As rivals falter, Lenovo has emerging market edge

Concern that global tech spending, particularly in the developed world, is weakening faster than expected has battered Dell shares and prompted HP to axe some 27,000 jobs. To counter weakness in consumer spending in major cities in the world's second-largest economy, Lenovo is Casting its net wider.

"We are seeing strong growth in smaller Chinese cities," Chairman and CEO Yang Yuanqing said this week, unveiling a 59% jump in quarterly net profit. He noted that personal computer penetration in China is still just 20-30% versus 99% in the United States.

China has been Lenovo's traditional stronghold, contributing 42% of group revenue and boasting the business's highest operating margins. Lenovo has around a 30% share of the Chinese PC market, well ahead of Acer, Dell, Asustek and HP, all with single-digit market share, according to data from research firm IDC.

Lenovo sold 2.5 million PCs in China in January-March, according to IDC, and company data showed the average selling price across its products rose 1.5% from the previous quarter to USD 545. In the fast growing tablet segment, its Lepad trails some way behind Apple Inc's