ST. PETERSBURG, FL--(Marketwire - July 28, 2010) - The Global Technology Distribution Council today announced that the IT industry recovery continues to gain strength, led by substantially stronger U.S. market sales and increased stabilization in Europe. Second-quarter U.S. hardware revenue increased sequentially 10% over the first quarter this year and by more than 20% compared to the second quarter of 2009. Second-quarter year-over-year sales in Europe increased 15% and remained in line with anticipated seasonality trends.
The GTDC's industry trend highlights are based on actual sales-out results of its members aggregated in the NPD Group's Distributor Track® in the U.S. and Context SalesWatch in Europe. GTDC members are the world's largest IT distributors, representing more than $100 billion in annual sales.
"Businesses are clearly spending more on a broad range of IT products and solutions," commented GTDC CEO Tim Curran. "Second-quarter U.S. distribution industry sales increased steadily across many product categories that are now exceeding the peak levels achieved prior to when the downturn hit in September 2008. In Europe, June sales finished up 20 percent over the same period last year."
Understanding Today's Trends from 'Peak Perspective'
Unlike other market research based on estimates instead of actual sales figures, the NPD Distributor Track and Context SalesWatch databases capture IT product sales down to the SKU level. Subscribers view many other related pricing and unit trend details that enable vendors, industry analysts and others to stay on top of key market trends. Leveraging this data, the GTDC conducted an analysis of top-performing categories today in relation to respective peak industry sales levels achieved prior to the downturn. Related details will be shared in an upcoming GTDC TechView Webcast and in media interviews upon request.
"Among other key trends, we're seeing SMB and larger enterprises invest more heavily in networking, storage and other IT infrastructure to support current and future growth," Curran said. "The range of solutions and services provided by IT distributors is also increasingly diversified, including a growing number of products that would have sold exclusively through other channels in the past."
Curran added, "Businesses are transforming -- and so is the face of IT distribution. Companies of all sizes are mobilizing their workforces in new ways while striving to improve both group and personal productivity throughout their operations. This dynamic movement is evident from both the sales-out data and product portfolios of today's leading IT distributors across the world."
GTDC Summit Helps Vendors Capitalize on Growth Drivers
The GTDC's annual Summit event, Sept. 21-22, at the Fairmont Hotel in Newport Beach, Calif., gives the IT vendor community an up-close look at distribution industry growth drivers and other critical success factors. Distributor CEOs convene with the top vendors' reseller channel executives for strategic engagement, panel discussions and drill-down into the most important industry issues and opportunities.
For more information on the GTDC, its events and IT industry trends, go to www.gtdc.org.
ABOUT THE GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY DISTRIBUTION COUNCIL
The Global Technology Distribution Council (GTDC) is a worldwide industry association dedicated to defining and promoting the role of wholesale distribution in a successful and healthy information technology channel. The Council is comprised of the computer industry's top wholesale distributors dedicated to serving "the channel," a network of skilled value-added resellers and retail stores focused on providing hardware, software, and services to businesses and consumers around the globe. GTDC members include ABC Data, AB SA (
Contact Information:
GTDC MEDIA CONTACTS:
Chuck Miller
(727) 939-1562