LG Electronics, the global and regional digital leader, is to launch an extensive new range of monitor and optical storage products into the Middle East this year in a bid to build on its existing regional sector leaderships.

"Our complete family range of Flatron, LCD and optical storage products will be expanded and upgraded ensuring the highest product quality, value for money and introducing new slim-line design," said Michael Kim, IT manager LG Electronics Gulf FZE. "These additions to our line-up, which boasts integrated design concept unification, will set new competitive benchmarks with superior technology. "We are intent on building our market-leading edge from the six countries in the Middle East and Africa (MEA), where we are currently the top-selling monitor supplier, to 11 countries.

"We aim to repeat this success in the optical storage segment for which worldwide we are targeting 57 per cent annual growth, compared with last year's 38 per cent. In the UAE we currently hold 70 per cent of the optical storage market."

The ambitious target means LGE is looking for major I.T. monitor advances in Pakistan, Algeria, Tunisia and Nigeria as well as increased turnover throughout the Gulf. Currently the Korean giant has a 39 per cent share of the Middle East monitor market and is aiming to build this to 45 per cent by the year-end. In the UAE it is looking to increase its monitor market share from the current 48 per cent to 50 per cent.

"We see continuing strong demand for flat technology and substantially increased demand for LCD products," added Kim. "Demand will come from the large, high-end sector and through continuing regional IT and Internet segment growth.

The 2002 product family additions, including 15-inch Flatron and LCD Internet models which bookmark directly onto monitor screens, will utilise second-generation Flatron, and fourth-generation LCD technology, a completely fresh LCD range design and expansion of the multi-media model line-up.

In the high-value product segment, LGE plans to focus efforts on LCD monitor sales. "We see huge opportunity in the largely untapped regional LCD product market," said Kim. The second and third quarters of this year will see LG introduce into the Middle East new-generation flat-screen technology with the introduction of new 15-, 17- and 19-inch Flatron and 15- and 18-inch LCD models.

"The new 15-inch Studioworks will have a completely new look and built-in speakers, while the 17-inch premium model, which we have code-named 'fighter,' will take the competition head-on in this popular monitor segment," said Kim.

The 15-inch LCD monitor due in the Middle East this year has already claimed the 'Best Product In Korea For The LCD Sector' title from the Display Bank of Korea, the country's most prestigious monitor survey web-site. The new 18-inch LCD has undergone a complete design change and has emerged super-slim under the name Slim Bezel.

"LGE is the only company in the world with the technology to make CRT that is 100 per cent fully flat inside and out, with flat screen, image and inner surfaces setting the benchmark for others to follow," said Kim.

LG's Flatron technology has scooped industry awards throughout Europe, the Far East, Russia and the Middle East.

In the optical storage sector, LGE's focus will be on CD-RW re-writable drives, for which it has award-winning technology, and DVD products.

Due into the market is a 32-speed CD-RW, the highest speed available from Korean products, which comes with 32-speed CD-writing, 10-speed CD-rewriting and 40-speed CD playback.

Last year, LG Electronics reported a 23 per cent increase in monitor sales through the Middle East and Africa recording a sector turnover of $106 million. Its regional optical storage product sales last year soared by 75 per cent to stand at US $28 million. "Sales gains were achieved through the launch of innovative products and the consolidation of our I.T. distribution channel," said Kim.