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hina-based multinational computer technology corporation Lenovo is expanding its PC and server sales to corporate buyers in order to meet its target of becoming the leader in both markets in Indonesia within the next few years, the company'€™s local distributor has said.

 Lenovo Indonesia president director Rajesh Hiro Thadani said in Jakarta on Tuesday that with higher sales to corporate buyers, Lenovo could lead the PC and server markets.

'€œIf you look at PCs and servers, we'€™re already the number-two brand in Indonesia. We want to get to number one, but we want to get there and stay there,'€ Rajesh said after the opening of the company'€™s first flagship store in the country at Ratu Plaza in Central Jakarta on Monday.

By investing more in the brand and expand marketing channels, he said, Lenovo would be able book sustainable growth in the future.

According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), Lenovo was ranked second in Indonesia'€™s PC and server markets in this year'€™s second quarter, with market shares of 19.9 percent and 17.7 percent, respectively. In the last quarter of last year, Lenovo was ranked third in Indonesia'€™s PC market with a market share of 16.5 percent.

Rajesh said that in order to compete with Asus and Hewlett Packard (HP), the current respective market leaders in the local PC and server markets, Lenovo would attempt to boost sales to corporate buyers.

'€œSome of our competitors focus on consumer customers,'€ he said.

Data from IDC show that Lenovo'€™s tablet has a 6.1 percent share of the local market, while Rajesh said that its smartphones had a market share of less than 10 percent. The firm plans to increase both market shares to 10 percent next year.

Lenovo sales executive Adrian Lesmono said that average sales of Lenovo PCs and tablets now reached 1 million units per quarter.

'€œTo help achieve growth in all of our products, we keep increasing our channels and investing in our brands. To date we have around 1,100 stores nationwide, including about 45 exclusive stores,'€ he said at the same event.

On Monday, Lenovo opened its first flagship store in the country at IT product center Ratu Plaza, fully operated by the IT Galeri retail store.

'€œUnlike exclusive stores and common retail stores, flagship stores house all of the company'€™s products, namely PCs, servers, tablets and smartphones, and also provide repair services,'€ said Jo Susanto Yanto, director of IT Galeri.

'€œIn the partnership, Lenovo provides manpower training, designs the store, carries out promotions, subsidizes rental fees and provides after-sales services, while IT Galeri provides space and manpower and purchases products from Lenovo distributors,'€ Jo said.

Sales of IT products, he added, had been stagnant on lower market purchasing power amid slowdown in the national and global economy.

'€œIn the last two years, we'€™ve seen sales growth of around 5 percent compared with 10 to 15 percent previously. However, I'€™m optimistic that business will pick up; technology always improves, so demand always exists,'€ he said.

The store aims to sell 500 Lenovo products a month, with a value of around Rp 2.5 billion (US$182,000). The total target product sales are made up of 30 percent for tablets, 10 percent for smartphones and 50 to 60 percent for netbooks, notebooks and servers, according to Jo.

Indonesia, alongside India, is one of the emerging markets that Lenovo has been focusing on. Last month, the firm commenced local manufacture of its smartphones in Serang, Banten, in order to cut supply chains and comply with local content requirements. (rbk)