GTDC: Europe and US tread different growth paths

Organisation's latest PC market data shows both regions growing, but in different fields

Europe and the US are travelling two different roads when it comes to PC market growth, the Global Technology Distribution Council (GTDC) has claimed.

Its figures, based on IT distributor sales-out data – the result of figures from the NPD Group Distributor Track in the US, and Context SalesWatch-Distribution in Europe – showed a 38-point increase in the US over the past eight quarters, with Europe lagging slightly with a 35-point increase.

Breaking down the figures into regions, the US saw notebooks increase 31 points in overall revenue, driven by a 40-point increase in unit volume offset by a six-point decline in average selling prices (ASPs). Desktops grew 53 points on the index and bare bones, servers, workstations and POS PCs all saw overall growth. Particular high performers were thin clients and terminals, which increased in unit volume, but saw an ASP decline.

However, unit volume accounted for most of the PC market category growth in Europe, spearheaded by notebooks, with ASPs remaining fairly flat during the period. Desktops, servers and workstations all grew both in unit volume and ASPs. Tablets ended 2010 70 points higher, despite a sales trough in Q2 2009.

Tim Curran, chief executive of the GTDC, said: “Distributor sales provide a definitive view of what’s happening in IT. Our research partners aggregate this data down to the SKU level, including ASPs, unit volume and other characteristics that yield the most accurate industry insight possible.”

Greg Spierkel, chief executive of Ingram Micro, added: “Distributors are the central force in delivering comprehensive technology solutions worldwide – not just the products, but also the value-added services that vendor partners and channel customers require. We represent a complete front-line perspective on the trends and developments shaping the IT industry’s future.”