Taiwan ODD sector – 3Q 2006

During the third quarter, Taiwan’s number-one optical disc drive (ODD) maker Lite-On IT took over the ODD unit from its chief local rival – BenQ. But the synergy failed to prevent fierce pricing competition from Toshiba Samsung Storage Technology (TSST), which – among other factors – took a heavy toll on Lite-On IT, whose shipments (including output from BenQ’s original ODD unit) dropped 14% in the third quarter.