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Lenovo Maintains Status as Top OEM in the Traditional PC Space Ahead of HP, Dell & Apple
Preliminary results from International Data Corporation’s Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker for the fourth quarter of 2018 (4Q18) shows shipments of traditional PCs (desktop, notebook, and workstation) totaled just over 68.1 million units, marking a decline of 3.7% in year-on-year terms.
The results slightly outperformed the forecast, which called for a decline of 4.7%, but also produced the largest year-on-year decline since the third quarter of 2016 (3Q16) and capped the full year at a nearly flat rate of -0.4%.
Heading into the quarter there was industry-wide concern over processor shortages and rising economic tensions between the U.S. and China.
Aggressive stocking of inventory during the previous quarter (3Q18) in anticipation of the shortage led to some sell-through challenges, driving a reduction of Q4 shipments in some regions.
The fourth quarter is typically oriented toward consumer promotions that help drive the industry’s biggest quarter of the year, but the confluence of events in 2018 led to the lowest sequential growth for a holiday quarter since the fourth quarter of 2012.
Nonetheless, the market performed better than expected, with corporate PC refresh – driven by the looming Windows 7 end of life (EOL) in January 2020 – helping to offset consumer market challenges.
Japan had an especially strong quarter driven by commercial refresh, which lifted virtually all aspects of the market.
All regions except the U.S. exceeded the forecast, although Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan) faced challenges from a difficult Chinese commercial environment.
Maciek Gornicki, research manager with IDC’s Asia/Pacific Client Devices Group,said “The ongoing economic tensions between China and the United States continue to create a lot of uncertainty in the business environment in China.
“As demand for Chinese products in the U.S. drops, this particularly impacts businesses of all sizes from the manufacturing sector in China, which, in turn, translates to a drop in IT purchases by these companies.
“As a result, the PC market in China is expected to suffer bigger declines throughout the year.
“And if the trade war escalates further, we should expect spillover of the impact to other countries, particularly due to the expected fluctuations of the exchange rates impacting businesses across the region.”
Neha Mahajan, senior research analyst with IDC’s Devices and Displays Group, said “As the U.S. PC market, especially the lower-end, continued to suffer from the ongoing shortfall of Intel CPUs, overall PC sales took a hit during the fourth quarter of 2018.
“While the processor supply challenges are expected to continue into the first two quarters of 2019, PC makers are likely to see the situation improve before the back-to-school season begins during the latter half of the year.”
Regional Highlights shows that the traditional PC market in the U.S. saw a modest uptick in volume from the year prior.
Total shipments for the quarter reached 16.7 million units, which was slightly below forecast.
Commercial shipments remained fairly robust during the quarter, thanks to the ongoing Windows 10 refresh cycle.
While market leader HP saw its year-over-year volumes modestly decline (despite a quarter-over-quarter improvement), the other top five vendors mostly saw volumes improve.
Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA): The traditional PC market was negative in 4Q18 for the first time in six quarters with both desktop and notebooks reporting a moderate decline.
This weakening of the market stemmed from the ongoing component shortages and was further impacted by a level of disruption and uncertainty arising from challenging geopolitical and economic scenarios within major economies in the region.
Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan) (APeJ): The traditional PC market in APeJ posted a single-digit decline in 4Q18, which was relatively close to IDC’s forecast.
Overstock in the channels, coupled with Intel CPU shortages, impacted sell-in across the region.
In India, a significant drop in consumer demand together with high inventory remaining in the channels led to a stronger than expected decline in the consumer and SMB segments, while Intel supply shortages led to a drop in sales to the enterprise customers.
In China, the commercial PC market came in below expectations, impacted by Intel CPU shortages and slowness in spending from the public sector, while U.S.-China trade issues had a negative effect on demand from the private sector.
Japan: Corporate Windows 10 refresh entered its final phase and helped to beat expectations for 4Q18, with growth among virtually all OEMs, although multinational OEMs reaped most of the benefits.
While Company Highlights reveals that Lenovo maintained its status as the top OEM in the traditional PC space, and one of only two top 5 companies to post growth in the quarter compared to a year ago. Its U.S. operation continued to recover from a year ago.
In APeJ, Lenovo felt increased pressure from HP and Dell, and posted the largest decline within the region among the three vendors.
HP Inc. declined 3.2% worldwide mostly due to a challenging quarter in the Americas.
The company fell below market growth in the U.S. where unfavorable comparisons arose due to strong results in 4Q17.
At the same time the company weathered the APeJ market slide better than many of its rivals and tieda with Lenovo in global market share for all of 2018.
Dell Inc. had the strongest year-on-year growth among the top OEMs at 1.6% for the quarter and ended 2018 growing 5.6% over 2017, also the strongest among the top OEMs.
Apple remained in the fourth position with market share of 7.2% and year-on-year growth of -3.8%. Both desktop and notebook shipments saw year-on-year declines in 4Q18.
Acer Group took fifth place with market share of 6.7% and a year-on-year decline of 8.5%. Acer continues to compete in the gaming space, which remains a big focus for the company in 2019, but challenges within the component constraints likely affected its overall consumer business in 4Q18.
In a recent revelation from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Airtel Nigeria has emerged as a standout performer in the country’s telecommunications sector, marking significant gains in market share over the past year.
According to the NCC data, by the end of March 2024, Airtel Nigeria has grown its market share over the last year into a remarkable 29%, solidifying its position as a leading telecom provider in the region.
In stark contrast, other mobile network operators such as MTN and 9mobile have faced considerable setbacks, with MTN witnessing a notable 3.19% decline in market share and 9mobile experiencing a 0.5% decrease.
