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Netbook sales surge in third quarter throughout EMEA region
Acer and Asus boast shipments of 1.1m and 650,000 respectively but these computers are expected to remain a consumer phenomenon for some time.
- By Naushad K. Cherrayil, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:02 November 9, 2008
- Image Credit:
Dubai: The emergence of the netbook and strong demand have made the third quarter the best so far this year for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) PC market, with more than two million netbooks shipped in during the period, according to research firm Canalys.
"Netbooks are proving to be a category worthy of attention. Healthy shipments are likely to be sustained in the fourth quarter, as additional vendors enter the market and competition intensifies," said Andy Buss, Canalys principal analyst.
The report says Acer and Asus have driven the market so far, with shipments of 1.1 million and 650,000 respectively during the period. Dell, Fujitsu-Siemens, HP, Lenovo and Toshiba are among the vendors that have announced new netbooks for the fourth quarter.
"Netbooks are largely a consumer phenomenon today, and will remain so for some time, outside of a handful of vertical markets, such as education and field service. This market will grow strongly, but success will depend on developing new sales channels, pricing and product positioning," said Buss.
"With 3G being integrated, mobile operators become an important route to market, but mobile broadband pricing and end-user support are areas that require attention."
Acer overtook HP to lead the market in the third quarter, helped by strong netbook shipments. Asus has also risen up the charts, partly by pioneering this category.
The Taiwanese vendors accounted for a combined 82 per cent of netbook shipments in the third quarter. Despite Asus kicking it off with the Eee PC in the second quarter, Acer has made this market its own, with the Aspire One proving a major hit.
"On current growth, Dell's position in the top three is under threat from Asus in fourth quarter," said Buss. "Dell's initiatives to re-take share have failed and it must look at its manufacturing and go-to-market strategies if it is to remain a top-three player in EMEA."
The market registered year-on-year unit growth of 27 per cent and value growth of 11 per cent compared to 2007. Total shipments (desktop, notebook, netbook and server) stood at 28.29 million units compared to 22.26 million units in the third quarter of 2007.
Canalys warns a slowdown at the end of the third quarter due to the financial crisis has yet to filter into the market, but it is likely that there will be some impact in the short term. The rise of the US dollar means aggressive euro pricing seen in the last year will be moderated and price points are likely to remain stable or increase in the fourth quarter and early 2009.
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