SEOUL, Korea (AVING) -- <Visual News> Samsung Electronics achieved its highest-ever market share for computer monitors last year, holding the No. 1 position for the third consecutive year and further cementing its market leadership.

According to IDC, a market research firm, Samsung Electronics posted a record-high market share of 17.9 percent, in terms of sales revenue, in the overall monitor market last year. It has held that No. 1 position for three consecutive years, or 12 consecutive quarters, since the first quarter of 2007.

Samsung Electronics substantially widened the market share gap with the second place monitor manufacturer over that period, from 1.5 percent in 2007 to 2.5 percent in 2008 and 5.1 percent in 2009. The company posted a record-high market share in the LCD monitor market, strengthening its reputation as the world's leading monitor manufacturer.

Samsung Electronics' 18.0-percent share of the LCD monitor market, in terms of sales revenue, was a year-on-year increase of 1.8 percent from the 16.2 percent posted in 2008, and represented a lead of 5.2 percent over the market share runner-up.

In the LCD monitor market, Samsung Electronics has held the top spot for three consecutive years, or 10 consecutive quarters, since the third quarter of 2007.

Samsung Electronics witnessed year-on-year growth and took the No. 1 position in terms of unit sales also. The company held a 15.9 percent share of the overall monitor market, and a 15.9 percent share of the LCD monitor market. Its shares of the overall monitor market and LCD monitor market were 15.7 percent and 15.4 percent, respectively, in 2008.

Samsung sold a total of 160.2 million monitors in the global market last year, down about 6 million units from 2008. Nearly 159.2 million units, over 99 percent of the total sold, were LCD monitors.

Samsung Electronics' monitors claimed first place for the third consecutive year in terms of sales thanks to the creative marketing activities surrounding the launch of the Ultra Slim TOC monitor (P2370).

Also accounting for the superior performance is the heightened perception of Samsung monitors as premium products, achieved through the expansion of the Samsung product line-up and creation of new markets with distinctive products like LD series and various large data-display monitors. The LD series are the world's first monitors designed exclusively for use with laptops.