D-Link

By CIO New Zealand staff | Monday, January 11 2010

D-Link was started with just four employees by the late Ken Kao to design and manufacture advanced networking, connectivity, voice and data communication solutions for home users as well as small and medium businesses.

Global HQ: Taipei, Taiwan
Website: www.dlink.com
Global leader: John Lee, chairman; Tony Tsao, CEO and president
Local leader: Domenic Torre, MD, Australia and New Zealand
Core activity: Networking and communications products
Revenue: NT$33.05 billion (US$1.0 billion) (FY08 ended
December 31)
Key customers: US Air Force, Sheraton Hotels
Employees: 2477

D-Link was started with just four employees by the late Ken Kao to design and manufacture advanced networking, connectivity, voice and data communication solutions for home users as well as small and medium businesses.

The company’s core competency is Ethernet connectivity, which together with its development of global distribution channels in more than 100 countries, has resulted in double-digit growth every year for 20 years.

D-Link generated more than half of its 2008 revenue from emerging markets and the Asia-Pacific and surpassed the $US1 billion revenue milestone in 2005, driven by record sales in all geographic regions.

Lee warns the company has been affected by the challenging global conditions:
“This economic downturn was bigger than expected. No one could foresee how
fast the recession would adversely impact market performance.”
However, he says D-Link’s previous growth record, financial strength and outstanding leadership have helped it cope. Avanti Kumar