Only 13 Percent of SMBs Plan to Buy Netbooks
The VAR Guy is using his new netbook to write this blog entry. But he’s feeling a little lonely, because only 13 percent of small and midsize businesses plan to purchase netbooks, according to survey results from Spiceworks Inc. The survey results also reveal some key SMB trends involving notebook, desktop, server and printer hardware purchasing plans. Here’s the scoop.
First, let’s start with the netbook craze: Is it purely a consumer phenomena? Or are netbooks moving into the small business and corporate worlds? Based purely on The VAR Guy’s anecdotal experience, our resident blogger knows at least one corporate niche where netbooks are selling like crazy. Indeed, B2B bloggers are embracing netbooks by the boatload because the small, lightweight devices make it easy to blog live from conferences.
But perhaps bloggers are an exception to the netbook sales rule. Only 13 percent of SMBs have their eyes on netbooks, according to survey results published by Spiceworks. The survey, conducted in Q3 2009, involved more than 1,000 IT professionals.
Oh, and the survey did reveal some other key SMB spending trends. Such as:
- Small and medium businesses are squeezing an extra year out of their hardware. The average planned lifespan of hardware, which includes desktops, laptops and servers, increased 26 percent from 40 months to 50 months.
- Despite using hardware for a longer period of time,68 percent of SMBs plan to add new hardware to their networks within the next six months. Among hardware purchasing priorities, 56 percent plan to buy desktops, 55 percent plan to purchases laptops, 45 percent plan new server purchases, 31 percent plan to add printers, and 27 percent plan to add new network devices.
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Seems super low. When I travel, I think 5% already have them. Of course it’s 5% of traveler, not 5% of the total population.
Karlp: The number seems super-low to The VAR Guy as well. But our resident blogger has a warped sense of the world. He spends too much time hanging out at IT trade shows … where netbooks increasingly are the norm among attendees, reporters and bloggers.
Makes sense to me. A netbook has two advantages: price and portability. For those two advantages, you pay with a host of disadvantages: smaller hard driver, weaker processor, not having Microsoft’s latest flagship OS (ok, I don’t see that as a disadvantage, but we’re not talking about me), awkward keyboard, smaller screen, no optical drive, etc. etc.
Any one of those disadvantages could be a deal-killer for the SMB. Price is only a motivator if the equipment gets the job done. Portability is meaningless if employees don’t leave the company campus.
Alan: Great summary. The one “advantage” The VAR Guy would add is “simplicity.” Many netbooks — at least the well-designed ones — are so darn easy to use.
I disagree. I sell hundreds of Netbooks every month, and all over the globe. You should research a little bit more. Even Mexico, has a demand for purchasing about $20 million worth of Netbooks, within the next 2 months! I travel to almost 70 countries a year, and the demand is very strong globally.
SJ: The VAR Guy welcomes constructive criticism. Please keep him posted as you spot Netbook trends during your global travels…
Hey I am old enough to remember when cell phones were few and far between in business. Now that the phone companies are selling netbooks with built in cellular connectivity it becomes the “NEXT” cellphone for business users, especially those (like myself) with fat fingers or suffer from BlackBerry Thumb Syndrome” and need reading glasses that find Blackberrys hard to use.
In this case it will be the users and service providers that will drive the adoption, not companies. And lest we forget about Cloud Computing, who needs a full blown laptop, back to the days of the dumb terminal. All I have to say to those companies that are attached to laptops is grow up and look at the cost benefits of moving to cloud based services and netbooks as business enablers.
Moe: Where have you been all of The VAR Guy’s life? Two great comments in a matter of minutes. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. The VAR Guy agrees: Netbooks are a service provider’s dream. And they should also help to propel cloud computing forward.
Great technology. I know it’s
Great technology. I know it’s still on its progress. http://www.protect-o.com