Quanta Expects Zero YoY NB Shipment Growth in Q4, 2008

Taipei, Dec. 29, 2008 (CENS)--With unexpected shipment declines in December 2008, Quanta Computer, Taiwan's largest contract manufacturer of NB PCs, has reduced its earlier set 10% year-on-year growth target for NB PC shipments to zero, or a mere 5% growth for the fourth quarter of 2008.

Based on shipments of 9.7 million NBs in the third quarter, Quanta is expected to see NB shipments reach between 9.7 and 10.18 million units in the fourth quarter of 2008.

Thanks to the acquisition of orders for netbook from brand clients, Quanta performed better than counterparts in the fourth quarter of 2008.

Quanta shipped 26.4 million NBs in the first three quarters of 2008 to firmly lead the sector in Taiwan; but the company has reduced its NB shipment target to 3,800 units this year from the earlier set 40 million units. Without meeting its shipment goal in the fourth quarter of 2008, it will see whole-year shipments amount to only 37 million units in 2008.

Quanta vice chairman and president C.C. Leung said his company will see shipment growth in 2009 fueled by the continuous growth of the global NB market. Since the beginning of the fourth quarter of 2008, Quanta has secured new orders from Hewlett Packard Corp. of the U.S. and Sony Corp. of Japan.

Leung noted netbook PCs will drive much of his company's shipment growth in 2009. In addition to the orders from existing brand clients as Acer, Lenovo, Hewlett Packard and BenQ, Quanta is expected to add Sony and Apple as clients for the contract manufacture of netbook computers in 2009.