Acer Inc., the world's fourth-largest maker of personal computers, will replace rival Lenovo Group Ltd. as a worldwide Olympic sponsor, aiming to boost its global profile and gain market share. The four-year contract will cover the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver and the 2012 London Summer Games, said Chris Renner of Helios Partners, who helped arrange the deal. The agreement builds on President Gianfranco Lanci's ambitions to challenge Hewlett-Packard Co. and Dell Inc. following Acer's $710 million acquisition of Gateway Inc. this year. China's Lenovo said this week it will drop its sponsorship to target specific markets, highlighting the contrast in strategies between Asia's two biggest computer makers.
Acer would become one of 11 companies with the worldwide right to associate themselves with the Olympics and use symbols such as the five rings. Acer, which research firm IDC estimates lags behind Hewlett-Packard, Dell and Lenovo in PC sales, is poised to be the first Taiwanese company to become a worldwide sponsor of the Olympics
Acer's Lanci said in October he expects the purchase of Gateway will more than double Acer's market share in the U.S. to 11.7 percent. The acquisition makes Acer the second-largest PC supplier in Europe and at least the third-biggest in the U.S., according to data from researcher Gartner Inc. and Acer.
Acer, founded in 1976, has invested in Formula 1 motor car racing as official sponsor for the Ferrari F1 team, Moto GP as the official sponsor of the Yamaha Factory Racing Team, and it is currently an official supplier to Spanish football giants Barcelona.
"The careful choice of associating our company with established world leaders in their respective sectors has helped grow the brand perception of Acer around the world," said J T Wang, chief executive of Acer, in a call from Taiwan.
"We are convinced it is the right thing to do and the best business marketing investment we can make for Acer."
Acer in represented in Bangladesh by Executive Technologies Limited, the authorized business and only service partner of Acer Incorporated, Taiwan. Hotline: 01919-222-222
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