Telecom
HP, Lenovo & Dell Lead Traditional PC Market Growth in the Second Quarter of 2018
International Data Corporation’s preliminary result for the second quarter of 2018 (2Q18) has shown that shipments of traditional PCs (desktop, notebook, and workstation) totaled 62.3 million units, recording solid year-on-year growth of 2.7%.
The results exceeded IDC’s forecast of 0.3% growth and marks the strongest year-on-year growth rate in more than six years, when the first quarter of 2012 posted growth of 4.2%.
Although helped to some extent by a weak second quarter in 2017, which was somewhat impacted by key component issues, the 2Q18 results decidedly bucked the trend from the previous three quarters, which had the market hovering slightly above or below flat growth.
Once again business volume appeared to be the key driver with the top three companies reaping benefits across both desktop and notebook.
Moreover, the market continued to grow for both premium as well as entry models. Chrome OS-based devices, premium notebooks, and gaming PCs all further fueled the mix in the wake of improved supply and prices of graphic cards.
Not surprisingly, the recovery is relegated to the highest echelon of the market as the top 5 companies all posted positive year-on-year growth, collectively growing over 7% and capturing nearly 78% of the overall market.
Scale, be it in the form of purchasing power to reduce costs, obtain scarce components, or channel reach, continued to be the catalyst for industry consolidation.
From a geographic perspective, all regions exceeded forecast, with both mature and emerging markets seeing good activity.
The US market delivered another growth quarter after coming in just below flat in 2017.
Jay Chou, research manager with IDC’s Personal Computing Device Tracker, said “Although traditional PCs may not be the default device for many usage scenarios, the market continues to show pockets of resiliency as PC usage experience evolves and improves.
“Even certain types of desktops are seeing growth amid this business-driven refresh cycle.
Neha Mahajan, senior research analyst, Devices & Displays, said “Results for the first half of 2018 have been encouraging for the US PC market despite market challenges that surfaced including expected slowdown of Chromebooks amid production inhibitors.
“And with sentiment looking improved for the second half of the year, the US could deliver a strong market performance for the year.”
Regional Highlights shows that in US the traditional PC market registered its second consecutive quarter of year-on-year shipment growth with a total of 17.3 million units.
The desktop market saw shipments rising after a long decline with growth being driven by increased commercial purchases and supported by growing consumer demand for gaming systems.
The enterprise shift to Windows 10 and an overall positive economic environment also helped maintain momentum on the notebook side.
Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) – The traditional PC market experienced modest growth, owing to a further wave of device renewals in the commercial space.
Despite the trend toward mobility, desktops once again played a strong role in driving the overall performance of the market.
Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan) (APeJ) – The traditional PC market came close to IDC’s forecast, supported by positive results in India, where better than expected consumer demand and good traction in the commercial market drove shipments.
Meanwhile, the Department of Education project contributed to a strong increase in the commercial space in the Philippines.
The PC market in China performed above expectations, as better than forecasted sales and the launch of new models during the 618 Festival contributed to higher sell-in of consumer notebooks. On the other hand, the China commercial PC market remained impacted by weak shipments to SMBs and the public sector.
Japan – The market came in above expectations as commercial demand helped desktop and notebooks alike to exceed the forecast.
While Company Highlights shows that HP Inc continued to see results from its strong portfolio and execution.
It extended its streak of consecutive quarters of year-on-year growth, further cementing its hold over all others in the market. HP Inc. grew 7.6% on the year with growth in all regions.
Lenovo whose majority stake in its joint venture with Fujitsu took effect in 2Q18, came off with a good start.
The company rode the wave of healthy refresh momentum in Japan as well as recovering channel efforts in North America to grow 11.3% year on year (which includes Fujitsu volume beginning in 2Q18). All regions showed year-on-year growth.
Dell Inc., following a good 1Q18 result, posted strong growth of 9.0%, buoyed by strong performances in nearly all regions.
Apple finished the quarter in the 4th position with nearly flat year-on-year growth.
Acer held the 5th position, growing 1.3% year on year. Its focus on gaming and Chrome continues to help, but weakness on the commercial side also deprives it of much of the current market momentum.
