China-based Lenovo, the company that bought IBM’s PC business, today announced that, based on current trends, it is likely to overtake US-based Dell as the World’s second largest PC manufacturer by the end of 2011.
Lenovo had broken into the top 3 after a long struggle in in the first quarter of this year, as Taiwanese competitor Acer Corp struggled with a decline in netbook sales and other distribution issues.
While Acer fell to around 11% market share, Lenovo’s share had risen to more than 12%. Acer had been a consistent number two, after having overcome Dell in 2008 to take the place.
With Acer’s fall, Dell had moved from number 3 to number 2 and Lenovo, from 4 to number 3.
According to the latest Gartner numbers, HP had a clear lead with 17.5% of global PC shipments (units), followed by Dell with 12.5% and Lenovo with 12%.
With the global PC market again in turmoil and sales continuing to be affected very badly in the traditional markets of US and Europe, Asia-based Lenovo continues to have a distinct edge in growth.
It has been the fastest growing top-5 PC-maker for seven straight quarters, it pointed out. During this period, it grew 23.1%, while the market grew only 2.7%, Lenovo added.
It is already number one in emerging markets with a market share of 16.6%, in no small measure due to its base in fast-growing China, which recently overtook US to be the World’s biggest PC consumer.
PC sales in the US, for example, dipped by 5.6% year on year in the second quarter of this year, prompting Gartner to cut its global growth forecast for PCs from 9.3% to 3.8% this year.
“Based on the company’s internal metrics, combined with remarkable momentum in the market, Lenovo fully believes that it will continue to outgrow the market, outpace the competition and quickly become the second-biggest PC company by marketshare in the world,” Lenovo said in a statement.
“With our own rapid growth, combined with the successful execution of our joint venture in Japan with NEC and our acquisition of Medion in Germany, we fully expect to be number 2 in worldwide PCs this year,” said Lenovo CEO Yuanqing Yang.
ALSO SEE
Gartner slashes PC growth target from 9.3% to 3.8% due to tablets, economy
Acer hit as tablets gobble netbooks; Dell regains no. 2 rank after 2008
PC sales dip 5.6% in the US in Q2
Gartner raises 2011 IT growth forecast for the third time this year