TOKYO, December 21, 2012 — International Data Corporation (IDC) has published industry trends for the Japan server market. Among the eight industry segments (financial, manufacturing, wholesale and retail, communications and media, IT services, government, education, and others), manufacturing had the highest revenue share of 19.8% in the 2011 Japan server market, followed by financial at 18.7% and communications and media at 15.4%. These numbers represent an increase of 1.4 points for manufacturing and 2.5 points for communications and media. Conversely, financial declined by 3.1 points. A huge investment in K computer, a supercomputer manufactured by Fujitsu, was made in 2011, but was excluded as an exceptional case to understand actual industry trends.

Japan Server Revenue, Growth Rate, and Revenue Shares (Excluding the K Computer) by Industry, 2011

Figure 1

The manufacturing share of the Japan server market revenue plummeted by 16.6% after the global financial crisis in 2009. However, it began to slowly recover in 2010 and by 2011 had regained the top position in the industry breakdown. Strong investment for mainframes during the 2009–2010 period allowed the financial industry to replace manufacturing at the leading position of the revenue share. In 2011, the manufacturing industry was back on top by a margin of 1.1 points.

During 2011, communications and media recorded its highest share since 2003. Moreover, the revenue from this industry grew at a rate of 14.4% year over year, making it the strongest growth of the eight segments. Communication controls and servers for Internet businesses sold particularly well. Behind this growth was a sharp increase in Internet access due to the spread of smartphones.

Hiroyuki Tsuzuki, research manager, Server, IDC Japan said, "The 2011 Japan server market saw a steady recovery for manufacturing. In the Japan x86 server market, there was strong growth for communications and media and IT services. In both sectors, revenue shares were up by 2 points compared to 2009, placing them next only to the top-ranked manufacturing in terms of size. Of particular note is a sharp increase in x86 server capacity to respond to the rapid spread of smartphones and other mobile devices. Going forward, it will be important to differentiate from competitors by offering stronger solutions geared to specific growth segments."

Details are reported in the IDC study, Japan Server 2012–2016 Forecast and 2011 Analysis by Vertical Segment (IDC #JP1573108U). This study analyzes the 2011 Japan server market by industry segments and forecasts the market size for the 2012–2016 period. It also discusses the trends in the Japan server market and includes IDC's recommendations.

About IDC

International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. IDC helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based decisions on technology purchases and business strategy. More than 1,000 IDC analysts provide global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. For more than 48 years, IDC has provided strategic insights to help our clients achieve their key business objectives. IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world's leading technology media, research, and events company. You can learn more about IDC by visiting www.idc.com.

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