'Anything' related to remote working is a winner for Euro disties, but classic enterprise tech? That's another story
- Reference: 1586247419
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/04/07/tech_in_western_europe/
- Source link:
According to Context, multiple areas did well in those four weeks, from webcams (up 127 per cent year on year) to continued demand for headsets, headphones and microphones (up 76 per cent). Business and consumer notebooks were up 55 per cent and 44 per cent respectively.
Software also saw a big expansion including database management, (60 per cent), virtualization (55 per cent), dev tools (47 per cent), security (40 per cent), and graphic & design software (17 per cent).
Docking stations, monitors, keyboards and keypads also saw strong double-digit gains, as did office apps and data management wares.
"We are seeing a supply chain that is still operating through the heroics of distribution," Adam Simon, Context's global managing director, told The Register . "There is still demand for anything related to remote working."
[1]Computacenter CEO Mike Norris told us last month that laptops were flying out of the door, as were monitors, VPNs and wireless LANS. Demand for online collaboration tools has rocketed too.
The Reg doesn't want to talk the market down, but there is a flip side to the boom occurring in parts of the industry: other classic corners of tech are starting to sink amid the pandemic, according to Context's numbers.
Terminals, thin clients and point-of-sale systems tanked in the four weeks to 22 March, versus the same period a year ago. Other areas to see downward motion included electronics, down 22 per cent, which is hardly surprising as retailers have closed their doors and don't have the same online presence as Amazon.
Other parts of enterprise tech were feeling the pinch too, with data centre networking and security down 17 per cent, servers down 15 per cent, scanners down 12 per cent, and removable storage down 11 per cent.
The word in the supply chain, according to Simon, is that product levels in the channel are starting to run dry due to the earlier disruption to manufacturing in China as parts of the country went into lockdown over the Chinese New Year to combat the novel coronavirus.
Distributors we previously spoke to said shortages in areas such as notebooks will start to feel this pressure from this month and the next.
"There's limited container space for products shipping from China and increased border controls in Europe have contributed to lengthening product journeys," said Simon.
Talk among the wholesalers, he added, is that Western Europe could see a fall in product sales of between 20 to 30 per cent this year, "potentially higher" if efforts to contain the virus continue to hamper business. Of course, the reality is that those forecasts can improve or deteriorate.
Given the nature of this crisis, one area seems destined to continue expanding in 2020: the cloud. According to [2]IDC last week , cloud IT infrastructure spending is forecast to rise 3.6 per cent to $69.2bn in 2020, but non-cloud IT infrastructure spending is estimated to decline 9.2 per cent to $61.4bn.
The dynamics of coronavirus could accelerate the switch to newer technologies than would have otherwise been the case. ®
Sponsored: [3]How To Accelerate Brilliant Digital Experiences With Low-Code
[1] https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/03/20/home_working_laptops_monitors_wlans_selling_fast/
[2] https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS46188120
[3] https://go.theregister.co.uk/tl/1936/-8552/how-to-accelerate-brilliant-digital-experiences-with-low-code?td=wptl1936
Re: But if there is ever an end to this...
I'm also wondering what the long term effects on commuting and office based productivity will be. Yes, everyone on a virtual team WFH is maybe a bit slower and clunkier, but the cost savings by not having an office could be massive to some employers (some of those costs passed onto the home workers, obviously). Once we start to climb out of the inevitable recession it will be interesting to see how much more accepted home working is, and whether the rush hour commute is changed in anyway.
Re: But if there is ever an end to this...
Sadly probably true.
However this predictable response, by some levels of Manglement, might be offset when the Bean Counters realise the potential savings to be made by reducing all that city centre office space that they haven't actually needed!
Re: But if there is ever an end to this...
They may also start wondering if they need the moronic middle managers.
Re: But if there is ever an end to this...
Oh yes please....if any company needs a quick boost of income just run a raffle with the winner being the one to pass on the "and don't come back" message
Cloudy destiny
The cloud will be expanding so fast that in places it will thin out a bit leaving holes for the unwelcome to come innand poke around.
I can see WFH thing is going to not only change the view of some bosses regarding work space requirements but also terms of employment, there is likely to be a whole new style of contract coming soon.
There is also the thought that if you have to dedicate a part of your home as a workspace, you should be paid for it, in the same way others receive a tool allowance.
Re: Cloudy destiny
"if you have to dedicate a part of your home as a workspace, you should be paid for it"
Prepare for business rates. And insurance. And tax for benefit in kind.
"shortages in areas such as notebooks will start to feel this pressure"
I don't think it matters all that much. It's funny how nobody is talking about the consequences of notebooks "flying out the doors", namely the fact that, when the confinement is lifted, workers will be going back to their cubicles, hand in their laptops and get back to regular work. All those laptops that have flown out will still be out there, companies are not going to throw them away. They'll keep them as replacements.
Which means that the laptop market is going to tank, and soon. If everyone who needs one has one, then no one will be needing one, so sales are likely going to pancake.
That's what I'm guessing anyway.
But if there is ever an end to this...
It looks like there will be piles and piles of junk to recycle because it is clear that the moronic unthinking dinosaurs in middle management are already planning to have us chained back at our desks after fighting through the same rushhour pollution creating mess as before because otherwise we cant work as a bloody team (except of course those cheapie people frmo Bangalore and Romania who of course can work as part of our team remotely without any problem because they are so much cheaper)