Total PDA Shipments Rises, But Growth Rate Slows in '01 According to In-Stat/MDR.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 6, 2002

According to Cahners In-Stat/MDR (http://www.instat.com/) global shipments of personal digital assistants (PDAs) grew 17 percent in 2001 despite a weak global economy and continuing erosion of U.S. consumer confidence.

Total shipments reached 8 million units for the year. Even though these numbers seem positive, the high-tech market research firm reports that it represents a significant slowdown growth rate from the previous year.

According to Neil Strother, a senior wireless handset analyst with In-Stat/MDR, "Key PDA market drivers for the coming years will be more robust devices with newer and more reliable applications, backed by better wireless data and phone networks; wider use of Bluetooth and other short-range wireless technologies; and lower unit prices.

"Shipments in 2002 for PDAs will increase about 18 percent as new manufacturers enter the market and a wave of wireless functionality takes hold in a big way. The future will be all about making the PDA a more ubiquitous device and more useful to both the mobile business user and the on-the-go consumer."

In-Stat/MDR has also found that:

-- The three major customer segments for PDAs are consumer, mobile
professionals and enterprise.

-- The global long-term market forecast for PDAs is solid, with annual growth
through 2005 in the double-digit range, peaking in about 2004 at 30 percent,
and then tapering off in 2005 as the market matures.

-- The current OS leader among PDAs is clearly Palm followed by Pocket PC and
Windows CE.

The report, "Getting a Grip on PDAs: Analysis of the Personal Digital Assistant Market, Segmentation and Forecasts" (#IN020401WH), covers the vendor side of the global PDA market in addition to existing and emerging technologies. It also discusses shipments, revenue and important technological advances.

The information is organized by first a technological overview, then a discussion of the key vendors, and finally a forecast. To purchase this report, or for more information, please visit: http://www.instat.com/catalog/cat-wh.htm or contact Erin McKeighan at [e-mail] or 480/609-4551.

Cahners In-Stat/MDR (http://www.instat.com) offers a broad range of information resources and analytical assets to technology vendors, service providers, technology professionals, and market specialists worldwide. The company stands alone in its ability to integrate both supply-side and demand-side research methodologies into a single comprehensive view of technology markets and products.

This capability relies on a unique ability to cover the entire value chain from engineering-level technology, through equipment, infrastructure, services and end-users.

Cahners In-Stat/MDR is a unit of Cahners Business Information (http://www.cahners.com), a leading provider of critical information and marketing solutions to business professionals and a member of the Reed Elsevier plc group (http://www.reed-elsevier.com).