Tech Data tries out wearables market for size

Distributor claims wearables opportunity extends outside consumer space as it launches dedicated team

Tech Data says it is convinced wearable technology will be a hit in the SMB, enterprise and public sector markets after forming a dedicated UK team to address the space.

The distributor has formed a three-strong squad to drive sales of wearable devices from vendors including Samsung and Motorola among its reseller and retail partners.

Mark Glasspool, director of product marketing at Tech Data, said the move is a "clear sign of its commitment" to a market that will see device shipments triple to more than 245 million units by 2019, according to analyst CCS Insight.

"This is not only a consumer opportunity; there are going to be applications in the enterprise and SMB markets and also in the public sector," he said.

Tech Data already offers wearable devices from Samsung, Motorola, HTC, Alcatel, ASUS and Acer, but said it is gearing up to make additions to its portfolio.

According to CCS Insight, the global wearables market will be worth $15bn (£9.7bn) this year, with fitness trackers, augmented and virtual reality headsets and wearable cameras among the sub-categories predicted to enjoy strong growth. Smartwatches, however, currently dominate the market, and are expect to contribute $9bn of this year's total.