3G Netbooks Transform the PC Industry
3G Netbooks Transform the PC Industry
14th September , 2009
Europe : New research from Canalys shows that the PC industry has received its biggest unexpected boost in 15 years from the sales of over thirteen million netbooks. Inset left is the Nokia Booklet 3G announced in August this year which will only reinforce the findings from the research.
Over fifty mobile operators are currently selling 3G netbooks with HP and Samsung leading the manufacturers with the most 3G netbook sales.
Mobile operators have had huge success selling 3G netbooks at subsidized rates on contract just as they have done with mobile phones.
The research from Canalys indicates that a majority of 3G netbook sales are coming from users who want an additional device rather than a replacement PC. Canalys questioned over 3000 consumers in Europe and found that a netbook was three more times than a notebook to be used on a train or in café.
Netbooks have dramatically lowered industry price points, attracting new categories of consumer buyers. Furthermore, hard-pressed PC vendors have been forced to cut their operating costs to have any chance of turning a profit.
The netbook category was invented as recently as 18 months ago by the likes of Asus and Acer and is the only PC segment enjoying growth this year.
As well as being an important sales channel, the operators are playing a pivotal marketing role for the netbook. The telcos have massive retail and marketing coverage, so suddenly netbooks are being promoted in newspapers, billboards and storefronts with a prominence never before given to PCs.
Vendors that are not present in the telco channel are missing out on valuable promotional opportunities. Netbooks and smart phones are finally justifying the telcos' massive infrastructure investments in mobile broadband. They are seeing data revenues rise quickly to offset falling prices for their voice services, and the business case for investments in LTE are starting to look more promising.
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