Acer Computer, the world's fourth-largest computer maker, is transforming itself into a "mobile computing firm" to maintain sales revenue amid a sluggish notebook market.
Nitipat: Mobile computing is big now
Notebook sales in Thailand are expected to contract by 5% this year from 2 million units sold last year in a market valued at 36 billion baht.
Nitipat Praweenwongwuthi, the senior marketing manager, said Acer's focus will be high-growth mobile computing areas including tablets, smartphones and hybrid devices.
Hybrid touch-based devices combine tablet functions with the high performance of notebooks to attract users away from smartphones and tablets.
Acer leads the notebook market in Thailand with a 30% share.
Mr Nitipat said prices of hybrid notebooks will likely fall sharply to 20,000 baht this year from 30,000-40,000 baht.
Acer will roll out its flagship hybrid notebook next month, with four more models by June.
Hybrid notebook sales are forecast to make up 15% of Thailand's notebook sales this year, rising to 50% in 2014, he said.
Last year, hybrid sales accounted for only 1% of the total, said Mr Nitipat.
He said Acer will also focus on educational tablets priced below 5,000 baht, which make up 70% of the market.
Another focus will be smartphones priced below 10,000 baht, which account for 55% of the overall smartphone market.
Acer allocated half of this year's 300-million-baht marketing budget to promote its mobile computing and hybrid devices.
It expects to maintain sales revenue at 13 billion baht this year thanks to its new strategy.