Bangkok--21 Feb--ASUSTeK Computer
ASUS OPBG Thailand Reveals 2013 Marketing DirectionHighlighting “Home Solution 2.0” Marketing Concept to Answer Growing Trendof Smart Device Usage in the Cloud Enabled Era
Showcase of new product lineups for 2013Increased service centers to ensure nationwide coverage Plus the debut of “ROG Plus” exclusive service for ROG product users
ASUSTeK Computer (Thailand) Company Limited, a world’s leading manufacturer and developer of best-selling and most award-winning motherboards, announces the 2012 business performance for its Open-Platform Business Group (OPBG) with the targeted total income of Bt.1.6 billion calculated at 3% growth comparing to the total income of 2011. ASUS also retained the company’s number one position in the motherboard market segment in Thailand. The performance is considered impressive despite the downturn of the Thai IT industry over the past year. Highlights of the business performance also include a leaping 175% growth of the networking solution products and the debut of ASUS OPBG’s desktop PC business in the fourth quarter of 2012. The OPBG of ASUS Thailand is gearing up to highlight its business concept entitled “Home Solution 2.0” a spinoff of the last year’s marketing concept focusing on advanced connectivity features among both home-based hardware and smart portable devices that are hugely popular with the modern consumers today, enabling users to access and backup their files and digital content through ASUS’ exclusive private Cloud storage-based service.
The new marketing concept will roll out utmost benefits of safe and personalized convergent capabilities of ASUS products for end users, as well as the compatibilities between different types of ASUS hardware. The idea presents a new height of product interaction, enabling anyone to set up and administrate their personal network at ease while experiencing the true 2.0 home solution and the 2.0 DIY capabilities. Furthermore, the OPBG of ASUS Thailand also sets of to increase the service centers to cover more areas nationwide, as well as preparing to launch the new “ROG Plus” service exclusively for users of the premium ROG product series in order to decrease the turnaround time of repairing services. The company targets around 10% growth for the year-round income of the OPBG in Thailand, totaling at Bt. 1.8 billion within the end of 2013.
Mr. Monthee Vuthirong, Country Manager of ASUS Thailand’s Open Platform Business Group, ASUSTeK Computer (Thailand) Co., Ltd., says: “In 2012, the total income of the OPBG of ASUS Thailand, including the revenue from the newly launched desktop PC business has achieved Bt.1.6 billion, calculated at 3% growth from the past year. This impressive result of our business performance, especially in the commercial PC market segment, was partly driven by some positive factors that enabled ASUS to start business affiliation with several corporate clients and government agencies. We have secured the long-term partnership between ASUS and the Office of Basic Education Commission (OBEC) in supplying the spec-in desktop PCs for several projects under OBEC’s direction. The ratio of ASUS Thailand’s commercial and consumer PC markets totals at 80% to 20% from a hundred per cent. From our successful 2012’s business results, the OPBG still enjoys the top sales from the motherboard products at 60% of the total income, followed by 25% from the VGA cards. Moreover, with the up-and-coming winner products in the networking solutions group with a phenomenal growth of 175%, it is demonstrated consumers today have an increasing interest in better access for their personal data through a reliable network source. The new trend of networking solution now is revolving around a single wireless router which serves as the backbone device of the household internet network, enabling users to conveniently control the connectivity of all devices just from a few clicks on their desktop PCs or on the smart devices.”
