Japanese business paper Nikkei understands that Chinese Lenovo is in talks to acquire Japanese Fujitsu‘s pc division, with a deal planned for later this month.
Stagnant pc market
A source closely linked to the negotiations told Nikkei that a deal could be finalized later this month. Lenovo, the world’s largest pc manufacturer, would be willing to bring on board 2,000 employees from Fujitsu’s pc division. The Japanese company says it is “examining different options for its pc division” and that it “has not yet taken a decision”, while Lenovo refused to comment on the matter.
These talks are yet another step in the consolidation wave that has hit the computer market over the past few years. The surge of smartphones and tablets has really hit the industry hard, as fewer families acquire a real pc nowadays. The result is that computer manufacturers sell lower volumes and face lower margins, prompting the major companies to buy the smaller ones in order keep their market share afloat.
Market research firm IDC’s most recent numbers stated 62.4 million computers were sold in the second quarter, another 5 % slump. However, analysts had expected an even bigger slump. Lenovo still dominates the market, with a 21.2 % market share, with HP (20.8 %) as a close second. Dell is third, with 16 %.
