Preference tor tablets, smartphones reducing PC sales
The signs are clear. Consumer preference for tablets and smartphones is expected to reduce PC sales this year.
The last IDC Asia/Pacific Quarterly PC Tracker report states that PC sales in the Philippines are expected to decline by as much as 15% year-on-year based on 1st quarter 2013 industry records. Sales of touchscreen Windows 8 notebooks have picked up but consumer interest in these products will not be enough to lift PC sales.
“Despite the improvement in consumer PC shipments, IDC expects vendors to find it difficult to match their year-on-year sales in 2013,” says Juan-Jin Ng, Market Analyst for Client Devices Research at IDC Asia/Pacific.
“Mini-notebooks which were a significant volume driver in 2012 are being phased out this year. The market has yet to identify a replacement form factor which can match the price and popularity of mini-notebooks,” he explains.
IDC has consequently lowered its forecast for the Philippines PC market. Daniel Pang, ASEAN Research Manager for Client Devices at IDC Asia/Pacific comments, “The onslaught of entry-level tablets and smartphones are expected to have an adverse impact on the PC market in the upcoming quarters. Tablets like ASUS’ MemoPad, and smartphones like Cherry Mobile’s Candy TV are bound to attract end users, especially with telco subsidies making these devices even cheaper to own.”
Philippine Update – IATA e-AWB / e-Freight / ACC3
IATA Philippines is currently very active in developing stakeholder awareness in preparation for electronic airway bill (e-AWB) and e-Freight implementation in the Philippines. A Philippine e-Freight working group (EFWG) was formed last March composed of representatives from airlines, ground handling agents, freight forwarders, and IT service providers. Its latest activity this month was to conduct a detailed process flow analysis of AWB processing in NAIA. The EFWG report will soon be presented to the Bureau of Customs.
IATA also recently conducted an awareness forum on ACC3 for Philippine airfreight industry stakeholders. ACC3 stands for Air Cargo or Mail Carrier operating into the Union from a Third
Country Airport and is a designation required by the European Union in order for these carriers to fly air cargo into or through the EU.
By July 1, 2014, carrier stations in third countries will be required to have undergone an audit that should be conducted by an independent validator and the report has to ultimately be approved and accredited by an EU state to obtain an EU Aviation Security Validation to acquire or maintain ACC3 designation. This validation needs to be reissued every five years.
Leo V. Morada is a domain expert on IT applications in Philippine port operations with 25 years’ senior IT management experience implementing technology solutions in port operations, electronic transactions with customs & port authority, and air/sea port community system applications. He is CEO of Cargo Data Exchange Center, Inc, a customs-accredited value added service provider. He can be contacted at lmorada3f1@yahoo.com.