08 Jan 2012

Compal Electronics Inc., second largest contract manufacturer of notebook computers in the world, yesterday said it aims to ship 48 million laptops this year, up from last year’s 40.5 million. The new figure will be the same as the 48 million of 2010, where Compal fell short 20 percent off a predicted 50 million for that year.
The decline last year was caused by upheavals at the main customer of Compal, Acer Inc, which ousted CEO Gianfranco Lanci in late March before embarking on a string of organiyational restructuring that resulted in dwindling shipments and further market share loss.

?It was not a smooth sailing year for us in 2011“ Compal president Ray Chen said before the company’s annual dinner party at the Nankang Exhibition Hall in Taipei, which is also the venture for the annual COMPUTEX, second most important computer show in the world, though with a huge gaping distance from number one CeBIT.

Compal said that ultrabooks would account for about 20 percent of it’s total notebook business in 2012. Despite the strong boost from Intel Corp., ultrabooks will not make more than that. The lead time for ultrabooks – considered a rival to Apple’s extra light MacBook Air – is longer because contractors have their own interpretation of designs that include the unibody form factor and the adaption of metal casings, the Compal boss said.

The confidence for this year is raised to development of a wider client base, including a production venture with Lenovo Group Ltd., China’s top PC manufacturer, and the world’s number 2.