Hon Hai Precision Industry is one the world’s largest contract manufacturer of personal computer components, however, it is not very well known as supplier of Foxconn-branded computer parts. However, this may change as the company prepares to roll-out a new brand called AFox which will manufacture a number of product families and is expected to establish a new revenue stream for Hon Hai.

AFox will initially produce a lineup of mainboards as well as graphics cards based on chips from Advanced Micro Devices, Intel Corp. and Nvidia Corp., but eventually the firm plans to offer different families of products, including what is already sold under Foxconn brand – computer cases, cooling systems and others – as well as something that Foxconn is not known for at all: low-cost mobile computers and other products that may become successful in current market conditions.

One of the goals that AFox is projected to achieve is rapid time-to-market with new products and find new channels to sell products, which will automatically increase pressure on other component makers and will also boost Hon Hai’s market share, certain sources recently revealed. AFox will use research and development as well as manufacturing capacities of the parent company, however, certain design decisions may be different from those of Foxconn.

AFox will certainly not become the first brand of Foxconn Technology Group. Several years ago the company launched Oxxco brand to sell memory modules, whereas Leadtek Research and PowerColor/Tul suppliers of graphics cards are closely affiliated with Foxconn. AFox is an acronym for “Asian Fox” as well as “A Friend of Foxconn”, which means that the newly formed company will also associate itself with one of the world’s largest contract manufacturers of electronics.

Some sources in the industry said that AFox company was formed in approximately two months, an very short amount of time for mainboard industry. If the information is correct, it means that there Foxconn’s channel business operates not inline with expectations as the companies of the Hon Hai size do not usually make rapid decisions.

Neither AFox nor Foxconn Technology Group commented on the news-story.