PHL posts record PC shipments in Q3

In the third quarter of 2011, the Philippines recorded an increase of PC shipments for the third straight quarter to 498,000 units, according to research firm IDC.

 

The uptrend can be attributed to the portables segment which grew 13 percent from the previous quarter while total desktop shipments remained stagnant at 189,000 units.

 

In addition, all major PC vendors posted better mini-notebook shipments as consumers responded positively to further price reductions — some as low as P9,999.

 

Channel expansion and inventory loading also boosted overall shipment numbers, IDC said, adding that the Philippines PC market increased by 7 percent sequentially and 25 percent year-on-year.

 

Price-sensitivity is still a major characteristic of the local retail market.

 

The popularity of mini-notebooks is evidence of end users prioritizing affordability over more advanced specifications. The surge in shipments indicates that first time users are content with the functionality of mininotebooks,” Ng Juan Jin, market analyst for client devices research at IDC Asean.

 

“And, given the relatively low adoption rate of PCs and the large low-income segment in the Philippines, there is still growth potential for mininotebooks provided prices remain low relative to other competing IT devices,” Juan Jin said.

 

Sequential and year-on-year growth rates for minion-tebooks are at 29 percent and 36 percent respectively. He added, “AMD’s new processors are also increasingly popular among MNCs that are looking to diversify their model lineup while keeping prices low.”

 

Overall public sector spending was still weak, bogged down by a significant decline in the education segment as the government held off on approving large-scale projects.

 

However, BPOs (business process outsourcing) companies maintained their IT spending levels in Q3, which helped stave off an even steeper decline in the commercial market.

 

Overall enterprise spending, including SMEs (small and medium enterprises), remained flat over the previous quarter.

 

“IDC is expecting a significant decline in the Philippines PC market in the upcoming quarter due to the current HDD crisis stemming from the severe Thailand floods,” the analyst said.

 

“The market’s reliance on mini-notebooks for growth will prove to be a hindrance as these high-turnover models are expected to be sidelined in favor of larger form factors that provide higher profit margins. Channels will likely take advantage of lower quotas from impending PC shortages and focus on clearing stocks from their inventory instead,” he added. — Newsbytes.ph