Quanta Research An OEM strategy allows the company to focus on production capabilities, and leverage the power of marketing-oriented companies and their established brands. By using other people's brands, the OEM company can grow its production capabilities rapidly. The major downside is that the pricing power for OEM companies is poor. They find themselves squeezed and for all their capacity do not control their own fates because their brands are unknown. Companies that have their own brands have more control over their brand, and this gives them control over pricing. The brand is the most valuable thing in the computer business, so the OEM also has the pricing and volume advantage.

It is a significant challenge to develop an own-brand in addition to remaining as an OEM, for a couple of reasons. The first is the response from customers, who may opt to switch to companies that are not competing directly with them. This could be avoided, say...

In addition, the ODM strategy requires developing entirely new competencies in design and marketing, and would put Quanta in direct competition with strong, well-financed and experienced consumers in this regard. Quanta would be at competitive disadvantage in own brand, however, by taking more control over its own fate, it could succeed. If the own-brand generates free cash flow that is superior to what OEMs make, then the company will have more money to plug into R&D, such that it is a more innovative manufacturer. That would give it a competitive advantage as an OEM supplier. If Acer has successful operated as both, that is not outlined in the case. Without any information on what Acer does, it is difficult to point out what Quanta can learn from their experience.
3. OEM is common among Taiwanese…