Windows XP Support Ending in 2014 Would Have No Impact on Device Sales—Gartner Says

Analyst firm Gartner Inc. has refuted a recent claim made by International Data Corporation (IDC) that predicted a boost in commercial PC sales in EMEA because businesses and consumers would be looking forward to upgrading their machines from Windows XP. In April 2014, Microsoft would no longer be providing support for Windows XP. The looming end of Windows XP support would only pose a slight, if any, impact on the sales of mobile phones, PCs, and tablets, according to Gartner.

IDC believed that the eventual shift away from Windows XP would drive more businesses than consumers to go for a hardware upgrade. Gartner, however, said that the firm’s analysis of the PC and tablet market showed that majority of companies had already switched to Windows 7 or Windows 8.

“The end of Windows XP support in 2014 is not expected to impact device sales, as... 90 percent of large enterprises have either migrated or are migrating to Windows 7 or Windows 8,” Gartner said.

Gartner also disputed a claim made by Canalys on the wearable computing trend. Canalys predicted that the sales of smartwatches alone would soar 900 percent in 2014.

Wearable technology would only serve to supplement mobile devices and would not initially transform the tech industry, according to Gartner. The analyst firm expected that by 2017, less than one percent of consumers would give up and exchange their mobile phones for a combination of wearable devices.

“For wearables to be successful, they need to add to the user experience by complementing and enhancing what other devices already offer,” said Carolina Milanesi, research vice president at Gartner. “In the short term, we expect consumers to look at wearables as ‘nice to have’ rather than a ‘must have,’ leaving smartphones to play the role of our faithful companion throughout the day.”

Gartner estimates that global shipments of devices – including mobile phones, PCs, and tablets – are expected to total 2.32 billion units at the end of 2013. This is an increase of 4.5 percent compared to last year’s shipments. Shipments of PCs will decline 11.2 percent annually to 303 million units. Mobile phone shipments, on the other hand, are expected to increase 3.7 percent annually to 1.8 billion units. (KOM) Link.