The Romanian subsidiary of the US IT company Hewlett Packard (HP) will register over the fiscal year 2000 turnover worth over 40 million dollars, 25 percent higher year-on-year, Radu Enache, HP Romania general manager, told Ziarul Financiar.
The company forecasts growth by about 30 percent in turnover for fiscal year 2001, which in the case of HP corresponds to the period November 1, 2000-October 31, 2001. The firm posted the most important dynamics in Eastern Europe.
HP is the leader of the Romanian printers market, with a quota ranging between 50 and 60 percent, depending on the printers’ type. The big competitors are IBM, Compaq and Xerox.
Printers in 2000 accounted for approximately 40 percent of HP sales in Romania, PCs about 35 percent of the firm’s activity volume, other components such as servers and networking elements holding the next position.
“Results are very good and point to stable and well-structured growth,” stated Radu Enache. “HP has good products, the market’s perception is very good for us and we have created a stable partner network,” he added.
The firm has over 200 important partners, whose turnovers are mostly above 1.5 million dollars.
HP will have to supply during 2001, on the basis of previously won tenders, servers and PCs worth at least 2 million dollars. The company won in 2000 important projects for customers such as MobilRom, RomTelecom, the Education Ministry, Societe Generale and Lukoil.
For year 2001, tenders will be organised at the Justice Ministry, the National Pensions Office and the National Jobs Office.
The company predicts expansion of firms within the telecommunications and financial-banking domains (communications suppliers, Internet services suppliers, ISP, Internet-banking development, cards, respectively).
“There will be large projects within the media domain, firms will be interested in building up portals, offering new services,” said Enache.
Oil, gas and electricity companies will also become important customers in 2001.