Micro-Star International (MSI), a first-tier Taiwan motherboard maker, is looking to sell off its optical drive unit. This is in line with a corporate restructuring at MSI, expected to begin by the end of next month, according to market sources.

An exit from the optical drive business would not come as a surprise since the company already sold its majority stake in DVD maker Accesstek to Compal Electronics late last year, the sources noted.

Under the restructuring plan, MSI's eight business units – motherboards, graphics cards, telecommunications devices, optical drives, notebooks, servers, barebone systems and consumer appliances – will be reorganized into four business units, the sources said.

The Chinese-language Commercial Times recently reported that MSI contacted other DVD makers, including Lite-On IT and Asustek Computer as well as IT maker Foxconn Electronics (the registered trade name of Hon Hai Precision Industry) to discuss possible interest in its optical drive unit. According to the Commercial Times, MSI denied the report.

From DigiTimes