Nigeria’s technology company, Globacom, has extended warm felicitations to Nigerians on the occasion of the 2024 Christmas celebrations.
In a goodwill message released in Lagos, Globacom urged Nigerians to embrace the spirit of love and kindness during the festive season, especially in the face of prevailing economic challenges.
The company emphasized the importance of practicing the teachings of Jesus Christ, particularly the virtues of obedience to God and loving one’s neighbor as well.
“Christ taught many virtues including obedience to God and loving one’s neighbour as oneself”, the company said, adding, “Now is the apt time to practise these teachings by sharing with the needy”.
Globacom also encouraged Nigerians to extend the conviviality of Christmas beyond the festive season by fostering love, peace, and harmony, as demonstrated by God through the birth of Jesus Christ.
Assuring its customers of uninterrupted services throughout the Yuletide period and beyond, Globacom urged them to take advantage of its innovative products and services to stay connected and share the memories of the season with loved ones.
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have ordered Deposit Money Banks and Mobile Network Operators to settle the long-standing N250bn USSD debt dispute before January 2, 2025.
The CBN and NCC also directed banks to pay the pre-Application Programming Interfaces (API) debt before July 2, 2025.
They also ordered that post-API debts be settled before December 31, 2024.
The directive was issued in a joint cirular titled, “2nd Joint Circular of the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigerian Communications Commission on the Resolution of the USSD Debt Issue Between Deposit Money Banks and Mobile Network Operators.”
The circular dated December 20, 2024, was signed by Oladimeji Taiwo, acting director of the Payments System Management Department, CBN, and Chizua Whyte, head of Legal and Regulatory Services, NCC.
The regulators said, “In view of the foregoing, the CBN and the NCC hereby direct DMBs and MNOs as follows: 1. That 60 per cent of all pre-API invoices must be paid as full and final settlement.
“Payment plans (lump sum or installments) must be agreed upon between a concerned DMB and MNO by January 2, 2025. Installments must be based on equal monthly payments, with full payment due by July 2, 2025.
“DMBs must pay 85 per cent of all outstanding invoices issued after the implementation of APIs (i.e., February 2022) by December 31, 2024.
“Similarly, 85 per cent of future invoices must be liquidated within one month of service.”
According to the regulators, the transition to end-user billing will be activated only for DMBs and MNOs that comply with the payment conditions cobtained in the circular.
CBN and the NCC said they would provide further guidance on public enlightenment initiatives related to the transition.
The regulators also directed MNOs to implement the “10-seconds rule” for USSD invoicing.
This implies that any session lasting less than ten seconds will not be billable.
The regulators added, “Failure to comply with the terms outlined in this directive will attract necessary sanctions, ensuring that both DMBs and MNOs uphold their obligations.”
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has unveiled a draft regulatory framework aimed at addressing fraud, spam, and other challenges in the Application-to-Person messaging sector.
The telecom regulator made this announcement in a statement.
The proposed framework, which was introduced during a virtual Stakeholders’ Forum, is said to be a key step towards enhancing the sector’s integrity and ensuring a fair, transparent environment for all parties involved.
The draft framework, presented by Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman, NCC, who was represented by Chizua Whyte, NCC’s acting head of legal and regulatory services, seeks to regulate the A2P messaging space.
The A2P messaging, used for notifications such as bank alerts, promotional campaigns, and government updates, has become a vital communication tool in Nigeria.
However, the sector faces significant challenges, including consumer protection concerns, fraud, and data privacy issues, as well as an unequal distribution of value within the ecosystem.
“The international A2P messaging space in Nigeria faces gaps that have led to issues such as fraud, spam, and data privacy concerns. These challenges threaten the sustainable growth of this communication tool,” the NCC said.
The proposed framework aims to address these challenges by protecting consumers, promoting fair competition, and holding service providers accountable.
“This forum marks a pivotal step towards addressing these challenges. We are here to engage with all stakeholders—operators, aggregators, businesses, service providers, and consumers—to refine the framework and ensure it meets the needs of the entire ecosystem.”
The NCC stressed the importance of inclusivity and collaboration in creating an effective regulatory environment.
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