As Giants Step In, Asustek Defends A Tiny PC

一年多以前，华硕电脑有限公司(Asustek Computer Inc.)以一款低价笔记本电脑颠覆了个人电脑行业，如今该公司正在努力应对不断迫近的竞争对手。最近几个季度，这家台湾电脑厂商的利润大幅下滑。全球经济低迷是原因之一，但华硕还面临着一个类似很多小公司一举做大之后的问题：如何长期延续成功。华硕表示将在未来数月推出一系列新产品，包括由全球定位系统(GPS)专业公司Garmin International Inc.研发的智能手机，以及该公司第一部使用谷歌(Google Inc.)手机操作系统Android的低成本电脑。华硕创始人兼董事长施崇棠数年前就提出，很多消费者并不需要一部普通笔记本电脑所具备的所有功能，如今很多规模较大的公司已经开始从这一洞察中获利。华硕于2007年底推出了第一款所谓的上网本，这款轻薄便携的笔记本电脑易PC(Eee PC)售价不到250美元。易PC最初被主要电脑厂商讥笑是玩具，但这款低价电脑却出人意料地热卖，创造了自上世纪九十年代笔记本电脑崛起以来第一个新的电脑类型。市场研究公司Gartner预计，今年全球上网本发货量将飙升50%，至780万部；而整体电脑销量预计会下滑。易PC目前已经售出了610万部，这款产品的成功成就了华硕在全球笔记本电脑厂商第五强的地位。现在，几乎全球每家个人电脑厂商都在销售上网本，包括华硕的台湾竞争对手宏碁股份有限公司(Acer Inc.)，以及行业巨头惠普公司(Hewlett-Packard)和戴尔公司(Dell Inc.)。4月下旬，韩国三星电子(Samsung Electronics Co.)宣布计划今年销售500万部上网本，去年销量为200万部。这种状况正迫使华硕展现自己并不是昙花一现。Gartner分析师舍弗勒(George Schiffler)说，为了在市场上维持竞争力，华硕需要在上网本以外下功夫，并且需要行事相对迅速。Bloomberg News华硕的低端笔记本易PC曾在个人电脑行业开创先河，而今这种产品已面临着激烈竞争。华硕电脑周四公布，第一季度利润下滑94%，至1,370万美元；去年第四季度则出现了亏损。当季销售额下滑27%。在华硕位于台北郊外的新总部，施崇棠表示华硕处于有利地位，因为公司注重创新而不只是低成本生产。华硕聚集了海外工程师和台湾本地高校的人才，这家公司已经成为了台湾如何从外国大品牌的制造基地转型为全球几大品牌之家的见证。华硕电脑创建于1989年，当时施崇棠和其他高级工程人员离开了宏碁，开始生产主板。在1997年推出首部华硕品牌笔记本之前，这个公司一直是个电脑部件供应商。尽管第一个月只卖出了三部机器，但华硕仍然坚持开发品牌。目前该公司70%的收入来自于自己品牌的产品。施崇棠说，营造品牌的一个重要理念就是走在行业先列──就好像提到复印机，人们就会想到施乐(Xerox)。我们仍然认为创新是华硕的关键实力。类似的思维催生了易PC。尽管想法看似简单──简化功能并降低价格──但施崇棠表示华硕费了不少时间努力确保这个产品满足消费者的诸多需求。这个机器开机迅速，上网方便，电池续航时间久。科技研究公司国际数据公司(IDC)分析师奥多耐尔(Bob O'Donnell)说，华硕显示出他们能够打破个人电脑行业必须制造更好更快产品的传统周期。他们转而注重于创造一些更便携更经济的产品。但有时候创新精神也会带来损害。华硕去年每六个星期就推出易PC的一款新版本，分析师表示这给消费者带来了混乱。施崇棠说，由于竞争性的工程文化，我们可能推出了太多版本。他补充称，华硕不会再犯这个错误。华硕今年计划推出三款新版产品。华硕之所以推出众多版本，原因之一是为了纠正此前的一个纰漏。该公司最初的上网本键盘很小，也没有硬盘。在一定程度上，这是个卖点，因为这款电脑就是要实现超级轻薄便携；但华硕很快意识到消费者更喜欢全尺寸键盘。尽管宏碁到2008年中才进入上网本市场，落后华硕六个月，但宏碁却后发制人地超过了华硕。研究公司DisplaySearch的数据显示，截至今年3月，宏碁占据了上网本市场38%的份额，而华硕只有30%。宏碁创始人施振荣说，华硕得益于强劲的创新优势。但这个品牌创立时间还不够久，还没有成为真正的全球性力量。华硕首席执行长施崇棠对此无法苟同。他表示，除了今年将要推出的新智能手机和Android系统上网本，华硕还打算推出其他产品，如视频电话和其他家用电子产品。他说，竞争对手或许会冲击华硕的上网本业务，但公司还有新的重要产品。我们不能忘记背后有人在紧追不放。Ting-I Tsai / Ian Johnson相关阅读微软押注Windows 7初级版 2009-04-28苹果公司计划推出触摸屏上网本 2009-03-10宏碁欲借智能手机和上网本逆境壮大 2009-02-17笔记本电脑发货量首超台式电脑 2008-12-24 本文涉及股票或公司document.write (truthmeter('2009年05月04日13:05', '2357.TW'));华硕电脑有限公司英文名称：Asustek Computer Inc.总部地点：台湾上市地点：台湾证交所股票代码：2357document.write (truthmeter('2009年05月04日13:05', 'AKCIY'));Asustek Computer Inc.  (gdr)总部地点：台湾上市地点：NNOTC股票代码：AKCIY


After upending the personal computer industry just over a year ago with a stripped-down laptop, Asustek Computer Inc. is now scrambling to fight back against encroaching competitors.The Taiwan-based computer maker has seen its profit collapse in recent quarters. Its troubles are partly due to the global economic slowdown, but Asustek is also facing a problem familiar to many small companies that hit it big: how to sustain the success over the long haul.Asustek is promising a raft of new products in coming months, including smart phones developed with Global Positioning System specialist Garmin International Inc. and its first low-cost computer using Google Inc.'s Android software, an operating system designed for cellphones.The expansion comes as much bigger companies have begun to profit from an insight that Asustek founder and Chairman Jonney Shih had a couple of years ago: that many consumers don't need all of the computing power in a typical laptop.Asustek in late 2007 launched the first so-called netbook, a simple, light-weight, portable computer that cost less than $250. At first dismissed by major computer makers as a toy, the Eee PC proved surprisingly popular, creating the first new category of PCs since the rise of notebooks in the 1990s.Research firm Gartner estimates that world-wide shipments of netbooks will surge by 50%, to 7.8 million units in 2009, while overall computer sales are expected to decline. The success of the Eee PC, which has sold 6.1 million units so far, has powered Asustek to fifth place