Egyptian PC market in high hear in 2006 as notebook shipments double, according to IDC

According to an IDC study, the market was driven mainly by strong demand for notebooks and increased purchasing among small and medium-sized businesses.

The notebook form factor propelled market growth in Egypt in 2006, with notebook shipments skyrocketing 103.2% year-on-year. The number of desktops was up a moderate 5.1% over 2005, and shipments of x86 servers jumped 25% annually.

Despite the dynamic growth in notebook sales, desktop PCs remained the dominant form factor on the PC market in Egypt in 2006, comprising 67.5% of total shipments. Notebooks captured 30.4% unit share, and x86 servers made up only 2.0% of total PC market volume.

For the first time, international vendors dominated the PC market in Egypt, with HP, Dell, and Acer in the lead. The top three vendors were responsible for more than one third of total shipments and 43% of revenue on the total market.

According to IDC, Egypt is one of the promising markets in the MEA region thanks to its large population, improving economy, and attractiveness to foreign investors. At the same time, however, vendors will need to educate the market and offer products at competitive prices to counter the country's uneven distribution of wealth, long decision-making processes, and limited disposable income.

IDC expects the Egypt PC market to expand at an average annual rate of 16.5% in volume and 16.2% in value through 2011 as economic stability fosters greater PC purchasing. The continued inflow of FDI to various sectors of the economy will enable businesses to invest in IT and will also promote the creation of more productive business and technology infrastructures.

IDC's Egypt Personal Computing 2007-2011 Forecast and 2006 Vendor Shares (IDC #ZJ02P) provides detailed analysis, conclusions, and forecasts regarding the dynamics of the Egyptian personal computing market. The study is intended to provide an understanding of the changes and challenges facing the PC industry. IDC's 2006 figures and analysis are based on information gathered from interviews with the leading IT companies (vendors, distributors, assemblers, system integrators, value-added resellers, and dealers) active in the region.