Business
Asian demand for tablets and laptops insatiable

PHUKET: Southeast Asia’s internet infrastructure has improved by leaps and bounds, spurring the increasingly connected society to seek gratification for instant connectivity via portable devices such as tablets and laptops.
In the last 12 months, demand for both devices grew to hit combined sales of nearly 14.2 million units across six of the region’s key markets – Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Philippines – reflecting a 32% growth in volume sales compared to the previous year.
Both the laptop and tablet markets in this region reported a surge in sales, albeit at significantly differing level of growth. Although laptops continued to make up more than half the combined sales volume at 57%, the segment’s growth rate for Southeast Asia stood at 4%, whereas the fast growing tablet segment doubled in volume demand (101%) in the June 2012 to May 2013 period, compared to this same period the year before.
“Consumers in the region’s developing markets eager to get their hands on the latest tablets and laptops spurred the overall market’s strong double digit growth rate in the range of 11% to 54%,” commented Gerard Tan, Account Director for Digital Technology at GfK Asia. “However, it is mainly the tablet market which has been the key growth propeller with four of the six countries reporting more than two-fold incremental sales volume.”
Indonesia is the largest tablet market, accounting for nearly 1.3 million units or over a third of total tablet sales volume in the region, with consumers there snapping up one in every three units of all tablets sold across the six markets. Compared to the previous year, demand for tablets in the country surged by 141% in the latest one year period. However, the most robust market appears to be the Philippines where the tablet take-up rate in the last 12 months grew at 322%.
Nearly 455,000 of these devices flew off the shelves in June 2012 to May 2013.
“It is worth highlighting that cost of tablets in all of the markets have dipped significantly over the past year, averaging at around 27% throughout the region,” observed Tan.
“Not surprisingly, the competitive marketplace is inundated with countless international and local brands and models, 180 brands across Southeast Asia last year to be precise, giving consumers a wide variety of options that can suit any type of budget.”
For instance, Indonesia and Thailand carry over 60 tablet brands in their respective local markets, availing consumers in the country around 300 models to choose from. Not surprising, prices of tablets are also lowest here, selling at an average price of US$357 and US$408, respectively. On the other hand, in Singapore where there are only around 29 brands, the average tablet price was highest last year at US$525.
Meanwhile laptop sales continued to surge in Indonesia and Thailand by 17% and 16% respectively, while the Philippines and Singapore fell into the negative growth range.
“Laptops are definitely facing stiff competition from tablets as they present a possibly more inexpensive and comparable option for consumers seeking a slightly larger portable smart device with stronger capabilities than smartphones,” said Tan. “However, laptops have their own unique functions and are able to perform tasks which tablets may not be able to, so both products have their own unique space in the market.”
Moving forward, we can anticipate a more vibrant and competitive marketplace as manufacturers of both products come out with newer and more innovative features to vie for the consumer dollar,” Tan concluded.
Keep checking the Gazette’s business pages for the latest local and national business news updates affecting Phuket and Thailand. Alternatively, join our Facebook fan page or follow us on Twitter.
— GfK
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Business
Governments & old media versus social media – who will win? | VIDEO

We look at the recent changes made by the Australian and Indian governments to except control over the world’s biggest social media platforms. India has issued strict new rules for Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms just weeks after the Indian government attempted to pressure Twitter to take down social media accounts it deemed, well, anti social. There is now an open battle between the rise of social media platforms and the governments and ‘old’ media that have been able to maintain a certain level of control over the ‘message’ for the last century. Who will win?
The rules require any social media company to create three roles within India… a “compliance officer” who ensures they follow local laws; a “grievance officer” who addresses complaints from Indian social media users; and a “contact person” who can actually be contacted by lawyers and other aggrieved Indian parties… 24/7.
The democratisation of the news model, with social media as its catalyst, will continue to baffle traditional media and governments who used to enjoy a level of control over what stories get told. The battles of Google and Facebook, with the governments of India and Australia will be followed in plenty of other countries as well.
At the root of all discussions will be the difference between what governments THINK social media is all about and the reality about how quickly the media landscape has changed. You’ll get to read about it first, on a social media platform… probably on the screen you’re watching this news story right now.
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Business
The social media giants in battle with ‘old’ media and world governments | VIDEO

“The rules signal greater willingness by countries around the world to rein in big tech firms such as Google, Facebook and Twitter that the governments fear have become too powerful with little accountability.”
India has issued strict new rules for Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms just weeks after the Indian government attempted to pressure Twitter to take down social media accounts it deemed, well, anti social.
The rules require any social media company to create three roles within India… a “compliance officer” who ensures they follow local laws; a “grievance officer” who addresses complaints from Indian social media users; and a “contact person” who can actually be contacted by lawyers and other aggrieved Indian parties… 24/7.
The companies are also being made to publish a compliance report each month with details about how many complaints they’ve received and the action they took.
They’ll also be required to remove ‘some’ types of content including “full or partial nudity,” any “sexual act” or “impersonations including morphed images”
The democratisation of the news model, with social media as its catalyst, will continue to baffle traditional media and governments who used to enjoy a level of control over what stories get told.
The battles of Google and Facebook, with the governments of India and Australia will be followed in plenty of other countries as well.
At the root of all discussions will be the difference between what governments THINK social media is all about and the reality about how quickly the media landscape has changed. You’ll get to read about it first, on a social media platform… probably on the screen you’re watching this news story right now.
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Never miss out on future posts by following The Thaiger.
Business
Turbulence ahead for Thailand’s aviation industry | VIDEO

When the airlines, in particular, were asking the government to put their hands in their pockets for some relief funding in August last year, it was genuinely thought that international tourists would be coming back for the high season in December and January. At the very least local tourists and expats would head back to the skies over the traditional holiday break. And surely the Chinese would be back for Chinese New Year?
As we know now, none of that happened. A resurge in cases started just south of Bangkok on December 20 last year, just before Christmas, kicking off another round of restrictions, pretty much killing off any possibility of a high season ‘bump’ for the tourist industry. Airlines slashed flights from their schedule, and hotels, which had dusted off their reception desks for the surge of tourists, shut their doors again.
Domestically, the hotel business saw 6 million room nights in the government’s latest stimulus campaign fully redeemed. But the air ticket quota of 2 million seats still has over 1.3 million seats unused. Local tourists mostly skipped flights and opted for destinations within driving distance of their homes.
As for international tourism… well that still seems months or years away, even now.
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