http://www.idgnet.com/idgns/1999/07/16/ITEuropaLocalAssemble…
IT Europa: Local assemblers still strong
by Mary Lisbeth D`Amico, IDG News ServiceMunich Bureau
July 16, 1999, 08:22
MUNICH (07/16/99) - U.S. vendors have made big gains in Europe`s PC arena, but regional and local companies still have a large share of the market, according to a recent report by market-research company IT Europa.
The IT Europa report, "PC Assemblers in Europe: The Top 400," covers the top players in 38 countries, and provides revenues and unit sales for 400 companies. The report, published annually, costs 675 pounds (US$1,058).
An assembler is a company that puts together computer components and then sells the finished product to a reseller. Most PC companies act as both manufacturers and assemblers.
U.S. vendors Compaq Computer Corp., IBM Corp. and Dell Computer Corp were the three largest assemblers in Europe in 1998, IT Europa said, followed by Hewlett Packard Corp., Siemens AG and Fujitsu Ltd. In spite of that, roughly 47 percent of Europe`s PC market is controlled by regional and local assemblers, the report said.
Multinational vendors have made better progress in Northern Europe than elsewhere in Europe, according to Mark Russell, the report`s author. In Eastern Europe, U.S. vendors are going against assemblers using cheap, smuggled components from Asia, Russell said. "IBM and Compaq can`t compete with that," Russell said.
In Southern Europe, consumers` buying habits are still very much focused on "mom-and-pop" assemblers, Russell said. That includes regional players such as Italian assembler Olidata Spa and Solbi in Portugal.
Growing domestic markets are creating a need for what IT Europa calls "a new breed of assembler." These companies sell large volumes of PCs to discount retail chains such as Dixons Group PLC in the U.K., Carrefour in France or Mediamarkt in Germany. Three such assemblers are Continental Edison, PC Science and Medion.
IT Europa, (formerly called PC Europa) in Colchester, the U.K., can be reached here.
Nicht mehr ganz neu aber als Orientierungshilfe ganz ok
sunseeker