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PC Shipments in EMEA Stabilized During the 1Q2014

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According to International Data Corporation (IDC), PC shipments in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) reached 21.8 million units in the first quarter of 2014, which resulted in a decline of 1.1% in comparison with the same quarter last year.

The EMEA market stabilized as Western Europe returned to growth at 8.6%, supported by an upturn in business demand across the region, which drove a strong 15.1% increase in the commercial space, while consumer also returned to more stable trends showing growth of 2.1%.

At the same time, Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) remained partially impacted by high inventory and currency fluctuations and declined by 16.7% while MEA saw an 8.4% drop in shipments as parts of the region continued to suffer from political unrest.

Total EMEA shipments have now been declining for seven consecutive quarters, but the pace of contraction slowed considerably this quarter; despite areas of improvement, the market has not yet fully recovered. Desktop PC shipments increased by 1.4%, while portable PCs continued to contract by 2.6%.

“The end of Windows XP support was a major driver of the commercial rebound, and supported renewals mainly in the desktop area. In the European Union, as the macroeconomic outlook improved, companies started to invest in IT again after many quarters of postponing decisions. In other parts of the region political unrest and negative exchange rate evolution were inhibitors to market growth,” said Chrystelle Labesque, research manager, IDC EMEA Personal Computing.

“The first quarter of 2013 was marked by a strong decline, leading to a favorable year on year comparison in the consumer segment. Desktop and portable PCs with new features like touch generated higher interest among end users after years of delaying purchases.  However, consumer shipments remained constrained.”

PC shipments in Western Europe posted growth, benefitting particularly from a very strong increase in commercial demand. The end of Windows XP support, an aging installed base, and an increase in business confidence stemming from improving macroeconomic outlooks all contributed to stronger demand in the enterprise space and fuelled corporate renewals.

For the fourth consecutive quarter, commercial PC shipments in Western Europe surpassed those in the consumer market, as traditional form factors remain key productivity tools in the enterprise environment.

Desktop PC shipments were a clear winner, growing by double digits and showing that traditional desktops are still favored by businesses.

For the first time in nearly two years the consumer market returned positive results, with shipments posting a slight increase year-on-year.

“The majority of vendors focused on close inventory management following problems they experienced with high stock amid rapidly declining demand a year ago.

“As a result, low stock levels allowed for quick and efficient introduction of new models and stronger sell-in during the quarter as consumer demand stabilized and led to increased intake of orders by retailers and distributors,” said Maciek Gornicki, senior research analyst, IDC EMEA Personal Computing. “While consumers in Europe are still spending on tablets and smartphones, interest in desktop and portable PCs has increased again recently, as some end users start to purchase PCs again after years of delayed renewals.”

“According to expectations, the overall PC market in Central and Eastern Europe and the Middle East and Africa recorded a year-on-year decline of 12%,” said Stefania Lorenz, associate VP, IDC CEMA Systems. “The regions’ market mix reported quite different results from previous predictions, however. The CEE region contracted further, recording a year-on-year decline of 17%. Many factors inhibited PC market growth: political unrest in major markets, economic uncertainty and high unemployment, topped with unfavorable exchange rates were all causes for slowdown and budget restrictions.  The MEA region, on the contrary, performed better than expected, though still at minus 8% on a year-on-year comparison.”

“In the first quarter of the year the portable PC market recorded a yearly contraction of 20% in the CEE region, with Ukraine, Russia, and Kazakhstan reporting a major slowdown,” said Nikolina Jurisic, Product Manager, IDC CEMA Systems.

“The desktop PC market declined by 11% year-on-year, the commercial market was able to perform slightly better compared to the consumer space, but not enough to balance the overall results. Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Hungary all reported overall positive results mostly driven by demand within the commercial space.

The MEA region saw a slightly better result in the consumer space, with very mixed results for the country dynamics in the region.”


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E-Business

Jumia Replatforms its Retail Media Program to Mirakl Ads to Enhance Marketplace Advertising

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Jumia, e-Commerce platform in Africa, has partnered with Mirakl to elevate its marketplace advertising capabilities by deploying Mirakl Ads, a retail media solution uniquely designed to optimize performance for both first-party and third-party sellers.

This move strengthens Jumia’s efforts to deliver more value to its sellers, enhance the customer experience, and unlock profitable and sustainable new sources of revenue. Retail media is a rapidly growing sector within the e-commerce industry, expected to reach $204 billion by 2027 with a projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.2%.

Jumia’s adoption of Mirakl Ads positions the company at the forefront of digital advertising innovation in Africa, unlocking significant opportunities to increase revenue generation. With growing usage across its platform, Jumia is well-placed to capitalize on this momentum by delivering improved advertising tools to sellers and more relevant, personalized product recommendations to customers.

