New report forecasts more than two billion PCs worldwide by 2015
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 11, 2007--In BW6135 issued
June 11, 2007: 6th graph, first sentence should read: The Forrester
report "Worldwide PC Adoption Forecast, 2007 To 2015"... (sted The
Forrester report "Worldwide PC Adoption Forecast To 2015"...)
The corrected release reads:
FORRESTER: ONE BILLION PCS IN USE BY THE END OF 2008
New report forecasts more than two billion PCs worldwide by 2015
By the end of 2008, there will be more than one billion personal
computers in use worldwide, according to a new report from Forrester
Research, Inc. (Nasdaq: FORR). With PC use growing rapidly in emerging
markets and high-profile programs in place to reach previously
untapped markets, Forrester predicts that there will be more than two
billion PCs in use by 2015, representing more than 12 percent compound
annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2003 and 2015.
While it took 27 years to reach one billion PCs, Forrester says it
will take only five years to reach the next billion, due to advancing
technology, lower prices and global demand on the part of a
technology-aware population. According to Forrester, the emerging
Brazil, Russia, India, and China (BRIC) market will account for more
than 775 million new PCs by 2015.
"There is nothing more important to the long-term health of the
technology industry -- and personal technology in particular -- than
the ability to deliver relevant, accessible and affordable technology
to the billions of people worldwide who have not been exposed to it,
said Forrester Research Vice President and Research Director Simon
Yates. "The industry can probably survive selling incrementally better
hardware and software to the people who already have technology in
their lives, but the vast majority of growth in the PC and related
industries will come from emerging markets."
There is unpredictability ahead, however, according to the
Forrester report. Vendors are used to the predictability of buyers in
mature markets, but high volume launches into emerging markets are
risky. Vendors won't have the luxury of introducing products on a
small scale to test the market before going into full production
because the economics will force suppliers to focus on bringing volume
to market more quickly at much greater risk.
"There are risks," said Yates. "It is safe to assume that life
cycles will be longer in emerging markets. Vendors, accustomed to
mature markets where the average life cycle is between four and five
years, will need to have a deep understanding of how to work in these
markets and, with less of a market for replacement PCs, will need to
band together to scale production for these emerging regions."
The Forrester report "Worldwide PC Adoption Forecast, 2007 To
2015" also lauds Microsoft Unlimited Potential, the Intel World Ahead
Program, AMD 50x15, and OLPC for their efforts in reaching untapped
markets, but notes that other major system vendors need to get
involved and demonstrate similar corporate citizenship in order for
the PC industry to scale production enough to ship five times the
number of systems at one-fifth the cost and arm these emerging markets
with the low-cost product required for the PC market to take off.
The report is currently available to Forrester RoleView(TM)
clients and can also be purchased directly at
http://www.forrester.com/Research/Document/0,7211,42496,00.html.
About Forrester Research
Forrester Research, Inc. (Nasdaq: FORR) is an independent
technology and market research company that provides pragmatic and
forward-thinking advice to global leaders in business and technology.
For more than 23 years, Forrester has been making leaders successful
every day through its proprietary research, consulting, events, and
peer-to-peer executive programs.
(C) 2007, Forrester Research, Inc. All rights reserved. Forrester
is a trademark of Forrester Research, Inc.
CONTACT: Forrester Research, Inc.
Phil LeClare, +1-617-613-6441
Public Relations Manager
press@forrester.com
SOURCE: Forrester Research, Inc.
