LCD, printers top Samsung IT plans

After dominating the consumer durables space, Samsung India is planning a sequel to its IT division. The company's IT division targets to become the largest player in segments that it is present in by 2010.

In the next two years, LCD monitors and laser printers will be the growth drivers for the IT division of Samsung India, the subsidiary of $56.7 billion South Korean consumer electronics giant Samsung Electronics Ltd. "While LCD monitors and laser printers will be our growth drivers in the future, out long term vision will be to be the largest player in the IT segments that we are present in by 2010. These include display (monitors), storage (hard disks) and certain categories of printers," said Sanjay Sharma, vice president - IT Division, Samsung India.

With nearly half the LCD monitors market already under its belt, Samsung has also doubled its output in the segment to 500,000 units over the past year. It is also targeting a growth of 200 per cent in the segment in the current year, while the market is growing at half that rate. In the laser printers segment, the company has a significantly lesser presence and claims an overall market share of about 15 per cent that is expected to grow to 18 per cent by the end of this calender year.

"The only way we can continue to grow in this market is by expanding our range, having a larger distribution network and offering better support to the customer base," said Sharma.

The company currently has 5 models in the colour laser printer range and 7 models in the network laser printers range. While a 130 per cent growth rate is being targeted for the former segment, the latter segment is expected to grow by 250 per cent this year. Sharma also said that Samsung had invested over $ 20 million in research and development activities in India over the past year. The IT division contributed 29 per cent of the company's domestic revenues in 2005.