Mar. 20, 2001

First International Computer Inc. announced that Hewlett-Packard Co. increased orders to this Taiwan maker.

The local Commercial Times reported that FIC received a NT$10 billion order from HP to manufacture Hewlett-Packard's desktop consumer computers using Intel Corp. processors for the first time. FIC plans to deliver these orders from the end of the second quarter, and hopes to achieve robust sales of NT$6.5 billion this year.

This is the third lucky break FIC has enjoyed recently. FIC also has received orders for a small-sized computer, the Data Book, from a Japanese company, and also has become Compaq Computer Corp.'s outsourcing partner for manufacturing desktop computers.

HP made the second highest OEM/ODM purchases in Taiwan with US$4.5billion in 2000, just following Compaq's lead of US$9.6 billion.
However HP said it would continue to raise its outsourcing orders to Taiwan with a forecast of US$5 billion this year.

FIC has enjoyed steady sales growth recently. Its January sales reached NT$3.6 billion and NT$4.67 billion in February. (1 US$ = approx 32 NT$)