Europe IT sales expand but become more complex

GfK says first half of 2011 analysis shows increasingly mixed bag

IT sales across Europe have grown but also become markedly more mixed in the first half of 2011, according to a market update from GfK Retail and Technology.

European IT markets have become "significantly more heterogeneous" in the first six months of the year, said the analyst firm, which registered 11 per cent growth overall compared with the first half of 2010.

"The tablet PC is at the centre of hardware interest across all European countries. The next few quarters will certainly see further product innovations from various manufacturers in this area," said GfK. "As a result, the outlook for this submarket is generally acknowledged to be bright, with very high growth rates expected both this year and next."

Western Europe stood out for its notable differences between private and business customers. Its consumer markets were almost saturated and the first six months of the year saw sales four per cent lower than during the same period in 2010.

"Only some niche markets, such as large-format monitors, portable external hard disks and tablet PCs, are posting a rise in demand," stated the firm. "[But] the opposite picture can be seen in Western Europe in relation to business customers, with sales rising 22 per cent in the first half of the year. The trend towards cloud computing is having a highly positive effect."

Variations also existed within nations, making for an increasingly diverse picture overall, but Western European businesses were, on the whole, investing in the basic technical requirements for cloud so they could take advantage of the technology even more in future.

GfK indicated that this trend is expected to continue until mid-2012, in part because of the increasing number of users and demand for HD-quality digital content.

"Because of this, demand for products such as switches, routers and network storage is extremely positive at present. As in the previous year, this is supplemented by PC replacement purchases due to the introduction of the Windows 7 OS into companies," continued the market watcher.

Meanwhile, Eastern and Central Europe sales were recovering progressively from the economic crisis, with demand remaining high from consumers and businesses. Desktops did particularly well, alongside mobile computing devices.

Single-digit growth for the whole of 2011 is predicted.

"The IT sector is now much more complex than in the past. The trend towards strong growth in niche markets that are technologically sophisticated, together with the impact of replacement purchases, saturated submarkets and cloud computing products will increase further in the future," said GfK.

The figures were prepared for the IFA 2011 consumer electronics and home appliances talkfest in Berlin.