Definition of the Industry
The computers and peripherals industry is comprised of manufacturers of personal computers, servers, mainframes and workstations, electronic computer components, various types of peripheral equipment, and ATMs. While many of the major players in this business operate in various sectors of this industry, the primary computers and peripherals industry is defined under the SIC Code 35771. This industry is growing globally due to innovations in technology components and increased consumer spending in China, India, and Africa, and many of the major players in the industry are refocusing their marketing efforts to these places. While the U.S. market is fairly saturated and mature, new markets in developing countries …show more content…

desktop sales have declined over the past few years and notebook shipments are expected to increase to 36.9 million in 2008, up 6.7 million units from 2007.6
Increased personalization: As consumers are demanding notebook computers to keep pace with their mobile lifestyles, they are also interested in personalizing their devices to their own tastes. Plastics manufacturers for the computer hardware sector are moving to create differentiation among their products by incorporating color and interesting designs into the devices. Personalization is also taking place in the form of all-in-one systems at a receptionist's desk, smaller notebooks with built-in cellular devices, and large-screen notebooks for college students.6
''Cloud Computing'- New advances in data management have led to the development of distant servers called clouds that contain all of the information traditionally store on a computer hard-drive. This new innovation leads many to believe that there will be an emergence of low cost, “cloud-centric” machines whose data is managed on distant servers rather than the actual machine. Many say that this low cost option could threaten the business of current industry leaders like HP, Dell, and Microsoft who now offer computers with an