The market share of portable notebook computers on the Jordanian computer market has more than doubled in the past two years. While portable computers accounted for less than two percent of the market three years ago, the figure has since grown to five percent, according to Maher Mouasher, head of the Jordanian SMS company. Portable computers sales are forecasted by Maher to capture 20-25 percent of the local computer market by 2005.
Japanese computer manufacturer Toshiba has appointed Jordan’s SMS group as its sole authorized distributor in the kingdom and authorized Toshiba service center, a move that Toshiba sees as the first step towards capturing the lion’s share of the portable computer market there.
Just 18 months after the company had decided to focus on the Middle East as a prime growth market, Toshiba has boosted sales by 180 percent—more than six times the industry growth rate in the region—and secured market share of close to 25 percent, according to a company press release.
In April 2000, the region was placed under the control of the company’s European headquarters in Germany, shortening the supply chain and moving closer to customers. Distribution partnerships have since been concluded in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Muscat, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon and Egypt.
The appointment of SMS as Jordan distributor is the latest step in Toshiba’s Middle East expansion plan that will eventually lead into Francophone West Africa. The Amman-based distributor or computer hardware and software, SMS, was founded in 1953. It has subsidiaries in systems integration and retail and customer care, with regional branches in Nablus and Damascus. SMS offers a class-leading suite of programs to its resellers ranging from trade financing to promotion and channel development. — (menareport.com)
© 2002 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
