Worldwide Hard Disk Drive 2006 Vendor Analysis: A Turbulent 50th Anniversary Year

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."

IDC Opinion

In This Study

Situation Overview

A Record-Breaking, Yet Disappointing Year

Strong Year for Unit Shipments

Table: Worldwide HDD Shipments by Drive Class, 2004-2007 (M)

2006 Revenue: "The $30 Billion That Could've Been"

Table: Worldwide HDD Revenue by Drive Class, 2004-2007 ($M)

Figure: Worldwide Desktop-Class 3.5in. ASP by Capacity, 3Q05-3Q06

Figure: Worldwide Mobile-Class 2.5in. ASP by Capacity, 3Q05-3Q06

Figure: Worldwide HDD Shipments and Revenue by Form Factor, 2006

50 Years of HDD Innovation Persists: Perpendicular Magnetic Recording Moves from Lab to Factory

Figure: Worldwide Desktop-Class Platters per Drive Shipped, 1Q06-4Q07

Figure: Worldwide Mobile-Class 2.5in. Platters per Drive Shipped, 2006 and 2007

HDD Form Factor Evolution and Devolution

Consumer Electronics Remains Volatile

Figure: Worldwide HDD Shipments to CE Applications by Form Factor, 1Q05-4Q06

Figure: Worldwide CE HDD Shipments by Type, 1998-2006

Personal Storage Becomes a Big Market

Figure: Worldwide HDD Terabyte Shipments by Application, 2002?2006

Enterprise-Class Drives: Challenging Transitions

Desktop-Class Drives: Big and Bigger

Mobile-Class 2.5in. Drives: Rapid Volume Growth

Mobile-Class SFF Drives: Optimism + Pessimism = Peptobismolism

Company Assessments in Aggregate

Table: Worldwide HDD Shipment Share by Supplier, 2005 and 2006 (%)

Future Outlook

2007: Islands of Stability, Fingers of Instability

Islands of Stability

Fingers of Instability

What to Expect from HDD Vendors

What to Expect from HDD Component Suppliers

Table: Hard Disk Drive Company Assessments

Essential Guidance

Learn More

Related Research

Synopsis