Samsung withdraws threat to quit laptop market

 

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By Barry Collins and Matthew Sparkes in South Korea

Posted on 16 May 2008 at 09:33

Samsung has denied it plans to stop making laptops - just days after telling journalists that it must triple sales to keep its laptop division "sustainable".

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At a briefing in South Korea this week, Samsung told PC Pro and other journalists that it would have to triple its worldwide laptop market share to 5.7% within three years to meet what was described in a presentation as a "minimum survival" volume.

However, in a statement sent to PC Pro, the company is now claiming it won't be pulling out. "Following a story regarding the long-term strategy of the Samsung Electronics Notebook PC Division, Samsung would like to clarify its position," the statement reads.

"Samsung has no intention of closing its Notebook division in 2011. We do however expect the market to become increasingly saturated and therefore for there to be increased price competitiveness."

"In light of this Samsung Electronics has set an ambitious but realistic goal of achieving 5.7% market share by 2011 to sustain profitability.

"This level of market share should not be linked to survival within the marketplace but to ensuring sustainability for long-term business growth.

"This has been demonstrated in Samsung Electronics' continued expansion into new markets, most recently entering Italy in August 2007 and Poland in March 2008. Samsung has an aggressive growth strategy for 2008."