Experts and analysts forecast the information technology (IT) market will continue to face difficulties and challenges next year. Consumers would be reluctant to open their wallets while enterprises will have to reconsider investment in IT infrastructure, slowing down the development of the market.
A recent survey by IDC market research firm shows that the domestic computer market in the third quarter grew by 11 percent against the preceding quarter, with 530,000 computers sold.However, this sales volume is 4 percent lower than that a year ago. Daniel Pang, Asean research manager at IDC Asia-Pacific client devices research team, explained the government must cut spending to focus on curbing inflation and restructuring the banking sector. Meanwhile, sky-high lending rates are cutting into enterprises. The outlook for the commercial computer segment in 2013 is grim. In addition, cell phones, tablets, cameras and camcorders will likely face the same gloomy situation, said Pang. Dinh Anh Huan, managing director of mobile phone retail chain Thegioididong.com, said the cell phone market was not so satisfactory in November, with purchasing power falling by 3 percent. However, Thegioididong.com recorded a 3 percent rise in sales volume thanks to its promotion.“The IT market will continue to be sluggish next year and competition among retailers will get fiercer,” he predicted. Phan Thanh Son, chief technology officer of Cisco Systems in Vietnam, said the fact that consumers are tightening spending has great impact on IT companies. Citing the report of a reputable market research firm, he said Vietnam’s IT spending could still grow 15 percent in 2012-2013, lower than the previous period. However, mobile phones alone could achieve impressive growth of as much as 50 percent, exceeding $1 billion, while computers could grow by some 15 percent.“Compared to the previous period of strong growth, the growth rate of next year signals a challenge ahead for Vietnamese IT enterprises,” said Son.
Source: Saigon Times Daily
