Gartner Dataquest Says Worldwide Workstation Shipments Declined For the First
Time in 2001
SAN JOSE, Calif., January 30, 2002 - Worldwide workstation shipments totaled 1.4
million in 2001, an 11.2 percent decline from 2000, according to preliminary results
from Dataquest Inc., a unit of Gartner, Inc. (NYSE: IT and ITB). In 2000, workstation
shipments surpassed 1.6 million units. The year 2001 marks the first time in the
history of the workstation market that the industry experienced a decline in shipments
from the previous year.
"The workstation market remains fundamentally weak, although it might have bottomed
out in the third quarter of 2001 after four consecutive declines," said Pia Rieppo,
principal analyst covering workstations for Gartner Dataquest's Computing Platform
Worldwide group. "The depressed economy, the lack of key new technology drivers
and cautious buying behavior have all made the workstation market recovery tough.
We believe there are still a few quarters to go before the workstation market regains
its momentum."
Dell extended its lead as the No. 1 vendor in worldwide workstation shipments, as
its market share grew to 32.4 percent (see Table 1). IBM was the only other top
5 vendor in 2001 to experience an increase in shipments from the previous year.
Table 1
Preliminary Worldwide Workstation Vendor Unit Shipment Estimates for 2001 (Units)
| Company |
2001 Shipments |
2001 Market Share
(%) |
2000 Shipments |
2000 Market Share
(%) |
Growth (%) |
| Dell |
467,120 |
32.4 |
381,673 |
23.5 |
22.4 |
| Sun Microsystems |
283,298 |
19.6 |
336,367 |
20.7 |
-15.8 |
| Compaqs |
200,715 |
13.9 |
239,236 |
14.7 |
-16.1 |
| IBM |
181,306 |
12.6 |
178,901 |
11.0 |
1.3 |
| Hewlett-Packard |
166,667 |
11.5 |
291,585 |
17.9 |
-42.8 |
| Others |
144,472 |
10.0 |
198,109 |
12.2 |
-27.1 |
| Total Market |
1,443,578 |
100.0 |
1,625,871 |
100.0 |
-11.2 |
While workstation shipments in the United States seemed to have ramped up in the
third quarter of 2001, fourth quarter preliminary results revealed a trend in the
opposite direction.
"The slight bump in the United States in the third quarter of 2001 was described
as the '9-11 bubble,' and the bubble has already burst," said Serena Hsu, industry
analyst covering workstations for Gartner Dataquest's Computing Platform Worldwide
group. "We believe U.S. shipments will fall under 160,000 units once fourth quarter
2001 numbers are finalized. The U.S. workstation market will hit a three-year low
in unit shipments if this becomes the case."
These results are preliminary. Final statistics will be available soon to clients
of Gartner Dataquest's Workstations Quarterly Statistics Worldwide program. This
program offers a comprehensive, global market information service that analyzes
and documents the workstation industry. To subscribe to this program, please call
408-468-8000. Reports can be purchased on the Internet at www.gartner.com.
Gartner Dataquest is the recognized leader in providing the high-technology and
financial communities with market intelligence for the semiconductor, computer systems
and peripherals, communications, document management, software, and services sectors
of the global information technology industry.
Gartner, Inc. is a research and advisory firm that helps more than 11,000 clients
understand technology and drive business growth. Gartner's divisions consist of
Gartner Research, Gartner Consulting, Gartner Measurement and Gartner Events. Founded
in 1979, Gartner, Inc. is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut and consists of
4,300 associates, including 1,200 research analysts and consultants, in more than
90 locations worldwide. The company achieved fiscal 2001 revenue of $952 million.
For more information, visit www.gartner.com.