Acer Inc. ( ) is a Taiwanese multinational hardware and electronics corporation specializing in advanced electronics technology, headquartered in

Xizhi Xizhi () is an inner city district in eastern New Taipei City in northern Taiwan, and is located between Taipei City and Keelung City. Compared to most districts in eastern New Taipei, which are very sparsely populated, Xizhi is one of the mor ...

New Taipei City New Taipei City is a special municipality located in northern Taiwan. The city is home to an estimated population of 3,974,683 as of 2022, making it the most populous city of Taiwan, and also the second largest special municipality by area, b ...

. Its products include

desktop A desktop traditionally refers to: * The surface of a desk (often to distinguish office appliances that fit on a desk, such as photocopiers and printers, from larger equipment covering its own area on the floor) Desktop may refer to various compu ...

PCs, laptop PCs ( clamshells, 2-in-1s,

convertible A convertible or cabriolet () is a passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary among eras and manufacturers. A convertible car's design allows an open-air driving expe ...

s and

Chromebook A Chromebook (sometimes stylized in lowercase as chromebook) is a laptop or tablet running the Linux-based ChromeOS as its operating system. Initially designed to heavily rely on web applications for tasks using the Google Chrome browser, Chrome ...

s), tablets, servers, storage devices,

virtual reality Virtual reality (VR) is a simulated experience that employs pose tracking and 3D near-eye displays to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video games), e ...

devices, displays,

smartphone A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, whic ...

s and peripherals, as well as

gaming PC A gaming computer or gaming PC is a personal computer specifically designed for playing video games at very high graphic and gameplay configurations. Gaming PCs typically differ from mainstream personal computers by using high- performance vid ...

s and accessories under its Predator brand. Acer is the world's 5th-largest PC vendor by unit sales as of September 2022. In the early 2000s, Acer implemented a new business model, shifting from a manufacturer to a designer, marketer, and distributor of products, while performing production processes via contract manufacturers. Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations, Bart Sleb, 2005 Currently, in addition to its core IT products business, Acer also has a new business entity that focuses on the integration of cloud services and platforms, and the development of smartphones and wearable devices with value-added IoT applications.

History

Acer was founded in 1976 by

Stan Shih Stan Shih (; born 18 December 1944), is the Co-founder & Honorary Chairman of Acer Inc. In 1976, after receiving bachelor's and master's degrees in electronic engineering from National Chiao Tung University, Shih founded Multitech with his wif ...

(), his wife Carolyn Yeh, and five others as Multitech in

Hsinchu City Hsinchu (, Chinese: 新竹, Pinyin: ''Xīnzhú'', Wade–Giles: ''Hsin¹-chu²'') is a city located in northwestern Taiwan. It is the most populous city in Taiwan Province not among the special municipalities, with estimated 450,655 inhabi ...

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

. The company began with eleven employees and US$25,000 in capital. Initially, it was primarily a distributor of electronic parts and a consultant in the use of microprocessor technologies. It produced the

Micro-Professor MPF-I The Micro-Professor MPF-I, introduced in 1981 by Multitech (which, in 1987, changed its name to Acer), was the first branded computer product from Multitech and probably one of the world's longest selling computers. The MPF-I, specifically design ...

training kit, then two Apple II clones–the

Microprofessor II Microprofessor II (MPF II), introduced in 1982, was Multitech's (later renamed Acer) second branded computer product and also one of the earliest Apple II clones. It does not look like most other computers. The case of the MPF II was a slab with ...

and III–before joining the emerging IBM PC compatible market and becoming a significant PC manufacturer. The company was renamed Acer in 1987. In 1998, Acer reorganized into five groups: Acer International Service Group, Acer Sertek Service Group, Acer Semiconductor Group, Acer Information Products Group, and Acer Peripherals Group. To dispel complaints from clients that Acer competed with its own products and to alleviate the competitive nature of the branded sales versus contract manufacturing businesses, the company spun off the contract business in 2000, renaming it Wistron Corporation. The restructuring resulted in two primary units: brand name sales and contract manufacturing. In 2001, the company sold its manufacturing units

