Albert Tung is the Regional Director for India and SAARC Region of Asus, a Taiwan-based computer manufacturing company. He was in Nepal recently to attend a dealers’ meet of his company. Asus is gaining momentum in computer products and IT sector worldwide and is claimed to be number three for notebooks in consumer segment and number one in motherboards, worldwide. In an interview with New Business Age, Tung talked about the company’s strengths and strategies for Nepal. Excerpts:

 

What was the purpose of this dealers’ meet in Kathmandu?

We have come from Taiwan for the Asus dealers’ meet in Kathmandu which has participation from all our major dealers here as well as some from Bangladesh. Through this event, we wanted to appreciate our dealers for their efforts. During the meet, we updated dealers with product knowledge and apprised them of our products’ performance worldwide. With the conclusion of this meet, we are encouraged to work harder in this market.

 

What are the potentials of Asus products for the Nepali market?

We see good potential for our growth in the Nepali market. We need to work with our partners more closely to have better business. Asus has always emphasised on superior product and quality design. Though we are fairly new in Nepal, we are working hard to introduce our products among the targeted consumers here. The competition is tough as established rivals like Apple are already ruling the market. I have learnt that it’s a mature market for notebooks. So, even though we are primarily known for motherboards, the challenge is to introduce our notebooks to the end users.

 

What distinguishes Asus from its competitors?

Asus is basically a motherboard manufacturing company. All computers require CPU and motherboard and worldwide, Asus is number one in motherboard technology. This is where our core competence lies. For example, while purchasing a good notebook, you should not only consider the brand but the technology inside as well which is vital.

 

How strong is Asus’ international market?

Asus leads the market worldwide when it comes to motherboard which is a very important component inside a PC. Encouraged by our top position with motherboard technology, we have also achieved number three position in consumer segment for notebooks worldwide. We want to continue the good work and lead the market for as long as possible.

 

Do you have any specific strategies in mind to penetrate the Nepali market?

We have been in this industry for 10 years in notebook and 20 years in motherboard technology. For the Nepali market, our strategy is to cooperate with the local partners here and tell them about our superior product quality, service and technology. Besides commercial advertising and branding, we are focused on taking care of our product quality once the consumer starts using it. Our simple strategy is to penetrate the market with honesty. We want the market to know that they should select an Asus product for its quality technology.

 

Computer technology is changing rapidly. How challenging is it to maintain a competitive edge in the market?

Computer technology is changing with new technologies related to CPU, memory and other specifications coming up quite frequently. At Asus, we have the confidence because of our technology and the expertise in designing a motherboard. We know we have an edge in the market because of the support from our proven motherboard technology.