IBM’s server market lead over HP grows

U.S. computer group International Business Machines widened its market share lead over rival Hewlett-Packard Co in worldwide server shipments in the second quarter, researcher IDC said on Wednesday.
IBM had a market share of 33.2%, up from 31.1% a year earlier, with Hewlett Packard coming in second with 27.4%, down from 28.3%. Dell and Sun Microsystems followed with 12.5% and 11.2% of the market, respectively.
Overall global server shipments rose 11% in the second quarter, IDC said.
The market research firm forecast a slowdown in demand for servers in the second half of 2008, however.
"The pricing challenges many OEMs experienced … is a concern as it may foreshadow a slowdown in market demand as enterprise budgets face further scrutiny in the second half of 2008," the firm said in a statement.
IDC said overall growth in servers was driven by strong demand for blade, Unix system and IBM System z servers.