Date:15/06/2007 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2007/06/15/stories/2007061501861100.htm

Back One billion PCs by 2008: Forrester

Our Bureau

Hyderabad June 14 There will be more than one billion personal computers in use worldwide by the end of 2008.

While it took 27 years for first billion PCs, the next billion is likely to come within next five years thereafter, according to a new report from Forrester Research.

BRIC market

The emerging Brazil, Russia, India, and China (BRIC) market will account for more than 775 million new PCs by 2015. Forrester predicts that there will be more than two billion PCs in use by 2015, representing more than 12 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2003 and 2015.

The Forrester Research Vice-President and Research Director, Mr Simon Yates, in a statement said "there is nothing more important to the long-term health of the technology industry than the ability to deliver relevant, accessible and affordable technology."

Mature markets

However, the report stated there is unpredictability ahead. 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.

The Forrester report `Worldwide PC adoption forecast 2007 to 2015' notes that there is need 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.