“In 2013, the OPBG of ASUS Thailand has re-categorized our products into seven groups, including 1) Motherboards, 2) Multimedia, 3) Wireless network solutions and accessories, 4) Finished products (Desktop and all-in-one PCs), 5) Displays, 6) Optical drives and storage (OMAP), and 7) Work station boards and servers. The new product categorization will create more convenience and efficiency in how we manage and deploy our marketing plan for each group. As for the year-round marketing concept, we focus on the ‘Home Solution 2.0’ idea which is a continuation of our market focus for the ‘Home Solutions’ product and the D.I.Y. market which ASUS is a market leader of. This new marketing concept is an upgrade to the 2.0 version for the convergence of all ASUS devices and technologies, featuring the advanced connectivity of home-based and portable smart devices through ASUS’ exclusive ‘Private Cloud Service’. Users can now manage their file sizes or types of digital content by themselves in the least complicated ways while sharing files to others. With our introduction of the ‘ASUS AiCloud’ feature equipped in our exclusive router products, the router becomes the backbone device of the internet network within a home and among extensive portable devices such as smartphones, tablets and notebook PCs which have been registered into the private network. This feature affords speedy data transfer using the latest 802.11ac file size compression technology. Apart from this, ASUS has launched its cutting-edge ‘WiFi Go!’ and ‘Remote Go!’ features on the motherboard products, enabling access of data on the PC hard disk from all portable devices. These features create personalized service and utmost safety for the network connectivity for all members of the family while anyone can be the administrator of the ever-so-easy controlling system. With these innovative capabilities from ASUS, the ‘Home Solution 2.0’ concept will leverage the device interaction and customer’s experience into the true 2.0 fashion. We are confident to cater all lifestyles of discerning target groups, ranging from professional users, gamers, general end-users to multimedia and entertainment users.”
Mr. Monthee continues, “In parts of the marketing strategy for ASUS OPBG Thailand, this year we increased the number of marketing staff to undertake the responsibilities for our extensive product groups. We also continue to focus on customer’s experience and good impression toward our innovative products and designs with cutting features using the best technology available in the market at the product’s released time. ASUS never concentrate on the price competition in the market; rather, we create added value and differentiation to our products with superior features and unmatched benefits for our consumers. In 2013, we have appointed SIS Distribution Thailand as our official business partner for the distribution of motherboards and multimedia products. With the new appointment, ASUS will be able to ensure better coverage of sales and repair services throughout the country. We also focus on the shop-front display and product demonstration units which open an opportunity for our prospect buyers to experience our products before making their decision. This helps create brand recognition from the consumers and it serves as a good vessel for users to remember ASUS’ product benefits by trying out the demo units. As for the support for our new distribution partner, we work closely with them by providing the product training, knowledge on sales techniques and creating better understanding about ASUS’ marketing concepts and product benefits. We also train our dealers to perform the live demonstration correctly in order to better present each function and key selling points to the customers. We strongly determine that our dealers are able to give knowledge and advice about ASUS products effectively for successful sale results.”
“We have also increased the number of our service centers through our third party partners in order to ensure speedy turnaround time for the product repair. Apart from this, we are preparing to launch the new ‘ROG Plus’ service exclusively for users of the premium ROG product series in order to decrease the turnaround time of repairing services, a way to offer privilege to our special ROG users to receive back their products faster through a more convenient channel. The ‘ROG Plus’ service will be open officially in March this year,” Mr. Monthee adds.
“In 2013, we have a number of new exciting lineups that has impressed the crowds of the prestigious CES 2013 fair held earlier this year in Las Vegas, USA. Among many award-winning products from ASUS, the Designo Series MX279H Display is outstanding with its HiFi stereo sound system, thanks to the B&O ICEPower technology — collaboration between ASUS’ audio development team and Bang & Olufsen. As for 2013 product highlights, we prepare to market several innovative models, including the limited edition ‘ROG ARES II’ graphics card which comes with the Dual AMD? HD 7970 GHz Edition GPUs technology, the ‘ASUS Xonar Essence One MUSES Edition’ USB DAC with headset, ‘ASUS E2KM1I-DELUXE Mini-ITX’ compact motherboard, ‘ASUS Transformer AiO’ world’s first all-in-one PC that runs on the Windows 8 OS and doubles as a 18.4-inch Android multi-touch tablet, ‘ASUS Qube Google TV’ home entertainment device, the 24-inch ‘ASUS VG248QE Fast Gaming Monitor’ with 144Hz refresh rate, the 24-inch ‘PA249Q ProArt’ professional monitor and the ‘WL-330NUL’ the world’s smallest pocket router, perfect for the on-the-go users.”
“With ASUS strong product portfolio and the company’s leading position in the motherboard market segment, we continue to offer innovative technology that can cater to discerning lifestyles of modern consumers. The OPBG of ASUS Thailand hopes to increase the market share for all product groups, as well as securing at least 10% growth by the end of 2013. At the same time, we are confident to retain the number one position in the motherboard and VGAs market in Thailand,” Mr. Monthee concludes.