Monday Morning Impact – January 27

Published On: January 26, 2025Categories: Buzz

IDC: PC Market Saw Slight Growth in 2024

PC shipments during the fourth quarter of 2024 grew 1.8% from the prior year with global volumes reaching 68.9 million shipments, according to International Data Corporation (IDC). For the full year, PC vendors shipped 262.7 million PCs, up 1% from 2023. But looking ahead to 2025, IDC says the PC industry has several tailwinds and headwinds, which makes for a challenging outlook and difficult demand planning.

“Though the market has been experiencing a slower return to growth, there was some room for optimism in Q4 as government subsidies in China led to better than expected performance within the consumer segment,” said research manager Jitesh Ubrani. “Beyond that, the US and some European countries also showed strong performance due to end-of-year sale promotions, as well as enterprises continuing on the path of upgrading hardware before the end of support for Windows 10 which is scheduled for October 2025.”

The approaching administration change in the US along with the threat of new and increased tariffs have elevated the level of concern across the industry, with some brands looking to get ahead of the uncertainty. Supply side research showed some pull-in during December, largely from those brands that have limited manufacturing capacity outside of China, presumably as a preventative measure around US tariffs on goods made in China. However, so far this movement has been relatively minimal.

“The overall macroeconomic concerns seem to be overshadowing some of the progress and excitement around AI PCs. However, we maintain the view that the impact that on-device AI will have on the industry will be positive, even if the inflection point is delayed,” said IDC group vice president Ryan Reith. “When the industry is trying to push new AI PCs that come with higher cost at a time when use cases are still being vetted and budgets are tight, that is clearly going to be a challenge. But on-device AI for PCs is inevitable, therefore, right now it is about suppliers trying to be patient as their customers are dealing with headwinds unrelated to these technology advancements.”

Channel Impact®
Partners will likely see a business environment in which customers may see the benefits of upgrades while at the same time seeking to hedge their bets amidst the unfolding economic conditions.

CompTIA: Tech Industry Ends Year with Uptick in Hiring

Tech hiring increased during the latest jobs data release, resulting in a corresponding decrease in the tech unemployment rate, according to CompTIA’s analysis of recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) The BLS data reveals the tech unemployment rate dropped to 2% in December, the lowest level since November 2023. The national unemployment rate was essentially unchanged at 4.1% for the month.

The base of tech employment throughout the economy increased by a net new 7,000 positions. In the aggregate the core tech workforce totals nearly 6.5 million workers.

Employment within the technology industry sector, encompassing all types of workers, declined by 6,117 jobs. Positions in PC, semiconductor and components manufacturing accounted for the bulk of the cuts. The tech sector employs nearly 5.6 million people, which translates to a percentage decline of 1%.

There were 434,415 active employer job postings for tech positions in December, including 165,189 newly added during the month. Both totals were down from November. Positions in software development and engineering, IT project management, cybersecurity, data science and analysis and tech support had the most activity.

Employers listed open positions at all career levels. Among postings that specified a work experience requirement, 22% sought candidates with 0-3 years of experience; 28% of openings sought workers with 4-7 years of experience; and 16%, 8 years or more.

Across all tech occupations 45% of December job postings did not specify a four-year degree requirement for applicants. Openings for network support specialists (85%), tech support specialists (72%) and computer programmers (54%) had notably higher percentages.

Channel Impact®
The data suggest some degree of cautious optimism within the tech industry.

TD Synnex Opens Innovation Studio with IBM

TD Synnex has announced the grand opening of its new North American Innovation Studio in partnership with IBM. The companies’ shared objective is to provide a dynamic space that supports digital and business transformation by connecting partners with advancing technologies like AI, data, automation and hybrid cloud in a hands-on environment.

“The Innovation Studio is a powerful resource that empowers our partners to tackle the complexities of today’s technology landscape,” said Mark Martin, VP of Global Data & AI at TD Synnex. “By fostering a collaborative environment, the studio enhances partners’ technical expertise and optimizes their go-to-market strategies around high-growth areas like AI, hybrid cloud and automation. This is just one way we are making AI tangible for partners and helping them leverage platforms like IBM watsonx to achieve their business goals.”

The studio builds on TD Synnex’s IBM watsonx Gold 100 program, which equips partners to achieve IBM’s Gold-tier partner status through specialized technical, sales, and marketing enablement for watsonx solutions. More than 50 partners have enrolled in the program since announcing in May 2024 and are utilizing the new space for additional enablement, sales and training opportunities.

“Partners are the key to accelerating clients’ AI-powered goals,” said David La Rose, general manager of ‘IBM Ecosystem, Sell.’ “Through our collaboration with TD Synnex, we’re enabling partners to develop deep expertise and hands-on training of our data and AI portfolios to help accelerate their enterprise AI goals through IBM watsonx and our other technology innovations. This is another way that the IBM Ecosystem is creating opportunities and value for partners and clients.”

Located in TD Synnex’s Clearwater, Florida, headquarters, the new Innovation Studio is intended to provide IBM watsonx workshops and training; solution demos and sales pitches; webinars and events; and various collaborative sessions.

Channel Impact®
With a dedicated space for partners to explore and demo IBM solutions, such as watsonx, the distributor intends to simplify access to new technologies and provide comprehensive support, pre- and post-sale.

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