After four consecutive quarters of year-over-year volume growth, worldwide thin and terminal client shipments totalled 1,35-million units in the third quarter of 2014 (3Q14), a decline of -1,8% from the same quarter a year ago (2Q13).
This is markedly lower than the 5% growth previously forecast for the quarter, according the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Enterprise Client Device Tracker.
The slowdown coincided with the winding down of Windows XP migration projects, which had been a contributing factor as some users switched from PCs into thin client-based computing. Another factor was the delay of certain public projects, particularly in the education sector of emerging markets that contributed to the 3Q14 contraction but will positively affect 2015.
Moving forward, IDC expects the market slowdown to lead to a modest year for 2014 overall, with full-year growth of 1,2% over 2013. However, several factors, including continued penetration into key verticals such as education and financial services and the end of support for Windows Server 2003, should help the market grow steadily throughout the forecast period, culminating in shipments of just over 7,2-million units worldwide by 2018.
Thin clients continued to make up the vast majority (97%) of enterprise client devices and, despite the overall slowdown, still managed to grow 3,6% year over year in 3Q14. Terminal clients fared much more poorly, in part due to the aforementioned project delays.
Thin clients without operating systems (zero clients) saw its first year-over-year decline since the second quarter of 2009, but still held 24,6% share among the thin client segment. Zero clients are expected to resume year-over-year volume growth in 2015.