This IDC study (a translation of the Japanese document IDC #J12220105) analyzes the shipment performance of the Japan server market in 2011 (January–December), and forecasts the market size from 2012 to 2016.

The Japan server market in 2011 achieved its first positive revenue growth since 2001 due to the impacts of K Computer. "The Japan server market growth in 2011 is negative when K Computer effects are removed. Actually, this market is still shrinking. The Great Eastern Japan Earthquake, EU's economic crisis, and appreciating yen have caused cost-reduction awareness toward IT spending to intensify among user companies in 2011. On the other hand, they also caused the importance and necessity of disaster recovery and business continuity planning to be widely recognized. In addition, server spending on Internet-related businesses is favorable due to the diffusion of smartphones. Server vendors are required to introduce server business innovations, in order to adapt themselves to these changes in the rapidly declining market environment," says Hiroyuki Tsuzuki, Server Research Manager, IDC Japan.