Netbooks Offer Only Glimmer of Hope
London, UK - August 31, 2009 – The PC industry in 2009, with a 6 percent decline, is undergoing its most severe downturn since the beginning of the millennium, following the post Y2K crash. The nascent netbook market, up 87 percent in 2009, will offer the only positive signs in a PC market blighted by the impact of recession, according to Strategy Analytics’ new Wireless Enterprise Strategies service report, “Global PC Forecast and Analysis by Region and Sales Channel 2008-2013.”
While more mature markets are seeing slowing growth, new devices like netbooks, selling through new channels, like mobile operators, are emerging to offer renewed hope to OEMs faced with plummeting profits.
“While the PC market is clearly suffering from lower levels of consumer spending and postponed PC rollouts among businesses, mobility remains its one positive area. Traditional IT channels--such as PC dealers and value-added resellers--are suffering from the slowdown, while new channels--such as mobile operator stores, subsidizing netbooks combined with a mobile broadband dataplan--are expected to see exceptional growth and sell-through volume of just under 10 million units globally this year,” commented Andrew Brown, Director Wireless Enterprise Strategies and author of the report.
Source: Strategy Analytics