No holding back

The performances of the leading PC suppliers in EMEA are up for scrutiny once again following the release of first quarter shipment data. So which vendors can reflect on a job well done, and which ones need to up their game?

Computer margins might not be overly attractive these days, but PC vendors can have no complaints about the level of demand for desktops and notebooks in the EMEA market.

Solid laptop demand once again drove momentum in the region during the first three months of the year as overall PC shipments grew 19% year-on-year to more than 23.4 million units.

The Middle East, along with Central and Eastern Europe, was at the heart of that growth, illustrating the role that the emerging markets are playing in the ongoing strength of the wider EMEA region.

Total sales in the CEMA territory climbed 31% during the first quarter, while notebooks alone soared 72%. "The first quarter is traditionally buoyant with new product releases, which, coupled with a strong vendor push and active marketing campaigns, stimulated accelerating notebook renewals," explained Eszter Morvay, senior research analyst at IDC.

So how did the main vendor's fare during Q1? For pure year-on-year growth, Acer stood head and shoulders above its counterparts after peddling more than 3.6 million units during the first quarter - an achievement that cemented its place as the second largest PC supplier in EMEA.

The acquisitions of Gateway and Packard Bell have clearly inspired the company, while growth of 90% in the Middle East region is testimony to its aggressive channel expansion strategy.

With the Packard Bell acquisition still in the process of going through during the first quarter, Acer will be keen to exploit the benefits of a multibrand strategy in future months as it looks to narrow HP's lead.