This IDC study analyzes and summarizes the dynamics associated with the hard disk drive industry, including its vendors and other industry participants, for 2006. In addition, various metrics (e.g., vendor share, revenue, interface, heads/drive, and ASPs) specific to each class of disk drive and the relative impacts to the industry are discussed and summarized. Finally, near-term expectations of demand, vendor behavior, and any significant industry dynamics are discussed, as are actions for industry participants to consider.

"The HDD industry posted its fifth straight year of double-digit percentage unit growth and set a new record for unit shipments in 2006," according to John Rydning, IDC's research manager for Hard Disk Drives. "Unfortunately, HDD industry participants will likely remember 2006 as being a year of aggressive price erosion and for being the $30-billion-revenue year that wasn't."