Chen: Acer Will Be ‘Last Man Standing’ in PC Industry
Hot on the heels of the company’s recent growth, Acer CEO Jason Chen declared he is determined to make his company the biggest name in the PC industry. Chen made his bold proclamation during the inaugural Next@Acer conference in Manhattan, where the PC company launched 40 products and showcased 250 devices designed to capitalize on its momentum in the convertible and mobile device market.
Hot on the heels of the company’s recent growth, Acer Corporate President and CEO Jason Chen declared he is determined to make his company the biggest name in the PC industry. Chen made his bold proclamation during the inaugural Next@Acer conference in Manhattan, where the PC company launched 40 products and showcased 250 devices designed to capitalize on its momentum in the convertible and mobile device market.
“There are only (four or five) major players in the PC market and all of them are survivors,” said Chen. “We will be the last man standing in the PC industry.”
Similar to last year’s press conference, this year’s event focused heavily on Acer’s back to school lineup, with the company putting most of its focus on an expanded line of 2-in-1 devices and Chromebooks for education. Chen said Acer will continue to put a major emphasis on its PC business this fiscal year, spurred by last year’s positive numbers: Acer reported an 80 percent increase in its commercial business and cited triple-digit growth for its Chromebook business in the United States in 2014.
Chen also emphasized Acer’s continued relationship with Microsoft, announcing a new family of Windows 10 devices with cross-platform compatibility to the company’s new notebooks, smartphones, tablets and wearables.
Aside from updated versions of its existing product lines, Acer unveiled the Aspire V15 notebook, which features a 15-inch display, while the new Acer Iconia One 8 tablet line is being aimed squarely at the K-12 vertical, with anti-fingerprint coating and the ability to input information using standard pencils.
As for mobile devices, Acer is expanding its offerings in the smartphone and wearable market with the Liquid X2, a Microsoft phone that sports multiple SIM card slots for business travelers and combines the features of last year’s X1 phablet and E700 model phones. The announcement marks the first time Acer will offer its line of smartphones in the United States.
The company also will release several new wearable devices, including the health-centric Leap Fit, fitness-centric Leap Active and the Leap Curve for style-conscious users.
While it’s much too early to say if Chen’s declaration of world dominance in the PC arena will come true, the company’s new offerings demonstrated Acer’s renewed interest in becoming a big name player within the industry. With Chen helping to bring Acer back in the black after his appointment last year, the company will certainly be one to watch in the coming months.
