Enterprise Purchases Sustain PC Sales
232823
The numbers suggest a long-expected slowdown in PC sales growth is taking hold, but also that at least modest growth is possible well into the future since businesses, from small firms to large
590537
(InfoWorld) - Lower prices and the improved performance of laptops will fuel continued growth in PC sales this year and next, despite concerns a recession could be on the horizon for the U.S., market analyst Gartner predicted Thursday. Worldwide PC shipments will grow 12.3 percent this year, dropping slightly to 11 percent growth in 2008, Gartner said. Emerging markets will drive desktop PC sales, which will also be boosted by the start of a new replacement cycle through the end of the year. Emerging markets will average 18.6 percent growth in unit sales, while mature markets will see 7 percent growth, Gartner said. The recent economic turbulence, caused in part by problems in the U.S. mortgage markets, should not affect PC shipments in the coming months. However, Gartner warned that PC vendors should closely look at their supply chain in case conditions change.
236477
Computer makers have discovered that good industrial design sells -- and some, like Dell and Hewlett Packard, are making well-designed products a priority.
691167
Purchasers of IBM&#39;s desktops and laptops were shocked to learn last week that IBM may be putting its PC business up on the auction block.
495489
For years, companies large and small have been convinced that if they want the sophisticated functionality of enterprise-class software like ERP and CRM systems, they must buy pre-packaged applications. And, to a large extent, that remains true.
154834
Consumers buy Dell products directly from the company rather than through retail stores. That has allowed Dell to gobble market share for PCs, laptops and servers and become the No.
616386
The personal computer maker reported solid sales growth for the second quarter.
667005
As more computer buyers turn to laptops, lesser-known companies that produce PCs will have a hard time keeping up with the big guys.Photos: White-box choices
303444
(InfoWorld) - PCs running Microsoft'sÂ new Windows Vista operating systemÂ got a cool response from consumers in Japan during their first month on sale, according to data published Tuesday. Sales of desktop and laptop computers from brand-name makers in February were 1.2 percent higher than the same month in 2006, said BCN. The company came up with its figure after analyzing point-of-sales system data from about 560 specialist PC and electronics shops that are part of 12 retail chains. The entire market was up 6 percent thanks to better demand for white-box PCs made by computer stores and for motherboards. The jump in the brand-market was smaller than expected by market watchers, who thought the launch of the long-awaited operating system on Jan. 30 would give the PC market more of a kick. Better sales had been expected in part because consumers had shown a lack of interest in new PCs in the months prior to Vista's launch. In October, sales were down 21 percent compared to the previous year. In November, they were 22 percent lower, in December 19 percent down and in January 14 percent below the same month in 2006. The little strength there was in the brand-name market came from increased sales of laptops, sales of which were up 9.3 percent on a unit basis for the month, said BCN. The desktop sector was down 13.8 percent on the year. Despite the apparently lackluster response from Japanese consumers, Microsoft and two major PC makers have in the last 24 hours given the Vista launch votes of confidence. "We're actually pretty happy with how the launch has gone so far," said Darren Huston, president and CEO of Microsoft's Japan unit, at a news conference on Monday. The same day Walt Mayo, corporate director of Dell Japan's home and business sales division, said in an interview that the Vista launch has been "good overall." On Tuesday Richard Walker, head of Hewlett Packard's consumer PC division, said sales of Vista PCs were "strong" in the global market. He didn't have any data specific to the Japanese market. "We're definitely ahead of our plan as far as Vista is concerned," he said. Among Vista sales demand for the premium versions has been greater than anticipated, said Microsoft's Huston. "That was actually a good, positive surprise for us," he said.
431403
The argument has long been that even if IBM loses money selling PCs - and in recent years it frequently has - those sales are still a foot in the door, a route to selling higher margin servers, software and services.
218853
Buoyed by continued strong worldwide sales of personal computers, the Microsoft Corporation yesterday reported strong growth in profits and sales even as it faces the challenges of being a mature technology company.
699646
Lower prices and improved laptop performance will fuel continued growth in PC sales this year and next, says the market analysis firm.
616808
The data demonstrates Ubuntu's march into the enterprise.
468598
Sales of server systems rose 7.7 percent globally in the second quarter to $11.55 billion as demand for Information Technology remained strong after a three year downturn, market research firm Gartner said in a statement.
595781
(InfoWorld) - PCs sales for India grew 19 percent over the same period in the previous year, mainly on strong buying from a number of market segments including e-governance projects and the outsourcing industry, a hardware vendor group said Wednesday. A total of 2.96 million PCs were sold in the six months ended September 30 last year, the Manufacturers Association of Information Technology (MAIT), an association in Delhi of computer hardware vendors, said Wednesday. PC sales are forecast to be close to 6.5 million for the Indian fiscal year ending March 31, primarily because of the strong Indian economy, the group said. Notebook sales grew by 180 percent in the six months to September 30, while the growth in desktop sales was about 8 percent, according to MAIT data.Â IntelÂ has forecast that the Indian market is moving towards buying more notebooks than desktop computers because of the mobility they offer. A number of multinational and local brands have slashed prices on their entry-level notebooks to cash in on this new market opportunity. Desktop sales still outstrip notebook sales in India, with sales of notebooks accounting for about 15 percent of all PC sales, MAIT said. Sales of unbranded desktops grew at 27 percent to capture a 40 percent share of the desktop market, despite aggressive price cuts by multinational and local brands. Intel, through its Genuine Intel Dealer (GID) program, has given some legitimacy to this otherwise unorganized sector, consisting to a significant extent of out-of-garage assembly operations. Vendors of unbranded PCs, besides having a strong presence in small towns, also offer lower prices and personalized support. Intel has been assisting some of these vendors to also get into the assembly of notebooks. Multinational PC brands accounted for 37 percent of the desktop market, registering growth of 14 percent. The share of Indian brands fell from 31 percent to 23 percent, after a decline in sales of 20 percent. Business buyers accounted for 77 percent of desktop sales during the period, with home users accounting for the remaining 23 percent. Buyers of notebook computers for home use also increased because of their reduced prices, and accounted for one-third of notebook sales, MAIT said.
3578
With the economy slowly turning up, upgrading hardware has been on businesses radar in the past 12 months as their number two priority.
390058
The next time somebody asks you if you want to buy a brand new laptop computer for under $500, they may not be selling you stolen goods.