Taiwan digital-camera makers poised to enjoy booming sales

Taipei, March 31, 2005 (CENS)--Some major digital-camera makers in Taiwan, after surviving fierce price-cutting competition last year, are poised to enjoy bright sales prospects due mainly to some Japanese brands withdrawing from such business.

Premier Image Technology Corp. estimated that its March revenue would grow by 20% February to hit a 15-month high, Altek Corp. expected its monthly revenue to double from February to NT$800 million (US$25.3 million at US$1:NT$31.5) in March.

Industry sources said that Taiwan digital-camera makers are expected to enjoy smoother business, now that Kyocera of Japan has decided to drop digital-camera production this summer and that Konica Minolta will concentrate more of its production on multi-function office machines.

As a result, the sources continued, Taiwan's digital-camera makers are expected to win increasing orders from major Japanese brands. Premier, for example, has continuously won contract orders from major Japanese brands and its March revenue is expected to grow 20% from February to hit a 15-month high of NT$2.12 billion (US$69.21 million).

With capacity almost fully filled, Premier is expected to ship over three million digital cameras in the first half of the year, about two-thirds of last year's total shipment. The company expects to have revenue of NT$12.5 billion (US$396.83 million) in the second quarter, up 17% from the first quarter. As the second half is a traditional peak season, the firm expects its annual shipments to far exceed the original projection of six million units for the year. Last year, the firm shipped 4.5 million digital cameras and 40,000 projectors.