Dell hopes for small business laptop revival

The figures from PC market analysts are depressing, but Michael Dell, at least, is expecting a sales surge as companies regain confidence. John Stokdyk reports Dell's European vice president for the small & medium business sector, Aongus Hegarty, passed on this insight from the company's founder and chairman at a recent roundtable meeting in London. The overall market figures are bleak, he acknowledged. According to IDC, unit sales among small businesses in the UK are down 14%-15%; desktop prices have fallen 20% and spending is down 30%. "There's no doubt lifecycles are increasing - typically companies that replenished their PCs every three years are now holding out for four," he noted. Approvals were also slowing from Dell's finance and leasing partners, so companies were having to defer technology buying decisions until they could better afford them. "Rather than replenishing and replacing laptops and desktops, companies are looking at smaller investments that will increase performance, for example new hard drives or additional memory," Hegarty said.