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The ACCC has cleared, provisionally, the proposed deal between Optus and NBN Co under which Optus is to be paid around $800m to shut down its HFC network and transfer customers onto the NBN. read moreGartner predicts horror 2009 for PC industry, worst decline ever
Stan Beer
Tuesday, 03 March 2009 07:52
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IT
analyst group Gartner has officially said what we've all known and
feared since the last quarter of 2008 - the PC industry is going to
suffer its worst decline on record this year. Not even the burgeoning
netbooks market can save the market from a decline that will make the
dot com and post Y2K busts seem like booms.The extent of the decline is testimony to the extraordinary weakness of the global economy, where the PC market has in the past proven to be remarkably resilient. According to Gartner, cash strapped PC users are simply making do with what they have and not being drawn into new purchases.
“The PC industry is facing extraordinary conditions as the global economy continues to weaken, users stretch PC lifetimes and PC suppliers grow increasingly cautious,” said George Shiffler, research director at Gartner.
Unlike in previous downturns, where emerging growth markets escaped the downturns of mature markets and vice versa, things appear to be bad all over, according to Gartner.
Both emerging and mature markets are forecast to suffer unprecedented market slowdowns. Up to this point, emerging markets collectively recorded their lowest growth in 2002, 11.1%. Mature markets recorded their lowest growth in 2001, negative 7.9%. Both emerging and mature markets will handily surpass these previous lows in 2009, with emerging markets expected to post a decline of 10.4% and mature markets a decline of 13%.
“Growth in both emerging and mature markets will be driven by similar dynamics even if the precise impacts vary somewhat. Slower GDP growth will generally weaken demand and slow new penetration, lengthening PC lifetimes will reduce replacements, and supplier caution will keep inventories at historic lows until confidence in a recovery eventually firms,” Mr. Shiffler said.
“The impact of reduced replacements will be especially acute in mature markets, where replacements are estimated to account for around 80% of shipments.”
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