Ultrabooks: a hit with UK business

Sept. 27, 2012 - PRLog -- London - Figures released today by IT market research company CONTEXT, show that sales of 13.3 inch ultrabooks in the UK grew nearly six times during the month of August, compared to January this year spurred by a big drop in average selling prices. In contrast, notebook sales (13.3”) were down -12% during the same time.

A drop in average selling prices by -21% was the main driver behind the popularity of these ultrabooks.

Early ultrabook adoption had not lived up to vendors' expectation in January when ultrabooks in the 13.3inch category were priced 28% above all other 13.3inch notebooks available in the UK (through both distributors and corporate resellers). While the share of ultrabooks compared to other notebooks was at a 5% to 95% ratio in January, this ratio changed to 27%-73% in August this year.

Furthermore, CONTEXT notes that two-thirds of all ultrabooks were sold to enterprises in August, creating clear signs that this device is proving to be increasingly popular amongst business users in the UK.

“I expect sales of ultrabooks to overtake all other notebooks by mid-next year”, said Senthuran Premakumar, Enterprise Analyst at CONTEXT. “While we anticipate the use of iPads and other tablets to grow in corporate environments, we expect ultrabooks to slowly but surely replace laptops as they are increasingly proving to be the perfect business companion: affordable, lightweight, fast and portable.”

About CONTEXT
Headquartered in London with over 130 staff in 12 countries, CONTEXT specializes in tracking technology sales and pricing across the globe. With real-time data captured from a wide range of channel sources including exclusive access to Global Technology Distribution Council members, the $3 billion of sales processed each week in Europe provides the most accurate channel market information available today across a range of business and consumer technology products. CONTEXT reports and services enable our customers to assess their business operations in the light of actual sell-out figures, and make business-critical decisions based on hard data. Follow us on Twitter: @contextworld.com or visit our website: www.contextworld.com.