Twice a year, IDC's Central America Semiannual PC Tracker® provides detailed, highly segmented tracking data for PC shipments by vendor, brand, processor brand and speed, price band, user segment, and channel based on IDC's standard tracker methodology, which uses in-person interviews with vendors and channels in Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama, and an estimate for the rest of Central America. Rolling two-year semester and five-year annual forecasts are updated on a semiannual basis by form factor, country, and end-user segment, accompanied by assumptions.

Technology Coverage and Data Segmentation

This tracker provides total market size and vendor share for the following technology areas and segmentations. Measurement for this tracker is in unit shipments and end-user revenue.

Technologies and subtechnologies:

• Desktop PCs
• Notebook PCs
• Netbooks

Segmentations:

• Channels: Retail, direct inbound, direct outbound, reseller, Internet direct, telco, and other
• End-user segments: Education, government, home, small office, small business, medium-sized business, large business, and enterprise
• PC brand
• Processor type and vendor

Geographic Scope

• Latin America
• Countries: Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, El Salvador, and an estimate for the rest of Central America

Forecast Coverage

Forecasts for this tracker are updated semiannually and include one year of historical data, two years of semester forecasts, and an additional three years of annual market projections. Examples of the segmentations being forecast in this tracker include:

• Desktop PCs, notebook PCs, and netbooks
• Units and end-user value
• End-user segments: Education, government, home, small office, small business, medium-sized business, large business, and enterprise

Delivery Schedule and Deliverables

This tracker is delivered on a semiannual basis with pivot table tools. The delivery schedule for this tracker is as follows:

• Historical and forecast: First-half data — Week 17; Second-half data — Week 43
• Excel analysis tools
• PowerPoint presentations