Acer Inc is becoming a pivotal company in the industry and is increasingly the first port of call for both the Japanese and the US majors when they are seeking an offshore partner. Now the Taiwanese company has bought a 15% stake in Hitachi Television (Taiwan) Ltd from Hitachi Ltd for $1.8m to seal a deal under which the two will jointly develop and market information products aimed at the consumer market. Acer and Hitachi will co- operate in areas such as Internet terminals and personal computer-ready television sets. Acer, now the world’s seventh- biggest computer maker, already manufactures personal computers on an OEM basis for Hitachi.
