NEC targets Brazilian markets

NEC Computers Inc., the fifth-largest PC maker according to Dataquest, announced Tuesday that it will start selling servers, notebooks, handhelds and desktops for the Brazilian market. The general manager of NEC Computers in Brazil, Djalma Moreira, said the Brazilian operation is the first to be established in Latin America and will include all NEC products. During its first year in Brazil the company expects revenue of $30 million to $35 million, mainly from corporate clients. The computers will be assembled in two outsourced factories in the state of São Paulo and will be sold in supermarkets, department stores and computers stores. The Latin American computer market is expected to see significant growth in the next few years. According to Jupiter Research, only 4 percent of the region's households owns a PC -- a number that is expected to reach 13 percent in 2005. -- Eduardo Ericsson, ZDNet Latin America.