Could slowing PC shipments have implications for VoIP hardware?

VoIP hardware providers could be among those affected by slow growth in PC shipments.

Recent figures released by the International Data Corporation (IDC) have shown that the number of such devices shipping around the world rose by 2.7 per cent in 2011's second quarter.

This marks a significant difference from the 2.9 per cent that was previously forecast for the sector.

Western Europe saw a drop of more than 20 per cent, when compared to figures from last year, while shipments in the US declined by nearly five per cent.

Commenting on the situation, Jay Chou, a senior research analyst with Worldwide PC Tracker, predicted that growth would continue to crawl for PCs in the near future.

"While consumers have pulled back in part due to economic circumstances, consumer PCs have also suffered due to a relative lack of compelling offerings," he explained.

Similar findings were recently issued by Gartner, which found the pace of growth in the sector had been declining when compared with that of previous years.