Global PC addressable market falls to 28%

Global Personal Computer (PC) addressable market has declined from 35 per cent in 2012 to 28 per cent in 2015, according to a document from Intel Corporation.

Intel however, noted that there are still significant pockets of opportunity (including Nigeria), but stressed that affordability and relevance of the PC for access to the Internet (versus using a smartphone) are headwinds that need to be overcome.

In an interaction with selected journalists in Lagos, Marketing and PR Manager, Intel West Africa, Adim Isiakpona, said the PC is still very useful to perform tasks that are not convenient to complete on a smartphone.

Isiakpona stressed that the smartphones can still not take the place of PCs, adding that there is no such thing as a First Time Buyer (FTB) segment that is homogenous in its behaviors and attitudes regarding technology, rather focus is on understanding how to help the populations better understand how a PC is more innovative and affordable that can improve their lives.

In an interview with The Guardian, Managing Director of HP Incorporated, Mrs. Ify Afe, noted that the country’s market is still very much untapped; stressing that PC penetration in Nigeria slows at 11 percent, “so we still have a long way to go.”

Afe, however said HP is quite strong in Nigeria. “We have long term strategies as well as short term strategies for this market and we intend to remain in this market as long as possible. I think we are the oldest so far, HP has been in this market much longer than a lot of companies we have today and that shows our power and our intent to remain in this market.”The HP boss noted that in Africa, Nigeria is a very strong market.

According to her, there are lots of strength pace and starter in the country. “We have a lot of people that are exposed and open to this technology we talk about and so we have a strong adoption of these services we still push. A lot of countries today may not be on the same level with Nigeria, so, when you bring out this innovation. The second challenge is to find out where you can then play into, we don’t have that problem here. We have the population working for us, we have the minds of the people working for us, and so, Nigeria is a force to reckon with in Africa and in the world.”

Afe pointed out that the only thing the country can do to improve is getting the message about PC adoption to every household and individual.
“In Nigeria, the potential is huge, massive, untapped, we haven’t even harnessed half of it and we have quite a while to keep improving on it”, she stated.

She explained that Nigerians are not naive of the opportunities and challenges before them, but that they do not know the technology solutions to address those challenges, and that is why there are lots of untapped opportunities in the technology space and that HP is particular about developing the right education and creating the right technology awareness among the Nigerian people.

She said government must ensure that the right policies are put in place to facilitate all of these, and that HP would continue to work closely with government to achieve the goals.