While the International Data Corporation (IDC) has found Australian tablet and 2-in-1 sales slumped in the 2015 first quarter, it has noted that growth potential exists in the enterprise market.The IDC found that quarter one shipments totalled 770,752 units, representing a 40 per cent quarter-to-quarter and 25 per cent year-on-year decline, noting that while a seasonal slump in the first quarter is customary, the magnitude of the decline “is steeper than expected”.
However, a look at different market segments reveals that while consumer shipments declined 27 per cent year-on-year, commercial shipments by contrast posted a modest increase of 1.2 per cent.
The IDC noted that mobile workforces such as field police and hospital doctors can derive significant productivity benefits from mobile devices, with the Tasmanian police pilot of the Acer Iconia a case in point.
Meanwhile, enterprise adoption of the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 gained traction in the first quarter.
The IDC additionally noted that growth potential for small businesses is also high due to a recent federal budget announcement.
“Asset tax write-off threshold increased from $1,000 to $20,000, which expands the wallet-size of the small business buyer,” the IDC stated. “Although purchase is not restricted to technology, increased affordability and utility of mobile devices may drive uptake.”
Joseph Hsiao, IDC Australia market analyst, commented that opportunities existing in the enterprise market “are real and growing”.
“The high-profile partnership between Apple and IBM is a strategic move to capture a slice of this pie,” Hsiao stated.
“Android for Work is Google’s attempt to break into the enterprise market. On top of that, there is the incumbent player Microsoft and their soon-to-be-released Windows 10. It will be interesting to see how the play unveils.”
Apple and Samsung still dominate the Australian tablet market, holding a combined market share of over 75 per cent, the IDC stated.
