The Hungarian unit of American IT giant HP sold 110,000 computers in 2008, 30pc more than in 2007, and revenue, calculated in dollars, rose about the same, HP Magyarorszag deputy-CEO Kristof Takats said on Tuesday.
The increase in revenue was excellent considering the effects of the global financial and economic crisis on Hungary, as well as falling computer prices, Mr Takats said. Notebook prices dropped 20-25pc on average in 2008, and prices for low-end types fell even more. HP competes in the high-end category, so it was not affected as much by the decline in prices, he added.
HP Magyarorszag weathered the crisis in Q4 because it filled corporate and state orders that had been placed earlier, Mr Takats said.
HP Magyarorszag took a 17pc market share in 2008. In Q4, its market share jumped to 27pc on the desktop market and 38pc on the notebook market. HP Magyarorszag sold about the same number of desktops as laptops, even though on the market as a whole, laptop sales outnumbered desktop sales 7 to 3. Mr Takats put the discrepancy down to HP Magyarorszag’s state and large-company orders, of which many are for desktops.
Portable computer sales volume rose 23pc in Hungary in 2008, well under the 40pc growth projection by industry insiders. The desktop market contracted 15pc.
This year, the portable computer market is likely to stagnate and the desktop market will probably shrink further, Mr Takats said.
HP Magyarorszag aims to bring its average market share for the year to 20pc, keeping its share of the desktop market over 25pc and boosting its notebook market share to 18pc from 14pc.
HP Magyarorszag originally targeted revenue growth of 30pc in 2009, but the effects of the crisis, especially in the second quarter pose a big question, Mr Takats said.