Taiwan players still have a chance, says Acer founder

Aaron Lee, Joseph Tsai, 28 August 2012

Commenting on the results of Apple and Samsung's patent lawsuit, Acer founder Stan Shih pointed out that an IT player using its advantages and patents to defend its market position is usual. Taiwan IT players' three characteristics, flexibility, speed and longevity, will give them a chance to survive the new industry changes, Shih noted.

Shih also pointed out that internal reshuffles need time to process and market watchers should have patience since a transformation usually takes 3-5 years to complete, while some may even take up to 10 years. In the past, the US and Europe's strong spending power caused the IT market to mainly focus on satisfying demand from the two regions, but as the ecosystem is gradually changing and the Greater China region is currently on the rise, Taiwan IT players actually have advantages and should have a great chance to find business opportunities, Shih added.

Shih noted that the IT industry has always been evolving and improving. Microsoft used to dominate the software industry, but is currently facing strong challenges from iOS and Android, showing that IT players will need to consider ways to provide value during the industry transformation, and if a player is not able to provide any value, it will be eliminated from the market.

Shih pointed out that what Taiwan players really need is the operating abilities, and to desire stand firm in the face of competition.