Hewlett-Packard (Thailand) insists it is business as usual for its local personal-computer (PC) business unit amid speculation that the world's largest computer maker plans to spin it off as part of a major change in strategy.

Monty Wong, the general manager for personal systems, said HP Thailand is preparing an ad campaign to clarify its position, boost confidence and strengthen its commitment to customers and partners.

The company last month announced it may spin off the unit to focus on cloud-based software and services and expanding its enterprise segment, all of which enjoy better margins.

A decision is expected this year.

Mr Wong said the group's industry-leading PC business still yielded a 5% profit margin, the most profitable in the world.

HP earns US$41 billion from PC sales annually, accounting for one-third of its total earnings.

No matter what is decided, HP Thailand will continue to provide after-sales service and stand by its warranties, said Mr Wong.

Despite a global announcement that it would abandon its WebOS-based TouchPad tablet, HP has expressed interest in participating in the government's One Tablet per Child project.

Mr Wong admitted supply chain problems in the second quarter resulted in zero growth in its consumer notebook sales.

But the situation has returned to normal, and new products would debut next Tuesday, he said.

HP will focus more on the premium consumer segment but will still pay attention to the youth market while expanding upcountry, said Mr Wong.

He said that despite the flat growth in the consumer segment, high growth was seen in the commercial market, with Thailand generating the highest revenue for the company in Southeast Asia.

"We expect our overall desktop and notebook sales will grow by 20% this year to 3.7 million units," said Mr Wong.

In the first half of this year, HP had a 12-13% share of the Thai market.

Mr Wong said that Thailand remained an important market in Southeast Asia, as there were still only 56 PCs per 1,000 people.

"There is huge room to grow, particularly once there is more 3G network coverage," he added.