BenQ BenQ Corporation (; ) is a Taiwanese multinational company that sells and markets technology products, consumer electronics, computing and communications devices under the "BenQ" brand name, which stands for the company slogan ''Bringing Enj ...

and

Wistron Wistron Corporation () is an electronics manufacturer based in Taiwan. It was the manufacturing arm of Acer Inc. before being spun off in 2000. As an original design manufacturer, the company designs and manufactures products for other compani ...

in order to focus resources on design and sales. Acer increased worldwide sales while simultaneously reducing its labor force by identifying and using marketing strategies that best utilized their existing distribution channels. By 2005, Acer employed a scant 7,800 people worldwide. Revenues rose from US$4.9 billion in 2003 to US$11.31 billion in 2006. Acer's North American market share has slipped in the early 2000s, while its European market share has risen. In the mid-2000s, consumer notebooks were almost the sole growth drivers for the PC industry, and Acer's exceptionally low overheads and dedication to the channel made it one of the main beneficiaries of this trend. Acer grew quickly in Europe in part by embracing the use of more traditional distribution channels targeting retail consumers when some rivals were pursuing online sales and business customers. In 2007, Acer bought Gateway in the United States and Packard Bell in Europe, and became the third-largest provider of computers and the second largest for notebooks, achieving significant improvement in profitability. Acer has strived to become the world's largest PC vendor in the belief that the goal can help it achieve economy of scale and garner higher margin. However, such a reliance on the high-volume, low-value PC market made Acer exposed when buying habits changed. In September 2018, Acer spun-off its smart gadget unit GadgeTek Inc., which produces Leap Beads, smart

prayer beads Prayer beads are a form of beadwork used to count the repetitions of prayers, chants, or mantras by members of various religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Shinto, Umbanda, Islam, Sikhism, the Baháʼí Faith, and some Christian denominati ...

that track mantras and footsteps. In 2019, Acer announced the esports social platform PLANET9.gg, which aims to provide game analytics, community-organized competitions, and social experiences.

2013 re-organisation

In November 2013, chairman and CEO J.T. Wang and president Jim Wong both resigned due to the company's poor financial performance. Wang had been reportedly due to leave Acer at the end of the year and was supposed to have been succeeded by Wong. Acer co-founder

took over as board chairman and interim president after the departure of Wang and Wong and began to search for new candidates to assume the roles of CEO and president. On 23 December, Acer named Jason Chen, then the vice president of worldwide sales and marketing at

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSMC; also called Taiwan Semiconductor) is a Taiwanese multinational semiconductor contract manufacturing and design company. It is the world's most valuable semiconductor company, the world' ...

, as its new president and CEO, effective 1 January.

Acquisitions and joint ventures

* In 1988, Acer acquired Counterpoint Computers. * In 1990, Acer acquired Altos Computer Corporation. * In 1993, Acer acquired the PC division of

Commodore International Commodore International (other names include Commodore International Limited) was an American home computer and electronics manufacturer founded by Jack Tramiel. Commodore International (CI), along with its subsidiary Commodore Business Mac ...

. * In 1997, Acer acquired

Texas Instruments Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) is an American technology company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, that designs and manufactures semiconductors and various integrated circuits, which it sells to electronics designers and manufacturers globa ...

notebook computer business. * On 27 August 2007, Acer announced plans to acquire its US-based rival

Gateway, Inc. Gateway, Inc., previously Gateway 2000, is an American computer hardware company. The company developed, manufactured, supported, and marketed a wide range of personal computers, computer monitors, servers, and computer accessories. It was acqui ...

for US$710 million. Acer's former chairman, J.T. Wang, stated that the acquisition completed Acer's "global footprint, by strengthening tsUnited States presence". Included in this acquisition was the

eMachines eMachines was a brand of economical personal computers. In 2004, it was acquired by Gateway, Inc., which was in turn acquired by Acer Inc. in 2007. The eMachines brand was discontinued in 2013. History eMachines was founded in September 1998 by ...

brand. * In January 2008, Acer announced that it had acquired a controlling interest of 75% of

Packard Bell Packard Bell is a Dutch-registered computer manufacturing brand and subsidiary of Acer. Originally an American radio set manufacturer, Packard Bell Corporation, it was founded by Herbert A. Bell and Leon S. Packard in 1933. In 1986, Israeli i ...

