Bottom line: Acer is well known for its Predator monitors and PCs, but the company also uses the brand name in its line of gaming accessories. Now, the firm has announced it is spinning off its peripheral business into a new subsidiary, which has tentatively been given the pretty awful name of Gadget Technology.
In addition to PC accessories, the new subsidiary, which is scheduled to launch on September 14, will be responsible for Acer's smart devices, such as air quality monitors. These will sit alongside its gaming mice, keyboards, headphones, suitcases, and chairs.
The Taipei Times reports that the new business will focus on "market segments with higher profit margins." It also lists "prayer beads" as one of the smart devices---a product Acer launched in Taiwan this year that helps Buddhists count the number of times they have chanted their mantra. This is achieved through an embedded chip that tracks how often the beads have been rotated through their hands, with the results displayed on a paired smartphone.
Acer spokesperson Wayne Chang said NT$75.66 million ($2.467 million) in assets and NT$30.66 million (around $1 million) in liabilities would be transferred to Gadget Technologies when it begins operations.
It's been an excellent year for Acer, which has seen net income for Q2 jump 24.4 percent to NT$881 million ($28.65 million)---the company's highest second-quarter level in eight years---while its gaming division revenue was up 61 percent YoY.
By spinning off its peripherals and smart devices into a separate company, Acer will be able to focus on other areas, including the lucrative gaming laptop industry. A recent report claimed that the Taiwanese giant was one of the companies taking market share away from MSI and Asus, both of which no longer dominate this segment the way they once did.