Lenovo Thailand, the local operating unit of the world’s largest computer maker, plans to target IT service support and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions following the overarching trend of digital transformation.
The company also set its sights on becoming the PC market leader in Thailand either by the end of this year or early next year, according to Woraphot Thavornwan, general manager for Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia and consumer division head for Thailand at Lenovo.
The company has a broad range of PC types and prices, ranging from gaming to premium.
“We are in the top two of every segment,” Mr Woraphot said. “We have the ability to lead the market.”
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According to market research, Acer leads the overall PC market in Thailand. Asus is in the pole position for gaming notebooks. Acer is No.1 for thin and light notebooks; Dell leads the premium laptop segment.
Thaneth Angkasirisan, general manager for Indochina at Lenovo, said the company became the market leader for PCs in Thailand for the first time in the fourth quarter of 2018, before eventually slipping out of the position.
In the first quarter this year, Lenovo won several large government projects, he said. “We provide call services around the clock and replacement devices on-site,” said Mr Thaneth.
In the global PC market, Lenovo had a 23.6% market share in the second quarter with revenue surging 8% year-on-year, driven by strong demand for computers in the wake of the pandemic, said Mr Woraphot.
In Thailand, the overall computer market saw single-digit growth in the first 10 months this year. The notebook segment experienced double-digit growth during the period.
For the full year, the PC market is expected to see single-digit growth, he said. The key catalyst for growth is the government’s tax rebate “Shop and Payback” scheme, which Mr Woraphot said could spur demand by 10-15%.
There is still a shortage of computers and components in the market at present, he said. According to GfK research firm, the premium notebook segment (26,000 baht or more per unit) saw strong growth in the second and third quarters, with quarterly increases of 32.9% and 32.3%, respectively.
To meet market demand, Lenovo recently unveiled seven new models of its Yoga ultra-slim and convertible notebooks, which come with the 10th and 11th generation Intel Core processors. Their prices range from 32,990 to 59,990 baht.
Mr Thaneth said the company recently decided to focus on services that support business transformation. Lenovo invested in its professional service team to provide managed IT and help desk services.
“We serve as an IT support provider for businesses following surging demand for remote work,” he said. Lenovo also increased the number of commercial teams that provide IoT solutions for customers, such as smart buildings, contactless and facial recognition, which could ensure health and safety.
“IoT will play a role in checking the density of crowds at facilities,” said Mr Thaneth. He said Thailand remains among the company’s top strategic markets in Asean in terms of revenue and market size. In 2020, PCs contributed 75% of the company’s revenue and the server business accounted for the rest.
“We expect our revenue to grow by 20% this year, driven by demand for computers during the pandemic,” said Mr Thaneth.
