AST Research Inc.: Safi Qureshey, chief executive...

AST Research Inc.: Safi Qureshey, chief executive of the computer maker, said Monday he expects his company this year to take the No. 4 spot from NEC Corp. among the world’s largest makers of personal computers.

Qureshey, speaking at the Bear Stearns technology conference in New York, said AST’s annual revenue will hit $2.4 billion for its current fiscal year and that AST will have shipped more than 1 million PCs for the year ending June 30. He said the company will focus on its core market of selling to corporations. Consumer purchases should account for only 20% of sales, he said.