Google is dominating device sales – and Apple’s under pressure.
That’s according to president and CEO of analyst firm Canalys, Steve Brazier, who predicts that Google Android is set to become the operating system of choice within the enterprise.
“It’s mainly consumer today but with such dramatic numbers shipping, it’s just a matter of time before this becomes the standard in the enterprise too,” he told attendees at the Canalys Channels Forum today in Barcelona.
“This year, 57 percent of devices will ship on Google Android [with] Windows falling to 23 percent, Apple to 17 percent. This is a dramatic transformation in the industry…we expect Google to continue gaining market share rapidly.”
Brazier adds that “Apple is under pressure again, like it was 20 years ago when the PC came in with prices underneath the Mac. Now the same is happening with Android…Apple needs to react and there’s no sign they recognise the challenge that they face.
“Be very prepared. It will become an enterprise operating system.”
Brazier also predicts that in Q4 of this year there will be more tablets shipped than notebooks for the first time – although this may lead to what he describes as “a huge inventory build-up” leading to “a lot of fire sales post-Christmas, which could be a worry.”
Elsewhere, the analyst said the PC industry should see significant consolidation within the next 12 months. “There are too many tier one PC vendors in the Wintel world to survive,” he states. “We expect mergers and acquisitions to happen.”