. * In March 2008, Acer acquired Taiwanese electronics manufacturing company

E-TEN E-TEN Information Systems Co., Ltd. (倚天資訊股份有限公司) was an electronics manufacturing company based in Taiwan, specializing in sophisticated handheld devices such as smartphones. Founded in 1985 in Taipei, E-TEN initially became ...

. * In 2009, Acer acquired 29.9% of Italian computer system manufacturer Olidata. * In August 2010, Acer and

Founder Technology Founder Technology Group Corporation (), a subsidiary of Founder Group from Peking University, is an information technology state-owned enterprise in Shanghai, China. It is engaged in the development of personal computers and computer periphe ...

signed a memorandum of mutual understanding to strengthen their long-term PC business cooperation. * In July 2011, Acer bought iGware Inc. (formally BroadOn) for US$320 million. The aim is to create Acer Cloud to enter cloud computing market. iGware had developed cloud software and infrastructure tools for devices. It had also notably partnered with

Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles. Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produce ...

on several projects. * In September 2015, Acer acquired GPS cycling computer brand Xplova. * In September 2015, Acer invested in robotics start-up company Jibo. * In March 2016, Acer made an equity investment in grandPad, a provider of technology solutions specifically designed for senior citizens. * In June 2016, Acer's board of directors approved the establishment of a joint venture with Starbreeze AB to design, manufacture, promote, market and sell StarVR Virtual Reality Head-Mounted Displays. * In 2016, Acer acquired wireless pet camera maker Pawbo. * In 2017, Acer became the largest corporate shareholder of

AOPEN AOPEN (, stylized AOPEN) is a major electronics manufacturer from Taiwan that makes computers and parts for computers. AOPEN used to be the Open System Business Unit of Acer Computer Inc. which designed, manufactured and sold computer componen ...

Inc. * In October 2017, Acer purchased a 66.7% majority stake in StarVR from Starbreeze. * In 2019, Acer and

Ubisoft Ubisoft Entertainment SA (; ; formerly Ubi Soft Entertainment SA) is a French video game publisher headquartered in Saint-Mandé with development studios across the world. Its video game franchises include '' Assassin's Creed'', ''Far Cry'', '' ...

teamed up for the Rainbow Six Pro League and other major esports events with the

Predator Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...

brand as the PC and monitor sponsor.

Operations

As of September 2022, Acer has over 7,713 employees worldwide, operating in 40 countries/territories.

Australia

Acer Computer Australia (ACA) was established in 1990, and is currently Australia's third-largest personal computer vendor, behind Hewlett-Packard Australia and Dell

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

and

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. ACA has Australia's highest overall market share in notebook PC and tablet PC sales. The company is also Australia's leading PC vendor in the government and education markets. As of 2006, it has over 480 employees. The company repairs, assembles and manufacturers laptops and desktops in Sydney.

Europe

Acer's EMEA headquarters are located in

Lugano Lugano (, , ; lmo, label=Ticinese dialect, Ticinese, Lugan ) is a city and municipality in Switzerland, part of the Lugano District in the canton of Ticino. It is the largest city of both Ticino and the Italian-speaking southern Switzerland. Luga ...

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

. From the late 1990s to mid-2000s, Acer had computer factories in Europe. The business area was the whole

EMEA EMEA is a shorthand designation meaning Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The acronym is used by institutions and governments, as well as in marketing and business when referring to this region: it is a shorthand way of referencing the two ...

. In the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

under the name of Acer IMS bv, there were two factories: Acer laptop factory in

Den Bosch s-Hertogenbosch (), colloquially known as Den Bosch (), is a city and municipality in the Netherlands with a population of 157,486. It is the capital of the province of North Brabant and its fourth largest by population. The city is south of th ...

and Acer and IBM desktop factory in

Tilburg Tilburg () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, in the southern province of North Brabant. With a population of 222,601 (1 July 2021), it is the second-largest city or municipality in North Brabant after Eindhoven and the seventh-larg ...

