are focusing on this category (notebooks and netbooks)this year and are targeting home users, small and medium businessesfor these products.’’
The company launched four N series and three R series of netbookson Thursday, priced between Rs 23,639 to Rs 1.15 lakh.
The subsidiary of South Korea’s largest chaebol is a late entrantinto the category in India even though it is a significant playerglobally. It tested the market in December 2008, when it launchedabout five notebook products. Yadav said Samsung had sold between2,500-3,000 units in January-March period. “We think that this isthe time to be a full-range IT business player.’’ The companyalready sells PCs, printers, LCD monitors and IT pheripherals inthe country.
The overall India PC market shipments remained flat with 7.98million units being sold during January-December 2008 against 8.06million in 2007, according to IDC. For calendar year 2008, desktopPC shipments (5.6 million) dropped 10.1 per cent while notebook PCshipments (2.3 million units) recorded a growth of 31.5 per cent ona year-on-year basis.
In the notebook category, Samsung will compete with the likes of HP(market leader with 15.6 per cent in 2008), Dell (10.9 per cent)and HCL (9.6 per cent).
Netbooks or mini notebooks is the new segment within the mobile PCcategory, which is seeing huge growth. India is expected to seeabout two lakh netbbooks being sold this calendar year. Meanwhile,Samsung India including telecom, electronics products and IT, sawrevenues of $1.7 billion in 2008. This year, it is expecting topost 25-27 per cent growth.




Ring Yang