Acer's chairman and CEO Jason Chen anticipates AI PCs will reach their prime before the third quarter of 2025. While some industry observers express concern about AI PCs' slow progress, Chen emphasized that strong AI server demand should not be used to predict AI PC market trends.
Chen noted that Acer achieved six consecutive quarters of revenue growth in 2024, significantly outperforming the market. While overall PC shipments grew by just 1%, the company registered a 9.8% increase. With market forecasts predicting a 6% growth in PC shipments for 2025, Acer's performance warrants attention.
Strategic focus on brand building
In 2025, Acer plans to maintain its competitive edge through appealing products and strategic pricing while strengthening brand promotion efforts. A key initiative includes the annual Predator League esports competition, recently held in Malaysia, with plans for market expansion.
Chen highlighted the Predator League's unique position, distinguishing it from competitors' occasional esports events through its consistent six-year run and systematic operation. The event is scheduled to take place in India in 2025. He humorously recalled that while regional managers initially hesitated about these events, they now eagerly participate due to the demonstrated sales impact.
AI transformation driving new opportunities
Despite AI's rapid advancement in recent years, Acer is only now beginning to capitalize on the technology. Chen explained that while generative AI initially requires data centers for training, the industry's focus will eventually shift to on-site applications, an area where Acer excels.
Chen views AI as a transformative opportunity to reinvigorate the industry. He observed that while current PCs' durability reduces replacement frequency, AI-driven hardware and software innovations could stimulate demand, presenting an encouraging outlook.
Evolution of AI applications
The emergence of generative AI in 2023 marked a significant breakthrough, and the technology continues to evolve with clearly defined use cases and strategies. Chen noted that while Taiwan's suppliers had promising hardware opportunities, Acer was initially not a primary beneficiary, as ODMs captured the main advantages.
Edge computing creates new prospects Acer's subsidiary, Altos, specializing in servers and workstations, has found success serving on-site clients. As large language models in generative AI become more compact and shift toward edge computing, their applications will expand. This transition from cloud-based to on-premises and edge computing creates fresh opportunities for Acer.
Proven success in enterprise solutions
Chen emphasized that Acer has completed proof-of-concept projects for numerous clients through its subsidiary, AEB. With more than ten additional clients in development, applications such as corporate automation, software robots, and translation robots are gaining traction, offering promising revenue potential for Acer.