. Acer also had facilities in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

under the name of IMS in Ahrensburg and

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

. Acer computers are also assembled in

Mingachevir Mingachevir ( az, Mingəçevir ) is the fourth-largest city in Azerbaijan with a population of about 106,000. It's often called the "city of lights" because of its hydroelectric power station on the Kur River, which divides the city down the mid ...

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...

India

Acer's subsidiary in India is Acer India (Pvt) Limited, and was incorporated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Acer Computer International, Ltd. in 1999. It is a notable vendor in key segments such as education, desktop computers, and low profile notebooks for education. The head office is in Bengaluru, India.

Indonesia

PT Acer Indonesia is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Acer and distributes its products through their main distributor PT Dragon Computer & Communication. Acer is currently the second-largest computer vendor in Indonesia. In the first quarter of 2016, Acer recorded >81% market share in Windows tablet in Indonesia.

North America

Acer America Corporation, headquartered in

San Jose, California San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popul ...

, is a member of the Acer Group. Acer's R&D, engineering, manufacturing, and marketing operations in the United States and Canada are handled by Acer America. The U.S. headquarters was opened with a staff of three in 1985, as Multitech Electronics USA, in

Mountain View, California Mountain View is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. Named for its views of the Santa Cruz Mountains, it has a population of 82,376. Mountain View was integral to the early history and growth of Silicon Valley, and is the ...

. In 1986, the U.S. headquarters were moved to San Jose, California.

Notable product lines

* Acer Extensa series - Business-oriented laptops *

Acer Iconia The Acer Iconia is a range of tablet computers from Acer Inc. of Taiwan. Acer presented its first tablet during a global press conference in New York on 23 November 2010. The family includes a big screen smartphone called Iconia Smart. The Ico ...

- A series of

tablet computer A tablet computer, commonly shortened to tablet, is a mobile device, typically with a mobile operating system and touchscreen display processing circuitry, and a rechargeable battery in a single, thin and flat package. Tablets, being com ...

s *

Acer Aspire Acer Aspire (stylised as Λspire or ΛSPIRE) is a series of personal computers by Acer Inc. aimed at casual household users. The Aspire series covers both desktop computers and laptops. Acer developed the series to range from essentials to high ...

- Budget to entry level Personal-use computer and laptops aimed for casual household use * Acer TravelMate - Lightweight business-oriented laptops
Acer Nitro
- Acer's entry to mid-end gaming-oriented laptops * Acer Predator - Acer's mid to high-end gaming laptops and desktops * Acer Aspire One - Acer's mid to high-end personal-use laptop *

Acer Swift The Swift is a line of laptop computers produced by Acer. They are designed to be lightweight and thinner than typical laptops. Laptops in the Swift series are the Swift 1, Swift 3, Swift 5 and Swift 7. The Acer Swift 7 was launched at the IFA ...

- A series of mid to high-end ultra-portable notebooks * Acer Spin - A series of budget to mid-end two-in-one laptops * Acer ConceptD - Desktop and laptops designed for studios and rendering *

Acer Veriton Acer Veriton series is a line of Acer PCs designed for business and professional users. The series includes several PCs with different sizes, shapes, performance and functionality. Veriton PCs come in various configurations, as well as dimens ...

- A high-end business-oriented desktop *Acer Enduro - Acer's series of rugged laptops *Acer Endero Urban - Lightweight semi-rugged laptops.

Brands

* Aazar *

*ProPack * Gateway *

*Pawbo *

*Xplova *Nitro

Corporate social responsibility

In 2005, Acer published its first environmental report, for which the company used the

Global Reporting Initiative The Global Reporting Initiative (known as GRI) is an international independent standards organization that helps businesses, governments and other organizations understand and communicate their impacts on issues such as climate change, human righ ...

(GRI) guidelines. All of Acer's tier-one suppliers have acquired ISO 14001 certification. In November 2012, Acer was ranked 4th place out of 15 in

Greenpeace Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network, founded in Canada in 1971 by Irving Stowe and Dorothy Stowe, immigrant environmental activists from the United States. Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth t ...

