Kathy Gibson reports from Milan, Italy – Acer is celebrating its 50th birthday, kicking off its second half-century by embracing the latest artificial intelligence (AI) technology, debuting a new channel programme, and launching a range of new commercial devices.
Massimiliano Rossi, vice-president: PBU, commercial, operations and service at Acer EMEA, says Acer has made positive inroads and posted solid results in the last few years. At the same time, he points out that the company has transformed, growing its revenue from solutions outside of the traditional PC business.
In 2025, Acer outstripped its 2024 performance, confirming strong results in a highly challenging year. Full-year 2025 revenues reached NT$275.64-billion, marking a 4,1% increase compared to the previous year.
In 2025, both annual and fourth-quarter revenues reached their highest levels for the same period in the post-pandemic era despite a highly volatile global market and a particularly demanding first half of the year.
Portfolio expansion, strengthened partner channels, and increasing complexity in technology projects meant the B2B segment was among its major growth drivers and this has laid solid foundations for further expansion in the coming years.
The combined revenues of businesses other than personal computers and displays contributed 32,2% for the year 2025.
With regard to Acer EMEA specifically, commercial volumes accounted for approximately 30% in 2025, a fundamental component of the region’s overall business.
Reflecting on the 50-year milestone, Rossi says: “Our motto and mission has never changed: ‘Breaking barriers between people and technology’. And this is still true today.”
Acer started life as Multitech, founded by Stan Shih with an initial $25 000 investment. By 1980, the company had designed its own MicroProfessor brand, Taiwan’s first mass-produced computer for export.
In 1986, the company was renamed as Acer, the name derived from the Latin word meaning sharp, acute, able, or facile. In 1988, the company was listed.
In the years since then, Acer expanded its product portfolio to include PCs, monitors, projectors, and scanning devices.
Today, it is a top-tier manufacturer, coming in at number three of commercial, education, and consumer PCs, Rossi says. Acer is recognised as the top brand for Chromebooks, holding an impressive 31% market share.
Acer’s priorities for 2025 were to maintain stability in the B2B and education markets, and to increase its use of recyclable materials. Indeed, Rossi points out that some monitors use as much as 80% recycled plastics.
The company also developed new solutions in the gaming and AI PC market sectors.
This week it extended its AI line-up with the launch of the Acer TravelMate P4 14 AI, TravelMate P4 Spin 14 AI, TravelMate P2 16 AI, and TravelMate P2 14 AI business laptops.
“It is clear the portfolio around AI is exploding,” Rossi says. “In the commercial division we have more than doubled our AI offerings, and soon AI will be available on the whole Acer portfolio.”
Looking ahead to 2026, Rossi is clear that the IT industry as a whole is in for a challenging time with vendors and the channel having to carefully balance supply and demand.
But the appetite for new PCs is still strong. Rossi points out that many organisations are still running PCs that are not suitable for a move to Windows 11 and this is driving demand.
“As a first-tier brand we think our supply chain will be more resilient than some competitors,” Rossi says. “This will give us the opportunity to establish more of a footprint.”
At the same time, Acer’s own services will become more of an asset in 2026 than ever before. “We can offer a wide set of services including warranty extension,” Rossi points out. “And we can also refurbish products, which is another opportunity for resellers.”
Overall, he believes that the days when technology got cheaper and cheaper is over. “So we need to adjust. For resellers this means helping customers to identify the right specifications. This may be a more premium product that will have a longer life.”
Resellers are going to be more vital than ever as Acer enters its second half-century. “In 2026, we want to win more in the SMB B2B market segment. We will do this by working with our network of resellers.”
The company also plans to retain its leadership position in the education market, where it has a strong footprint and dedicated portfolio of solutions, Rossi adds.
Although it’s a global brand, it has always had strong ties to the local markets it operates in. For instance, it manufactures or assembles Acer products in some countries – such as South Arica, where monitors are produced. Other initiatives in Europe see desktops and tablets produced locally.
This is enabled by the agility that Acer prides itself on.
As it rounds out its first 50 years in business, Acer has undergone some major changes, many of these as a result of mergers and acquisitions.
Rossi points out that the group now includes 17 listed companies in four stock markets.
The company owns its customer service operation, which gives it a big advantage, and provides business for 300 service partners.
This means all of Acer’s partners can extend their business by selling warranties and offering white glove services.
Looking beyond 2026
Overall, Rossi believes the future is positive. “We have been strong for 50 years, and we believe we can offer even more going forward.”
The traditional portfolio is now augmented with brands like Altos, Opticon, Posiflex and AOpen, offering complementary and niche solutions.
Due to the group’s multiple companies, Acer is now able to offer a complementary portfolio allowing commercial customers to enjoy its entire digital infrastructure – from the cloud to the retail counter. The main objective of this diversification is to build financial resilience to the cyclical nature of the PC market and expand its range, in particular, in emerging countries.
Sustainability is built in
For Acer, sustainability is no longer merely the feature of an individual product, but an integrated, cross-functional strategy across the entire lifecycle of its technology from sourcing to end-of-life. The company has evolved its vision toward a broader concept of “conscious technology” where products, processes, and services are designed to minimise environmental impact and maximise social responsibility across the entire value chain.
A key green aspect is also how Acer products are distributed. The multinational company has set itself the goal of reducing CO₂ emissions in its supply chain, improving on its reduction of 274 tons in 2023 to more than 2 000 tons in 2025. This result has been achieved through a mix of innovative solutions such as the use of electric trucks for shipments. Alongside transport electrification, Acer is collaborating with logistics partners to adopt certified biofuels such as Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO).
In line with the EU Right to Repair Directive and supported by its proprietary service network, Acer also promotes a culture that favours product repair rather than replacement. The company has expanded its motherboard repair programme to regenerate high-value components, reducing waste, and is committed to making spare parts and manuals available for particular product categories for up to 10 years.
Furthermore, with the Acer Optimize programme, Acer introduces concrete solutions for businesses by repurchasing used devices, offering cashback of up to 55% of the original purchase price depending on age and usage. This approach supports the renewal of corporate IT infrastructures while maintaining a strong commitment to environmental responsibility.