globally among notebook makers.Now, almost every PC maker in the world is selling netbooks, including Asustek's Taiwanese rival Acer Inc. as well as giants Hewlett-Packard Co. and Dell Inc. Last week, South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co. announced it aims to sell five million netbooks this year, up from two million last year. That's forcing Asustek to show that it's more than a one-hit wonder.'In order to remain competitive in the market, they'll need to move beyond netbooks and do so relatively soon,' said George Schiffler, an analyst at Gartner.On Thursday, Asustek reported profit fell 94% to $13.7 million during the first quarter after posting a loss in the fourth quarter. Quarterly sales fell 27%.Inside Asustek's new headquarters on the outskirts of Taiwan's capital, Mr. Shih said Asustek is well-positioned because of its focus on innovation and not just low-cost production. Bustling with foreign engineers and talent from Taiwan's top schools, the company is a testament to how Taiwan has transformed itself from a maker of products for other countries' big brands to home of several of its own global brands.Asustek started in 1989, when Mr. Shih and other top engineers left Acer and began building motherboards, the cards that hold microprocessors and other electronics in PCs. It remained a component supplier until 1997, when it launched its first Asus branded notebook.It sold only three units in the first month, but the company persisted in developing its brand. Now, 70% of revenue comes from its own branded products.'An important concept in branding is being the first -- everybody thinks of Xerox when copy machines are mentioned,' Mr. Shih said. 'We still think innovation is a crucial strength of Asus.'The Eee was born of similar thinking. Although the idea seems simple -- strip down a laptop and keep the price low -- Mr. Shih said the company spent time trying to make sure it did many of the things consumers wanted. The machine starts quickly, it easily connects to the Internet and the battery lasts a long time.'They showed that they could break the PC industry's typical cycle of having to produce something that was always better and faster,' said Bob O'Donnell, an analyst at tech research company IDC. 'And instead they focused on creating something that was more affordable and more portable.'But sometimes that innovative spirit has been a detriment. Last year, Asustek issued a new version of its Eee on average every six weeks, which analysts said confused consumers.'We might have offered too many models because of our competitive engineering culture,' Mr. Shih said, adding that the company won't repeat this mistake. This year, Asustek plans to release three new versions.Part of the reason for the flood of models was to correct an early misstep. The company's initial netbooks had small keyboards and no hard drives. To a degree this was the point -- the computer was meant to be ultra-portable and light -- but Asustek soon noticed that consumers preferred full-sized keyboards.Although Acer entered the netbook market in mid-2008 about six months after Asustek, it has leapfrogged its rival. By March of this year, Acer shipped 38% of all netbooks, versus 30% for Asustek, according to research firm DisplaySearch.'Asus enjoys strong advantages in innovation,' said Acer founder Stan Shih. 'But the brand hasn't been around long enough yet' to be a real global power.Asustek CEO Jonney Shih (no relation) disagrees. Besides the new smart phone and Android netbook due out this year, he said Asustek is also looking to offer products like video phones and other electronics for the home.Competitors might take a bite out of Asustek's netbooks, but the company has new hits lined up, he said, 'we can't forget that there are people running after us.'Ting-I Tsai / Ian Johnson