With multi-core processors making their appearance in the mainstream, Microsoft`s upcoming Vista operating system being delayed for a fourth time and Apple Computer beginning to use Intel processors in its desktop and notebook platforms, corporate buyers are finding it increasingly difficult to make `safe` decisions that will support their future IT strategies.
"To a great degree, however, much of what`s being bandied about the market today is hype," says Andre Wollheim, HP product manager at Tarsus Technologies. "In this kind of environment, it`s more important than ever for decision-makers to keep their eye on the ball."
Wollheim says this means observing the market trends, gauging what the demands are in their own organisations and not being swept up in the excitement of cutting-edge developments being made on the technology front.
"That said, however, if the developments being made at the forefront of technology hold tangible benefits in terms of satisfying the organisation`s demands, they must be considered.
"Overall, a couple of trends hold true for 2006. These are the factors that corporate buyers should keep in mind when making their future buying decisions," he says.
First up, Wollheim says there`s tangible evidence that AMD is becoming a stronger force in the market.
"This processor brand is gaining a great deal of mindshare with leading computer vendors, and corporates should be seriously considering looking at AMD-based alternatives, as they are truly competitive in the price/performance ranks.
"So far, we`ve noticed that when corporates buy, they either purchase entry-level computers for the great majority of their workforce, or top-end machines for their knowledge workers. Until now, Intel`s Celeron was the entry-level choice," Wollheim reports. "But now by choosing an AMD-powered computer, corporates can keep their capital spending in line with what it was before, but at the same time they can benefit from additional performance.
"It`s really something that`s worth a second look," he opines.
The second trend in terms of priority, Wollheim says, should be the storage capacities being demanded by the market. "With more of the workforce going mobile, these demands are changing. Mobile warriors need all of their data stored locally so that they can continue being productive while out of the office.
We`re seeing massive strides in mobile storage capacities coming to the fore, with capacities as high as 160GB now plausible in a mobile computer. For this reason, when corporates next upgrade their notebook fleets, they must bear the available drive capacities in mind," he advises.
The third consideration, Wollheim says is the fact that there`s an increasing demand for memory in the corporate sector. "Currently the minimum RAM specification for running Windows XP is 256MB, with 512MB recommended. When Microsoft releases its upcoming Vista platform, which was recently delayed until the beginning of 2007, the recommended specification will shift to 2GB of RAM.
"Corporates will still be able to manage with 512MB or even 256MB, but a far higher capacity is recommended."
Fourthly, Wollheim says corporates must consider the growing popularity of flat panel displays.
"There are various reasons for this shift," Wollheim opines. "For starters, CRT displays are harmful to the user`s eyes. Flat panels deliver far less eyestrain because they are flicker-free. They also take up less desk space and look more professional; important things to remember, considering there`s a strong move in the market towards more ergonomic offices.
"Currently 20% of the screens being sold with machines are LCDs and there`s a strong indication that should pricing become more attractive, a massive shift will take place in the market."
The last area of consideration, says Wollheim, is multimedia. "While I see little activity in optical storage, where I do see a growth trend happening is in the multimedia reader space. With the proliferation of digital cameras, PDAs and MP3 players in the market, there`s a definite trend towards multimedia-card reading capabilities on the desktop and notebook front.
"This trend is so strong in fact, that I believe corporates should make these devices a requirement when buying their next fleet of computers," he concludes.
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With 21 years of experience in the ICT industry, Tarsus is the leading value-added distributor in South Africa, specialising in the supply of the world`s foremost PC and peripheral hardware brands to the local reseller channel.
Tarsus strives to meet the channel`s needs for credit funding, stock availability and efficient logistics, ensuring that resellers are able to deliver the highest quality service to their customers, focus on support and compiling the best overall solutions for their end-user customer base at the lowest possible cost.
The company prides itself on its flexibility, adaptability, knowledge, skills and successful track record combined with an industry-leading ability to manage large rollouts. These are the reasons Tarsus has consistently been rated as the top distributor in the country by international vendors, resellers and the IT media alike.
With its strong commitment to the South African channel, Tarsus is able to not only make the reseller channel more efficient, but more importantly, it plays a vital role in dramatically reducing the costs of doing business in the local ICT market.
Brands represented by the Tarsus stable include industry leaders like Acer, Cisco, HP, IBM, Lenovo, Oki, Samsung, TallyGenicom, Targus and Wyse Technology.
More information about Tarsus is available at http://www.tarsus.co.za.
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