O.T. Dell HK listing as planned for March or April, expects 60% AP sales via the Net
hongkong1.cnet.com
By Bloomberg, CNET News.com
Monday, March 06 2000
HONG KONG--Dell Computer Corp said it expects to sell as much as 60 percent of its computers in Asia Pacific via the Internet this year, as it seeks a Hong Kong listing to boost its profile in the region.
The world's biggest direct-seller of personal computers received 46 percent of its orders in Asia Pacific online in the quarter through December, slightly below the worldwide average of about 50 percent.
"We are trying to increase the ratio to 50 percent the minimum, preferably 60 percent this year," said Goran Malm, president of Dell's Asia Pacific operations. A listing in Hong Kong, which was announced last year and is expected to go ahead later this month or next month, would help capture market share, he said.
Dell sold US$1.15 billion worth of computers in Asia Pacific last year, accounting for 6 percent of its total revenue.
Sales in the region grew 57 percent 1999 over the previous year, thanks in part to the fast-growing Chinese market. That was slightly faster than Europe and North America, which respectively reported a growth rate of 52 percent and 53 percent.
In February, Morton Topfer, counselor to the chief executive officer revealed that Dell generates US$1 million per day in sales from the Asia Pacific region alone.
Dell's two Asian production plants in Malaysia and China produces about 1.8 million computers a year or about 15 percent of its total production.
Topfer said the Malaysian plant in Penang--which will be expanded within the next 18 months--produces approximately 60 to 70 percent of the computer maker's Asian production.
Dell would also be expanding its production plant in China to equal the production output in Malaysia, he added. |
