A Cloud and a Silver Lining for the Workstation Market in Q1'08, Reports Jon Peddie Research

Business Wire, June 10, 2008

TIBURON, Calif. -- It had to end sometime. The market for professional workstations had set records for unit shipments dating back to Q3'04 and extending all the way through Q4'07. But according to Jon Peddie Research's Workstation Report, Q1'08 finally broke that long string of sequential gains. The quarter saw a total of 822.6 thousand machines shipped, down 3% from Q4'07.

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But despite the sequential decline, the quarter was far from disappointing. With quarterly fluctuations common, a year-over-year (YoY) measure paints a more accurate picture of market health. And from that perspective, the market posted an 18.4% growth in units, still robust though nudging down a bit from the 23.5% and 23.2% gains of the two quarters prior.

Tempered YoY growth and an eventual drop in sequential shipments were far from unexpected, however, and not particularly disheartening when considering the big picture. The market had been quite hot, significantly outpacing the broader client PC market over the same period. With all that growth behind it -- and economic uncertainties growing -- it was only a matter of time before gains would eventually moderate.

About the JPR Workstation Report

Now in its fourth year, JPR's Workstation Report - Professional Computing Markets and Technologies has established itself as the essential reference guide for hardware and software vendors and suppliers serving the workstation and professional graphics markets.

Subscribers to the JPR Workstation Report receive two in-depth reports per year providing a comprehensive analysis of the vendors and technologies driving the workstation platform. Clients also receive four quarterly reports detailing and analyzing market results for each calendar quarter. For information about purchasing the JPR Workstation Report, please call 415/435-9368 or visit Jon Peddie Research at http://www.jonpeddie.com.

Based in Tiburon, California, JPR provides consulting, research, and other specialized services to technology companies, including graphics development, multimedia for professional applications and consumer electronics, high-end computing, and Internet-access product development.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Excerpts from the JPR Workstation Report and expert interviews are available on request.