Samsung IT sales in RP to reach $50M in '07

Samsung Electronics Philippines Corp. on Tuesday said the Philippines could soon be the firm's third largest market for IT products in Southeast Asia, judging by how receptive the market is becoming to IT products. During a product launch held at The Peninsula Manila in Makati, Samsung Philippines vice president for IT Bong Wan Kim said the firm expects sales of its IT products to more than double to $50 million this year, as it fine tunes its marketing strategies for corporate buyers. Kim told reporters that firm's new marketing schemes will help sales in the corporate segment, especially in the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector. Last year, Kim said Samsung's IT sales reached $22 million. Kim said 70 percent of this could be attributed to the consumer market. This year, Kim said sales from the corporate segment may grow to up to 45 percent of the total. “We see a lot of opportunities for growth in the Philippines. Soon the Philippines could be our third biggest market in Asean (for IT products)," Kim said at Samsung's product launching Tuesday at The Peninsula Manila in Makati. Last year, IT products represented only 6 to 7 percent of Samsung sales in the Philippines. For 2007, Kim said the share of IT products could reach 15 percent. Samsung only started selling its IT products locally in 2002.-GMANews.TV