Sunday, October 14, 2018 12:27:29 PM
With this, Sharp re-enters the PC arena for the first time since discontinuing the Mebius brand in 2010.
The Japan-based manufacturer obtained 80.1% of Toshiba Client Solutions for about 4 billion yen ($35 million). Kiyofumi Kakudo stays on as president and CEO. Yoshihisa Ishida, a Sharp executive vice president, has been appointed chairman.
Sharp plans to rebuild Toshiba Client Solutions, which sustained an 8.3 billion yen operating loss in fiscal 2017, by cultivating markets abroad and taking advantage of Foxconn's procurement prowess.
As the world's largest electronics-manufacturing services company, Foxconn has many production sites across China and churns out such information technology equipment as servers for American tech companies.
Tai Jeng-wu, a Foxconn transplant who leads Sharp as chairman and CEO, said after the deal was announced in June that the business would turn profitable within a year or two, allowing Sharp to recover its investment. He said the operation should focus for that time on the Japanese market, where the Dynabook brand is strong.
But in late September, dealers at a briefing in Guangdong Province were informed that the PC lineup under Toshiba Client Solutions will expand rapidly in China.
Sharp aims to lift overall sales by 34% from fiscal 2017 levels to 3.25 trillion yen in fiscal 2019. But though Sharp's earnings have improved since its August 2016 purchase by Foxconn, the recovery faces difficulties ahead. Sales of liquid crystal display televisions in China -- which had driven revenue growth -- have slid.
Ishida, who led the latest deal, said Sharp will work with 400 engineers of the Toshiba business to create synergies in "internet of things" technologies.
Japanese electronics manufacturers have been forced out of PCs by intense price competition from Chinese players. The past several years have seen NEC and Fujitsu give up on running the operations on their own, switching to joint ventures with Lenovo Group. Sony has spun off its PC business, known for the Vaio brand, by selling it to an investment fund.
North Bay Resources Announces Assays up to 5 oz/ton Gold, 1.5 oz/ton Platinum, 0.5 oz/ton Palladium, and 0.5 oz/ton Rhodium at Mt. Vernon Gold Mine, Sierra County, California • NBRI • Oct 4, 2024 9:15 AM
Basanite, Inc. Appoints Ali Manav as Interim Chief Executive Officer • BASA • Oct 3, 2024 9:15 AM
Integrated Ventures Announces Launch of MedWell Facilities, LLC and Lease Agreement with Giant Fitness Clubs • INTV • Oct 3, 2024 8:45 AM
Beyond the Horizon: Innovative Drug Combinations Offer New Hope for Alzheimer's and More • NVS • Oct 3, 2024 8:45 AM
SMX and FinGo Enter Into Collaboration Mandate to Develop a Joint 'Physical to Digital' Platform Service To Enhance Natural Rubber Industry's Ability to Report on Sustainable and Ethical Supply Chains • SMX • Oct 3, 2024 7:00 AM
Transforming Alzheimer's Treatment: Innovative Combinations to Boost Cognition • PFE • Oct 2, 2024 9:00 AM