Things stand a chance of stabilizing only if the state intervenes,” the President of the Association of Producers and Distributors of IT Equipment (APDETIC), Valentin Negoita, told Business Standard. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) market research company, the PC market contracted by 18.5 percent in the last quarter of 2008 compared to Q4 2007, but increased 13 percent year-on-year in 2008, to $940 million (€642.9 mln). Sales of PCs amounted to 1.08 million units, up by an annual 15 percent.
“In 2009, the entire market will certainly decline, by 10 percent in an optimistic scenario, and by more than half in a pessimistic one. This year’s evolution depends greatly on lending on the individual consumer segment, on money coming from abroad. Projects in the public sector are also an important factor this year. At the moment, there is a certain market segment which is doing well, we are talking about SMEs [small and medium-sized enterprises], and part of the consumer segment,” said Bogdan Iftemie, Sales Manager of the Acer IT equipment provider.
