The workstation market is thriving. In Q2, Jon Peddie Research (JPR) reported results as inspiring. In Q3, it raved about results even better than the prior quarter, record-setting in fact. In Q4, JPR took that positive commentary up another notch: If a mature market like this one can be said to have a “blowout” quarter, then this would be it.
With total shipments of around 1.23 million units, the worldwide market for workstations grew at 20.1% year-over-year (with revenue close behind at 18.6%). The quarter not only set another record in units, but the 20.1% growth is at a level the industry hasn’t seen since 2010, according to information in “Jon Peddie Research’s Workstation Report Series.”
And it’s worth noting that 2010’s growth numbers were not very representative of real conditions, since they were measured relative to levels of 2009, when virtually all markets worldwide had bottomed in the depths of the Great Recession. If we ignore 2010’s recovery, the fourth quarter’s year-over-year growth beat all previous quarters all the way back to early 2006.