Combined with some persistent factors that negatively affected the market, including budget constraints that delayed major shipments in Asia/Pacific, the emerging markets continued to lag behind mature markets in terms of shipments and projected growth rates going forward. Furthermore, although the market is increasingly accepting of virtualized client computing, devices such as repurposed PCs and even Chromebooks in some cases, pose viable threats to mainstream thin client purchases.
In light of these challenges, IDC expects 2015 shipments to be more subdued than previously forecast, reaching just 5.1 million units for the year, a drop of more than -6% compared to 2014. IDC expects shipments to return to steady growth from 2016 through 2019, reaching 6.4 million units in 2019.
"Shipments in 2015 are expected to decline more than -6% year over year," said Ja y Chou , Research Manager, IDC Worldwide PC & Enterprise Client Device Tracker. "Beyond 2016, we remain optimistic that growth rates will pick up as another cycle of business refresh should fuel renewed growth."
About IDC Trackers
IDC Tracker products provide accurate and timely market size, vendor share, and forecasts for hundreds of technology markets from more than 100 countries around the globe. Using proprietary tools and research processes, IDC's Trackers are updated on a semiannual, quarterly, and monthly basis. Tracker results are delivered to clients in user-friendly excel deliverables and on-line query tools. The IDC Tracker Charts app allows users to view data charts from the most recent IDC Tracker products on their iPhone and iPad . The IDC Tracker Chart app is also available for Android Phones and Android Tablets .