Asustek’s claimed motherboard shipment growth for 2010 just a game of numbers
Asustek Computer’s recent claims that it will be able to increase its motherboard shipments by four million units in 2010 are really just a matter of the company shifting numbers amid the spin-off of its manufacturing arm Pegatron Technology, according to sources from motherboard players. Since the global motherboard market is unlikely to see strong shipment growth in 2010, recent comments by Chewei Lin, vice president of Asustek’s open platform business, that the company is targeting 20% on-year growth for the year are unrealistic, the sources said. A shipments jump of such an extent would require a drastic industry event such as the sudden exit of a first-tier maker, the sources explained.
The general consensus among the sources is that Asustek plans to pad out its figures by adding on the 3-4 million motherboards shipped in OEM desktop systems by the Asustek Group to its own shipments. These figures we previously accounted for under Pegatron’s shipment figures. How Pegatron’s shareholders will react to Asustek “skimming off the cream” in this way remains unknown. In addition, the sources pointed out that Asustek will not be able to get away with similar numbers games as it tries to achieve its second target of gaining a 50% share of the motherboard market in 2014. A first-tier motherboard maker really will need to quit the market for this to happen, the sources added.
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