Acer To Replace Lenovo As Olympic Sponsor

Taipei, Taiwan (AHN) - No. 3 PC maker Acer Computer said Thursday it will be an Olympic Games sponsor starting in 2009 after Lenovo announced Wednesday it will step down following the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

As sponsor, Acer will provide computers to the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games and 2012 London Summer Games, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Like Lenovo, Acer has garnered greater attention through acquiring a well-known PC company. Mirroring Lenovo's purchase of IBM's Thinkpad business, Acer bought Gateway.

In announcing its withdrawal from future Olympic sponsorship, Lenovo said its involvement has heightened its brand-awareness.