BenQ, Teco to use opportunities from World Football Game

This article was published by the Taiwan Headlines on April 25, 2006. It reports that Taiwan's leading manufacturers of home appliances, including BenQ Corp. and Teco Electric & Machinery Co., have long-term deployment of production facilities and sales channels in Europe. Now, these companies are having huge business opportunities as a result of the upcoming World Football Games in June 2006.

Indeed, the launch of the World Football Game is expected to trigger another wave of hot sales of large-sized LCD (liquid crystal display) and plasma TVs.

According to market researcher DisplaySearch, among all the types of LCD and plasma TVs, over 37-inch models will enjoy the greatest business potential during the World Football Game. BenQ and Tech, which have long deployed in the European market, are expected to grasp the greatest business opportunities among domestic counterparts.

Indeed, according to BenQ, it will concentrate on Europe, Asia and China for sales of own-brand LCD TVs, especially the 32-inch models, in 2006. Europe will account for over 60 percent of BenQ's total shipments.

According to DisplaySearch, Europe has become the most important market for LCD and plasma TVs, because it now accounts for over 30 percent of the global sales of the products. More significantly, compared to 42-inch LCD TVs, the plasma display panel (PDP) TVs of the same size will see substantial growth in sales.

It is estimated that shipments of flat-panel TVs will reach 45 million units in 2006, two-thirds of which will be delivered in the second half of 2006. Meanwhile, Sampo Corp. is also targeting Europe in 2006.

The company's distribution of LCD and plasma TVs to Europe in March 2006 were already in compliance with the RoHS (restriction of hazardous substances) standards requested by the European Union on electronic products.

According to Sampo, the RoHS standards will be the major factor to determine which products are allowed to enter the European market in 2006. The company aims to put flat-panel TVs on the shelves of the European market at the end of April or in the beginning of May, in order to grab the business opportunities released from the World Football Game in June.