Audiovisual research

Prospects for projectors, growth in the interactive whiteboard market and the importance of the network

Projector projections rise

The forecast for projector sales in 2004 has increased slightly to 254,843 units, according to market watcher Decision Tree Consulting (DTC), illustrating how high optimism is currently running in the audiovisual market. In the second quarter alone projector sales hit 60,295, and Q3 was expected to be the most successful ever.

Sanyo held on to leadership in the sector, with Epson and Hitachi following. DTC's Q2 research also showed that indirect distribution of projectors rose by 10 per cent to account for more than three-quarters of the total market, at the expense of direct sales.

Ultra-bright whiteboards

Decision Tree Consulting's research showed the remarkable growth in the size of the interactive whiteboard market over the past six years, as the technology has matured. By May this year the UK had an estimated installed base of 100,000 boards.

In 2003 sales stood at 38,033 units, making the UK the biggest market for the technology out of all the main economies in western Europe. In comparison, the next highest sales were in Germany, at just 2,700.

Networking comes to the fore

The network is becoming an important part of the latest audiovisual (AV) deployments, as shown by figures from AV trade body the International Communications Industries Association. A customer's LAN was used as an important component in more than 80 per cent of AV deployments in its survey.

Also, as this chart shows, the average value of AV projects has grown rapidly in recent years, mainly because of a dramatic increase at the more expensive end of the spectrum.

Money-making opportunities

The International Communications Industries Association's 2004 Market Forecast survey demonstrates the improving business climate in the audiovisual (AV) sector globally, with respondents reporting steadily growing revenue in the past few years.

Those who took part - mainly resellers and integrators - pointed to the business market as the main opportunity for growth, accounting for 23 per cent of revenue in 2003. However, higher education was also seen as very important, accounting for 14.9 per cent of revenues, and government and military customers were also prominent.

Important trends highlighted by the survey included the growth in conference and collaboration technologies and the integration of IT systems with AV.

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