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No single geographic region makes up more than 21% of Hypercom Corp.'s overall sales, and the payment-terminal maker intends to capitalize on that fact, Philippe Tartavull, president and CEO, said during a fourth-quarter earnings conference call with analysts this week (CardLine, 3/11). Hypercom has a four-part strategy for growing the company, Tartavull told analysts. The first is to expand geographically. Southern Europe accounts for 30% of the Scottsdale, Ariz.-based company's sales, with North America and Northern Europe each accounting for another 21%. Asia-Pacific generated 12% of sales, Brazil 11%, and Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America accounting for 5%. Tartavull singled out parts of Northern Europe, including Austria, Denmark and Sweden, as places Hypercom experienced increased sales in recent months. Asia-Pacific is another target for growth. Hypercom recently hired a new regional director there with the goal of expanding its presence, Tartavull said. Other parts of the Hypercom strategy include growing the number of vertical markets in which Hypercom products can work, increasing the company's integrated POS system business and promoting Hypercom's security efforts. Ideally, all four pieces will work as the economy remains trying, Tartavull said. "The first part of this year will be extremely challenging, with some positive momentum in the second quarter," he said. "It is at present difficult to gain visibility into the second half of the year."
