PCR Tech and IT retail, distribution and vendor news
We roundup the latest news from IT analysts and firms to see which tech categories have been doing well, which haven’t, and what’s forecast to be big in the near future.
This week, we also look at the latest UK High Street footfall figures from BRC/Springboard.
Notebook shipments saw significant drop in 2015
Global notebook shipments dropped significantly in 2015 mainly due to the impact of currency depreciation on the demand in Europe and the emerging markets, such as Latin America, reported TrendForce.
The release of Windows 10 in the third quarter and Skylake CPU in the fourth also influenced consumers’ decision making and delayed notebook purchases.
According to the global market research firm, worldwide notebook shipments for 2015 totaled 164.4 million units, representing a year-on-year decline of 6.3 per cent.
75% of Europe’s workforce will be mobile by 2018
Three quarters of the Western European workforce will be mobile by 2018 and require the ability to access and process information quickly and securely in order to maintain and increase productivity, reported IDC.
In addressing this changing environment, a new IDC whitepaper states smart multifunction printers (smart MFPs) need to provide the option to digitise documents while safeguarding sensitive company data against any threats or viruses by providing secure printing from mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones.
IDC has also reported that worldwide shipments of personal and entry-level storage products totalled 68.5 million units in 2015, representing a decline of 9.2 per cent from a year ago.
UK High Street footfall sees best performance in two years
Footfall in January was 1.2 per cent up on a year ago, significantly above the 2.2 per cent decline seen in December. This is its best performance since January 2014, excluding Easter distortions, revealed a new report from BRC/Springboard.
Footfall in retail park locations increased 5.2 per cent year-on-year, its best performance for two years. This is well ahead of December’s 2.1 per cent rise and above the 3-month average rate of 3.0 per cent.
