Acer Laptops at Vancouver 2010 Winter Games
Official Computer Equipment Supplier for Olympics
Aug 19, 2009
Acer and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) signed an agreement on December 6, 2007 for Acer to join the Olympics as a World Wide Partner in the official computing equipment product category.
The Olympic Partner (TOP) program encourages corporate sponsorship and involvement in the Olympic movement. Partners supply funding, equipment, and expertise to help local Olympic organizations, athletes in training, and the running of the actual Games themselves. In exchange, partners get brand recognition, points for corporate citizenship, and considerable marketing leverage.
The Acer agreement comes into effect on January 1, 2009, and includes both the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games and the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games.
About Acer
The Acer group consists of four brands. Under Acer's business plan, each brand will be configured to target a specific market segment.
- Acer – Taiwan-based Acer was established in 1976 with US$25,000 in capital and 11 employees. Best known for Acer Aspire and Acer Travel Mate laptops, they also produce desktop PCs, servers and storage, LCD monitors and high-definition TVs, projectors, and handheld/navigational devices
- Gateway – Founded in 1885 in a US farmhouse, Gateway and its cow-colored cases eventually went public in 1993. In 2004, it acquired eMachines before being swallowed in turn by Acer in 2007.
- Packard Bell – The brand goes back to 1926 for radio consoles and 1948 for television sets. In 1986 they introduced computers aimed at the developing home market, and went on to add DVD players, PVRs, MP3 players, GPS and other products. Acquired by Acer in 2008.
- eMachines – Founded in 1998 as a supplier of low-cost entry-level desktops, eMachines was at one point the second-largest vendor of desktop PCs sold through U.S. retailers. Purchased first by Gateway then by Acer.
According to the corporate website, at the time of writing Acer ranked as the world's third-largest company for total PC shipments, was No. 2 for notebooks, and had a global workforce of more than 6,000 employees. Revenues in 2008 reached US$16.65 billion.
What Acer Gets as an Olympic Partner
"The experience with the International Olympic Committee will bring a fresh and new approach," commented Gianfranco Lanci, President, Acer Inc. in the Dec. 2006 corporate media release. "It will be like being part of a huge community of men and women who, though sharing different feelings and emotions, are driven by a common intent to promote an open dialogue built on solidarity and support. Seen in this perspective, differences become beneficial to all parties, something that is in line with Acer's objective to build easy-to-use technological solutions that are shaped around real people and real needs."
"The universality of the Olympic Games has a strong influence on us, as it brings people together, overcomes prejudice and gives full respect to diversity," added J.T. Wang, Chairman & CEO of Acer Inc. "This principle is the basis of our winning formula to building Acer into a successful global company. We truly believe in it and exercise the principle in our daily operation."
What Acer Provides the Olympics
IOC President, Jacques Rogge is quoted in the release as saying, "We are delighted we will welcome Acer to the TOP Partner Programme in 2009 [sic]. For the Olympic Movement, this partnership will deliver
- funding to help stage the Olympic Games in Vancouver and London,
- technology equipment and services to manage the logistical demands, and
- people to staff some of the most critical functions.
In addition, the relationship will play an important role in the promotion of the Olympic Movement and sport across the globe."
Other International Sponsors of the Olympics:
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