Even Glo, a prominent player in the market, saw a decline, albeit less pronounced, with a 0.58% drop in its share of internet subscribers.
Airtel Nigeria’s success story goes beyond market share gains. The company has also witnessed a substantial surge in its share of internet subscribers, boasting an impressive 165% basis points increase.
This surge correlates with the launch of Airtel 5G, which the company began rolling out in June 2023 and underscores the telco’s continued push to grow its customer base nationwide.
Airtel Nigeria’s ascendancy in the telecom market comes at a pivotal moment when mobile network operators face challenges of rising operations cost and exchange rates volatility. The company’s recent results solidify its position as a frontrunner in Nigeria’s telecom landscape.
Google Developer Groups Lagos (GDGLagos) has announced a regional edition of the global #BuildWithAI hackathon, in partnership with SeerBit, Africa’s most trusted payment solutions provider and GOMYCODE.
This hackathon, taking place on Saturday, April 27th and Wednesday, May 1st, 2024, will empower participants to explore Google’s AI tools, Gemini and Vertex AI and develop innovative solutions for real-world challenges.
“We are excited to partner with Seerbit and GoMyCode to bring the #BuildWithAI hackathon to Lagos,” says Co-Organizer, GDGLagos, Femi Taiwo. “This event fosters innovation and empowers individuals to use AI to solve real-world problems. We encourage everyone interested in AI to join us for this inspiring event.”
Founder & CEO of SeerBit, Omoniyi Kolade articulated the profound impact of this collaboration, stating, “At SeerBit, we are committed to pioneering innovative solutions that enhance financial security and foster trust in digital transactions. Collaborating with GDG Lagos amplifies our quest to combat fraud effectively. Together, we aim to empower developers to harness the power of technology for the greater good, ultimately benefiting society as a whole.”
“At GOMYCODE, we are committed to unlocking the potential of innovators across Nigeria and beyond through accessible technology education. The ‘Build With AI’ hackathon with Google Developer Groups Lagos offers a hands-on chance for innovators to use AI for real-world solutions. We’re excited to create a space where technology meets creativity, empowering participants to actively shape the future,” Country Head, GOMYCODE Nigeria, Babatunde Olaifa said.
The #BuildWithAI hackathon aligns with Google’s global initiative to democratize access to AI technology. This regional event in Lagos offers a unique opportunity for developers, data scientists, designers, students, and anyone curious about AI to:
- Gain hands-on experience with Google’s cutting-edge AI tools, Gemini and Vertex AI.
- Tackle real-world challenges across various sectors like sustainability, finance, education, healthcare, and social good.
- Leverage SeerBit’s expertise in digital payments to create solutions with tangible applications.
- Develop in-demand skills with the support of GoMyCode’s training resources.
- Collaborate in teams and network with fellow AI enthusiasts.
- Compete for a chance to win a cash prize of NGN 1,000,000, office space to further develop their winning solution, and the opportunity to partner with SeerBit, with NGN 500,000 and NGN 250,000 for second and third place respectively.
The GDGLagos #BuildWithAI hackathon serves as a springboard for the global Google AI Hackathon, taking place online. This international event focuses on pushing the boundaries of what Generative AI apps can do with Gemini. Participants in the Lagos event are highly encouraged to consider entering the global competition as well.
GDGLagos will provide ongoing support and guidance to the regional winner as they prepare to compete on the global stage. This includes access to mentorship, resources and technical expertise to help them refine their solution and showcase their talent to a worldwide audience.
Startup founders, experienced developers, data scientists and expert resources and designated mentors will be available during the hackathon to provide guidance, refine ideas, answer questions and offer technical support to participants. This ensures they receive the necessary guidance to tackle the challenges and bring their innovative ideas to life.
Telecommunications service provider, Airtel Nigeria has collaborated with the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) to provide with unlimited internet access at the institute’s inaugural edition of the Nigeria Public Relations Week.
The trailblazing event themed ‘Leveraging Public Relations as a Critical Asset for Nigeria’s Economic and Reputation Renaissance’ is set to run from Monday, April 22nd to Friday, April 26th, 2024, and will welcome thousands of delegates across Nigeria to the prestigious June 12 Cultural Centre, nestled in the heart of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
Speaking on the strategic collaboration, Femi Adeniran, Director, Corporate Communications and CSR, Airtel Nigeria, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, “Airtel is proud to support the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations in its endeavor to advance the field of public relations.
“The relevance of public relations practice in Nigeria cannot be overstated, as it plays a vital role in shaping perceptions, managing reputations, and influencing public opinion. Hence, our support is a demonstration of our commitment to empowering individuals and organizations with innovative solutions that drive progress and create an enabling society.”
According to NIPR, through the PRWeek Organizing \Committee Chairman, Mr Yomi Badejo Okusanya, the NPRW will gather over 2,000 experts in the fields of economics, PR, and nation-building to discuss strategies for effectively communicating government policies and initiatives to the public.
Other activities at the NPRW will include conferences, the annual general meeting, workshops, induction of new members, breakout sessions with students as well as traditional rulers and a tour of some legacy projects in Ogun state.
With Airtel’s provision of onsite unlimited data connection, attendees and participants can enjoy unparalleled access to online resources, real-time updates, and interactive engagements throughout the duration of the event. This will significantly support the exchange of ideas, foster networking opportunities, and elevate the overall experience for all stakeholders involved.
Airtel Nigeria remains committed to offering unwavering support for initiatives aimed at driving innovation, collaboration, and nation-building.
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