Taipei, Dec. 5, 2008 (CENS)--The Taiwan-based High Tech Computer Corp. (HTC), a globally leading vendor of own brand smartphones, will buy U.S.`s famous product designing company One & Company (One&Co) via its subsidiary H.T.C. (B.V.I) Corp. for US$4.82 million, aiming to sharpen its innovation and design, according to company sources.

Horace Luck, Chief Innovation Officer of HTC, indicated that innovative design is a key factor that determines marketability of a product in the consumer market. For HTC, he added, applying particular elements in design to attract consumers, despite risk and challenges, assures innovation and profitability of a new product. Such belief is prompting his company to acquire One&Co.

In fact, HTC`s hot seller Diamond series smartphone was designed by One&Co in 2006, when the company actively assisted HTC to apply new materials and industrial designs in the phone in the early stage of the R&D project. Plus, One&Co has been a globally proven designing company, with ample experiences in working with numerous internationally famous brands, like Microsoft, Dell, Apple, JANSPORT and Nike, on R&D of new products. Therefore, the acquisition is widely believed to benefit HTC in the smartphone market that is expected to keep growing by 15-20% in sales next year.

(by Steve Chuang)