IDC sees home market accepting branded PCs

BANGALORE: The branded PC market has always been shown the

door by the home segment. The unorganized assembled market enjoys the lion share

of the market in this segment. However a latest report by IDC (India) reveals

offering customized configuration with dependable after sales services throws up

wide market opportunities for the branded PC manufacturers in this sector. This

data is available in the study titled "Exploring the IT Goldmines:

Indian Homes" by IDC.

The study revealed that no configuration is liked by more

than 16 per cent of the owners thereby indicating that the liking for

configuration is very diffused. The diffused liking for configuration shows that

the PC owners’ requirements may vary from person to person. Mass customization

of configuration may have a positive impetus on sales of the branded PCs for the

home segment.

The survey found that in the market dominated by the

assembled PCs, brands do not have unique or distinguishing traits. In the

perceptual map majority of the brands were found to end up forming a single

cluster indicating that unique positioning of the brands in the category is

missing. ‘Value for money’ and ‘dependable after sales service’ as

attributes are not associated with any brand. The study also revealed that one

of the major factors for selection of brand is "service support

offered" as stated by half the PC owners.

In spite of the fact that the PC market is very "price

sensitive", there is not a single brand that is perceived to provide

"value for money", indicate that the brand marketers have not been

able to justify the price differential between the branded and the assembled PCs

to the customers.

In the opinion of IDC, the branded PC manufacturers can trade

off their high prices by adding value to their products in terms of offering

better service support, dependable after sales services to the customers.