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Acer eyes 18% market share in the UAE this year [Gulf News (United Arab Emirates)](Gulf News (United Arab Emirates) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Dubai: Acer is confident of attaining an 18 per cent market share in the PC industry this year from the UAE with the launch of new computing devices, David Drummond, vice-president for Acer Middle East and Africa, told Gulf News. In the UAE, he said that Acer has almost stayed constant with market shares varying from 9.5 per cent to 15.7 per cent per month in the first half. "We have had a very good year in Saudi Arabia and we are very pleased with the first-half results. We have sold 35,000 units per quarter in the kingdom. Saudi Arabia is one of the fastest growing PC markets for Acer," he said after unveiling the company's new product line-up in Dubai on Wednesday. All of the new products will be available at Gitex but the smartphones will be available after Gitex. He said that two-in-one [detachable screen] and convertibles laptops [can be folded into a tablet] are gaining traction than the traditional laptops in the region. The Taiwanese company is now focusing on pursuing experience through a wide product range and creating value at all price points. At the moment, Drummond said that the touch and type market is more limited until the cost becomes lower. Drummond added that despite the market stagnating for the next couple of years, there will still be some business taking place and that continues to be a sizeable market for PC manufacturers. According to research firm International Data Corporation, the tablet market overtook the PC market in the UAE for the first time in the second quarter by more than 6,700 units as end users maintain their shift toward mobile devices. Tablet space During the quarter, the UAE PC market suffered around 20 per cent fall to 412,741 units compared to 515,430 units during the same period last year. In the tablet space, the market grew by 24 per cent to 419,505 units compared to 338,190 units in the same period last year. On the sidelines of the event, Allen Burnes, Vice-President of Acer's smartphone business Group, said that Acer's first wearable device will be available in the MEA by early November. "It will be available in Europe soon and is priced at €99 (Dh472). The price for the MEA market is not fixed," he said. In some markets, Burnes said that Acer already have between three and five per cent market share in the mobile phone space and is competing very well. "Our products play in the price point and are priced between $100- and $300-phones. They are entry-level handsets but are rich in features. Acer will be launching 4G smartphones in the first quarter of next year," he added. (c) 2014 Al Nisr Publishing LLC . All rights reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info). |