Lenovo widens lead in PC market as industry gets corporate sales boost
Hong Kong-listed company achieves global market share of more than 19pc as corporate buyers in developed countries bolster sales
Lenovo, the world's largest supplier of personal computers, has posted its highest-ever quarterly global market share as increased corporate demand bolstered total shipments in the three months to June, according to analysts' preliminary estimates.
"The global PC industry is a more than US$200-billion-a-year business, and the market is getting healthier. I am confident that we will remain on track to achieve our targets and deliver on our commitments for profitable growth," Lenovo chairman and chief executive Yang Yuanqing said in a statement to the South China Morning Post yesterday.
In separate reports, technology research firms IDC and Gartner said worldwide shipments last quarter received a boost from continued desktop computer replacement activity by businesses, after Microsoft ended support for its old Windows XP operating system in April.
IDC estimated that personal computer shipments fell 1.7 per cent to 74.362 million units, which was better than the 7.1 per cent drop it predicted for the quarter. Gartner, however, calculated a flat growth of 0.1 per cent in the same quarter to 75.764 million units.
The United States, Canada and Europe showed the strongest growth among geographic markets, reflecting more stable conditions, according to IDC.
Mikako Kitagawa, a principal analyst at Gartner, said personal computer sales in emerging markets "will take more time to stabilise" because of competition from low-cost media tablets.