's re-launched Guide to Greener Electronics, with a score of 5.1 points out of 10. The Guide ranks electronics makers according to their policies and practices to reduce their impact on the climate, produce greener products, and make their operations more sustainable. Greenpeace criticized the company for not setting out targets to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as intended in 2010 and for not providing external verification for the GHG emissions it reports for its operations and business travel. It also scored badly on the products criteria receiving no points on product lifecycle while Greenpeace noted that a higher percentage of its products need to meet or exceed

Energy Star Energy Star (trademarked ''ENERGY STAR'') is a program run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) that promotes energy efficiency. The program provides information on the energy consumption of pr ...

standards in order for it to score more points. It received some praise for launching new products which are free from Polyvinyl chloride plastic (PVC) and

brominated flame retardant Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are organobromine compounds that have an inhibitory effect on combustion chemistry and tend to reduce the flammability of products containing them. The brominated variety of commercialized chemical flame retardants ...

s (BFRs) and the company informed Greenpeace that the majority of its products will be PVC/BFR free in the near future. Acer also scored well on chemical management for lobbying for restrictions on organo-halogens and was commended for reporting on GHG emissions from its first-tier suppliers and investigating its second tier. In its 2012 report on progress relating to

conflict minerals The eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has a history of conflict, where various armies, rebel groups, and outside actors have profited from mining while contributing to violence and exploitation during wars in the region. The four mai ...

, the

Enough Project The Enough Project is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization that was founded in 2007. Its stated mission is to end genocide and crimes against humanity. The Enough Project conducts research in several conflict areas in Africa inclu ...

rated Acer the seventh highest of 24 consumer electronics companies. Acer has been listed on the DJSI's Emerging Markets Index since 2014 and on MSCI's Global Sustainability Indexes in 2015-2016.

Sponsorships

* Acer sponsored the

BAR Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar * Chocolate bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud * Bar (u ...

Honda is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a producti ...

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

racing team in the year . In , Acer provided sponsorship to the

Prost Grand Prix Prost Grand Prix was a Formula One racing team owned and managed by four-time Formula One world champion Alain Prost. The team participated in five seasons from 1997 to 2001. History Purchase of Ligier As early as 1992, Alain Prost had ambitio ...

Formula One team, and the team's

Ferrari Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988) in 1939 from the Alfa Romeo racing division as ''Auto Avio Costruzioni'', the company built its first car in ...

engines were badged as Acers. * Acer sponsored the Ferrari Formula 1 team from 2003 up to 2012 (Official Supplier since 2006) and its Top Sponsor of FC Internazionale – Milano (Inter Milan) Football Club. From 2007 to 2009 Acer has been Official Supplier of

FC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly referred to as Barcelona and colloquially known as Barça (), is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish football. Founded ...

. On 19 March 2007, Acer announced it would sponsor the Factory Fiat Yamaha Team for the 2007 MotoGP World Championship season. Since 2009, Packard Bell (part of Acer Group) has been the sponsor of the Yamaha Factory Racing Team. * Acer was the worldwide TOP Partners for both the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games and Singapore Youth Olympic Games. Acer was TOP Partner of the London 2012 Summer Olympics. *On 18 June 2019, Acer Predator sponsored

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege ''Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege'' is an online tactical shooter video game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It was released worldwide for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on December 1, 2015; the game was ...

Pro League Season X, becoming the official PC Monitor of Rainbow Six Pro League and Majors.

Controversies

During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Acer refused to join the international community and withdraw from the Russian market. Research from

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

from March 28, 2022, identifying how companies were reacting to Russia's aggression identified Acer in the worst category "Digging in" meaning Defying Demands for Exit: companies defying demands for exit/reduction of activities. Acer subsequently reversed its decision and suspended business in Russia.

References

Acer unveils the SigridWave and announces new updates for Planet9
REVIEWCENTRAL, October 2020. Retrieved 17th of November, 2020.

External links

* (consumer) * (corporate) {{Authority control, state=expanded 1976 establishments in Taiwan 1996 initial public offerings Companies based in New Taipei Computer companies established in 1976 Companies listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange Consumer electronics brands Display technology companies Electronics companies of Taiwan Formula One engine manufacturers Mobile phone manufacturers Multinational companies headquartered in Taiwan Netbook manufacturers Portable audio player manufacturers Taiwanese brands