If we go back, say, 10 years, we hardly had any alternative that time but to accept the (standalone) 15″ monitors as the maximum size for our works and PC entertainment. However, today’s technology takes us to even (standalone) 19″ 24″ screen size. Thus, we can get much better working experience these days. How much of this idea have the Indian resellers been able to sell?
Use of what type of monitor is more popular today? The Asia-Pacific picture is different from the Indian scenario (practically, not statistically) owing to excessive use of CRT monitors in this country even today. Are our resellers very successful in passing on the idea (to the end-users) of the great transformation to the LCD screen?
IDC’s Asia-Pacific Quarterly PC Monitor Tracker Q4 2007 report points out that the Asia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) PC monitor market totalled 54.7 million units in 2007, representing an increase of 20.4 per cent over 2006. It categorically points out that the total CRT sales posted a 37.4 per cent decline compared to 2006. Although (standalone) LCD sales in India grew by 158 per cent in 2006 over 2005, and in the quarter ended in June 2007 for the first time sale of LCD monitors crossed that of CRTs (IDC report), even today we have a big gap not only in the home & SOHO segment, but also in the business arena.
Who will bridge the gap? Obviously, the Indian resellers will have to capitalize on this opportunity. Reuben Tan, senior manager of Asia-Pacific Personal Systems Research at IDC says, “Monitor vendors often lament the growth of notebooks as a major impediment to sales. While this may be partially true, IDC believes that more can be done in conjunction with other vendors or channel partners to promote monitor bundles with other devices besides desktops, such as thin clients, or notebooks.”
Tan also conveys, “Studies have shown that dual/multiple monitor usage increases commercial productivity. Armed with this message, monitor vendors that partner with other hardware providers can evangelize to IT managers across the region, which will also help stem the decline of monitor-PC ratios.”
Thus, the indication is very clear. Channel partners have to take up an energetic initiative to deploy LCD monitors at every possible place with innovative marketing ideas.