Bangkok--Oct 22--IDC
According to a recent IDC report, "Thailand Quarterly PC Tracker, 2Q 2004", the total Thailand portable PC market continued to grow at pace during 2Q 2004, and was attributed to a combination of competitive pricing and the high growth amongst the consumer space. IDC forecast that total portable PC shipments in Thailand will increase from 214,000 units in 2003 to around 352,000 units in 2008, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.4%.
Wasupote Kittisubkul, Senior Analyst — Hardware Research, IDC Thailand said, "While the benefits of mobility and higher productivity of the portable form factor were increasingly acknowledged by Thai people, growth in the portable PC market was also driven by the affordability factor. The price structure of the portable market has dramatically shifted in just one year. If we break down the portable market into three price bands — lower than 40,000 Baht, 40,000-60,000 Baht, and higher than 60,000 Baht, the proportion of the middle price band increased from almost 40% in 2Q 2003 to as much as 60% during the same period in 2004, while the proportion of the highest-price segment dropped from 31% to just 18%. It is not surprising that the general public are aware of this price shift and that portables are becoming much more of a realistic proposition for the mass market. With wireless capability, these portables are even more attractive."
While portable PC sales in 2Q 2004 grew 16% year-on-year, growth of Consumer portable PC sales posted 35% growth, compared to stagnant growth of the Commercial portable PC segment, which in fact declined very slightly.
"As portable pricing has become more competitive, many more consumers have been able to enter the market, especially students and young working people", continued Wasupote. "To attract to these new consumers, vendors have launched a variety of models to match consumers' different needs, not only in terms of specification like CPU speed or screen-size, but also in producing attractive designs to match a variety of preferences."
In contrast to the consumer portable PC segment, the commercial portable PC segment showed a much slower start to the year. Softer than expected performance in the commercial portable PC sub-segment was brought about by a combination of low desktop prices, the higher maintenance cost of the portable PCs, as well as wireless LAN security issues. More importantly, several key vendors placed their emphasis on launching new portable PC models targeted at the consumer space.
Portable PC trend in 2005 — Unlike 2004, where the competitive landscape largely involved price competition, 2005 will be more about the value that a portable can deliver to potential users. In terms of product specification, portables will be further tailored-made to match user's lifestyle and preferred application, as we begin to see large wide-screen models that focus mainly on delivering digital entertainment, while smaller wide-screen portables offer improved mobility. Apart from this product element, service and promotions will also be key areas of competitive differentiation. As portables equate to social status to a certain degree, brand building activity is another area that vendors won't ignore. In time, all these aforementioned factors, combined with the residue IT awareness encouraged by the Government since 2002, will contribute to the solid growth of the local portable PC market.
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November 9, 08:30pm — 04:30pm
Hotel Plaza Athenee, Bangkok
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For more information, please log on to http://www.idc.com.sg/thailand/infrastructure2004/default.htm. For press queries and interview requests with IDC analysts and other speakers, please call Janjaree Chianwichai at 66-2651-5585-87 ext 110 or email her at [email protected].
For press inquiries, please contact:
Wasupote Kittisubkul
Senior Analyst, Hardware Research
+66-2651-5585-87 # 108
[email protected]
Janjaree Chianwichai
Marketing Executive
+66-2651-5585-87 # 110
[email protected] End.