We recently had the opportunity to interview Acer EMEA President, Emmanuel Fromont.
Mr. Fromont joined Acer in 2008, and has played an integral role in the company’s success. His current mandate is to drive profitable growth across the full portfolio in the region.
We asked him about the PC market in the EMEA region as compared to the growth globally. We also spoke about Acer’s niche products and the impact of the mobile industry on PCs. Here’s what he had to say:
How has the PC market evolved globally? In the EMEA region?
Globally the PC market has fared well. The latest trends indicate that the commercial segment is on the rise while the consumer market is a bit more challenging. That being said, there has been an uptake in the gaming, ultra-thin and chromebook segments which Acer has a strong presence in. EMEA on the other hand has seen a general slowdown due to political and economic factors
How has the evolution of the mobile industry impacted Acer?
While it is true that the mobile industry has evolved drastically, it will still not replace the PC market.. This is due to the fact that PCs still serve their purpose in regards to content creation and data management. One thing to take into account as well is the lifecycle of the products and their buying refresh rates. PCs still have a lifecycle of 5-6 years while mobile devices are replaced more frequently.
Will we ever see a mobile device from Acer?
Acer is always adapting to the demands of the market. While it is a possibility as we are in a fast paced industry, there is currently no plan for an Acer mobile device at the moment.
Where does most of the demand for PCs come from these days?
We have seen growth in three key segments: commercial, education and gaming. The commercial sector is driven by Windows 7 EOL and is powered by the move from desktops to notebooks. The education sector has seen an uptake due to the digitalization of the entire education system and Chrome OS opportunities. The gaming sector, which has evolved in current years, is attracting a larger segment of end-users.
How is Acer approaching this opportunity through its products and solutions?
Acer is very well positioned in these segments. Our gaming portfolio has a full range of devices that includes desktops, notebooks and monitors all under a dual brand strategy: Predator, our premium gaming brand and Nitro, a sub-brand under the Acer name. We own patents for thermal solutions that are included specifically for our gaming products. We are also investing in the growth of the education sector and currently offer solutions with Microsoft OS products or with Chrome OS products. Our chromebooks alone have established us a leader in the education sector globally and in the Middle East.
Are there any specific products Acer is focusing on to target niche markets?
For the more niche markets, Acer focuses on Thin & Light devices. For almost two years, we have held pole position in this segment thanks to our Swift series devices. Another area we play a big role in is gaming, as seen with our Predator and Nitro line. In addition our newly introduced ConceptD range, caters mostly to creators’ engineers, app developers, and designers.
Do you plan to make products targeted towards videographers, designers, etc.?
In April we introduced a new stand-alone brand called ConceptD that includes a full product portfolio of desktops, notebooks and monitors. These products are designed to cater to the needs of graphic designers, videographers, streamers, creators and engineers. They are powerful devices tuned differently to match the different needs of the creators such as style, less noise, and more color accuracy.
What is the future of personal computers, considering that the younger generation is more into mobile phones and a lot of tasks can be carried out on the mobile itself?
It’s safe to say that the two will definitely co-exist for many years to come.. You need both devices, a mobile and a PC as they each serve a separate purpose. Data creation and manipulation are still carried out on notebooks or desktops, while your day to day activities can still be carried out on the go with a mobile device.
Has the mobile market had an effect on the personal computer market?
It might have had an impact, however there are other factors to take into consideration as well. These include the Longer refresh rate as end-users change their PCs after 5 to 6 years compared to 2 to 3 years just a few years ago. Design trends such as longer battery life, thin and light, or high screen-body ratios are also contributing.
This is what Mr. Emmanuel Fromon had to say about Acer’s growth in the EMEA region. It is great to see lineups like Predator and ConceptD from Acer that cater to the niche market.
Will we see Acer venture into mobile phone in future? Your guess is just as good as ours.
Let us know your thoughts about the constantly evolving laptop market and whether mobile phones have taken over your everyday tasks from the laptop.