“Advertising is a key growth lever in our marketplace strategy, and this partnership with Mirakl allows us to accelerate that journey with speed and scale.

“By integrating Mirakl Ads, we’re empowering our sellers with smarter tools and delivering a better, more personalized experience to our customers. It also positions us to unlock new revenue streams while deepening engagement across our platform. Importantly, this partnership supports our ambition to grow gross profit and accelerate our path to profitability,” said Francis Dufay, CEO of Jumia.

The collaboration is a testament to Mirakl’s ability to rapidly deploy enterprise-grade solutions, with Jumia launching Mirakl Ads in just two months. This showcases the platform’s ease of integration and fast time-to-value. Now live, the solution equips Jumia’s advertising ecosystem with advanced automation, AI-powered optimization, and seamless campaign          management.

With Mirakl Ads, all advertisers – from the biggest brands to the smallest marketplace sellers – can now boost their sales by leveraging advertising campaigns in Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco and Ivory Coast.

“Jumia’s decision to replatform to Mirakl Ads is a powerful validation of our platform’s ability to deliver immediate and measurable impact for leading marketplaces. By combining Mirakl’s cutting-edge retail media technology with Jumia’s deep market reach, we are enabling sellers to grow faster and customers to benefit from a more relevant, engaging experience. This partnership is a true milestone, not only for Jumia and Mirakl, but for the future of digital commerce across Africa.” said Adrien Nussenbaum, cofounder and co-CEO of Mirakl.

Through this partnership, Jumia is taking a decisive step in accelerating monetization, improving customer engagement, and advancing its long-term financial performance and profitability.


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E-Business

Galaxy Backbone, Rural Electrification Agency Commit to Deepening Digital and Energy Access Across Nigeria

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In a major step towards deepening Nigeria’s digital and energy infrastructure, Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB) and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) have signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at a brief but impactful ceremony held in Abuja.

The MoU signals a collaborative effort between both agencies to enhance Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda by integrating reliable energy solutions with cutting-edge ICT infrastructure, especially in higher institutions, Government institutions, underserved and rural communities across the country.

Speaking at the event, the Managing Director/CEO of Galaxy Backbone, Professor Ibrahim A. Adeyanju, described the partnership as “a landmark moment in Nigeria’s journey towards a digitally empowered, sustainably powered, and inclusively connected nation.”

“This partnership exemplifies what is possible when two visionary government institutions come together, united by shared goals and driven by the desire to improve the lives of Nigerians everywhere,” he said.

Professor Adeyanju emphasized that while Galaxy Backbone’s core mandate is to provide secure digital infrastructure that powers government operations, reliable and sustainable energy particularly in rural areas is essential to fully actualize digital transformation.

Major highlights of the MoU include:

  • Solar electrification of some of GBB’s Metro Fibre sites in Abuja by the REA.
  • Powering Hostels of Higher Institutions across the country through the Fibre to Hostel Project being driven by the Federal Ministry of Communications Innovation and Digital Economy (FMCIDE).
  • Support for the rollout of the 774 Local Government Digitization Initiative, beginning with six pilot Local Government Areas.
  • Provision of LANs, access points, cloud services, colocation infrastructure, and temporary connectivity to enhance REA’s operational facilities nationwide.

The Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency Mr Abba Aliyu, in his remarks, expressed optimism that this collaboration will further bridge the digital and energy divide across Nigeria. He noted that by combining REA’s achievements in expanding energy access with GBB’s robust ICT backbone, both agencies are poised to create lasting impact across governance, education, healthcare, and entrepreneurship.

This partnership is also in direct alignment with the Renewed Hope Digital Transformation Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, which envisions an inclusive digital economy powered by innovation and sustainable energy.

The ceremony was attended by top management from both organizations as well as members of the media.

With today’s signing, Galaxy Backbone and the Rural Electrification Agency have set the tone for stronger, smarter, and more inclusive public service delivery powered by strategic inter-agency collaboration.


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E-Business

NIMC Says NIN Services Back Online

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National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has announced the restoration of its National Identification Number (NIN) verification services nationwide.

NIMC Says NIN Services Back Online

This, according to the commission, follows the completion of a system maintenance exercise.

In a statement issued on Friday, the NIMC confirmed that all previously disrupted services have resumed.

“NIMC wishes to inform the general public that the recent technical maintenance has been completed and all services have been restored,” the statement read.

The NIMC urged Nigerians seeking to enroll for NIN to visit the its official website to locate the nearest enrollment centers.

The agency also encouraged individuals to make use of its self-service portal for tasks such as data modification, including name changes.

To further ease the verification process, the Commission recommended downloading the NIMC NameAuth app (oath.app) from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store for quick and secure NIN authentication.

NIMC expressed appreciation for the public’s patience during the service disruption, which had impacted banks, telecom providers, and government agencies that rely on NIN verification for their operations.

 


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