Server growth returns to Europe
The latest server tracker report from analyst firm IDC shows growth in the Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) market for the first time since 2008.


The server market has returned to growth for the first time since 2008, according to a tracker report released by analyst company IDC today.
IDC's server tracker for the first quarter of 2010 showed a year-on-year increase in shipments of 16.4 per cent and an increase in revenues of 7.4 per cent, taking the total market size to $3.2 billion (2.2 billion).
IDC's shipment figures weren't as positive as last week's server market figures from analyst company Gartner, which showed a rise of 23 per cent, but both indicated a similar jump in revenues.
Overall the IDC and Gartner reports showed a massive improvement in the market. 2009 had seen double-digit declines in every quarter. However, the market still hasn't returned to the success of pre-recession figures which were $4.4 billion at the end of 2008.
"Whilst it is encouraging that annual growth rates in EMEA are higher than trends recorded on a worldwide basis, the quarter-on-quarter growth data indicates this recovery is far from consolidated," said Beatriz Valle, senior research analyst in the Enterprise Server Group for IDC in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), in a statement.
In terms of types of servers, x86 products outperformed non-x86 technologies, selling double the number of units and accounting for almost 65 per cent of the revenues. But, surprisingly, blade servers performed below average.
Giorgio Nebuloni, senior research analyst in the Enterprise Server Group for IDC EMEA, said in a statement: "With a year-on-year growth of 12 per cent in units, blade servers performed slower than the market average for the first time ever, as the bulk of shipments in [the first quarter of 2010], both from mid and large enterprises, came from a huge refresh of two socket x86 rack machines."
Get the ITPro daily newsletter
Sign up today and you will receive a free copy of our Future Focus 2025 report - the leading guidance on AI, cybersecurity and other IT challenges as per 700+ senior executives
"However, [the] blade [server market] grew yearly 32 per cent in revenue against a seven per cent market average, a sign that those platforms keep attracting large enterprise investments."
As with the Gartner report, IDC showed HP as the leading company by market share, accounting for 41.5 per cent, with IBM trailing behind on 25 per cent.
Sun Microsystems now owned by Oracle saw a two per cent growth in its share but still dropped over 15 per cent of its revenue when compared to the first quarter of 2009.
Jennifer Scott is a former freelance journalist and currently political reporter for Sky News. She has a varied writing history, having started her career at Dennis Publishing, working in various roles across its business technology titles, including ITPro. Jennifer has specialised in a number of areas over the years and has produced a wealth of content for ITPro, focusing largely on data storage, networking, cloud computing, and telecommunications.
Most recently Jennifer has turned her skills to the political sphere and broadcast journalism, where she has worked for the BBC as a political reporter, before moving to Sky News.
-
The IT industry’s shift to circular, low-carbon solutions
Maximize your hardware investment and reach your sustainability goals with HP’s Renew Solutions
-
Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14 Aura Edition review
Reviews This thin and light ultraportable will draw you in with its vibrant screen – but it isn't as powerful as some of its competitors
-
IDC releases its IT industry predictions for 2021 and beyond
News IDC foretells the impact of COVID-19 on enterprises and the IT Industry in years to come
-
TechEd 2013: Microsoft sheds light on cloud skills shortages
News Joint research from Microsoft and IDC suggests 1.7 million cloud job vacancies went unfilled in 2012.
-
IDC slashes 2013 worldwide IT spending forecast
News Market watcher blames dwindling PC sales and global economic unrest for revising down spending figures.
-
Unified communications: growth, interrupted
In-depth Inside the Enterprise: UC has dropped down the list of CIO priorities, suggests IDC. Could business be missing out?
-
IDC forecasts cloud-based security boost for mobile devices
News SaaS-based device management and security market tipped for enterprise success, according to research.
-
IDC: Tablets hold key to Business Intelligence
News As the popularity of tablets surge in the consumer space, an IDC analyst claims they are the answer to BI execution in business.
-
EMEA follows suit with server success
News IDC targets its server revenue research at EMEA and the results look good.
-
Unified comms market to double by 2014
News Analysts claim the $8 billion Unified Communications market in the EMEA region will break through $16 billion in the next three years.