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NewswireToday - /newswire/ -
Dunstable, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom, 06/23/2011 - The Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) market continues to gain momentum, growing by 15% last year to reach total revenues of US$1.4 billion, according to a new market report from Futuresource Consulting - Futuresource-Consulting.com
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"Over 3.6 million IWBs have now been installed globally, with the technology taking a secure hold within the education sector," says Colin Messenger, Senior Consultant at Futuresource. "And there is still a huge opportunity available here - world classroom penetration has just tipped 9%, which means there are still more than 30 million classrooms across the globe without a board. The demand is there and the future prospects are first-rate."
In its recently-released quarterly report, Futuresource reveals that EMEA will be the biggest IWB region from 2012 onwards, with strong expectations of multiple government tenders during the year and sales gaining traction in many countries across the region.
Looking to the US, there have been challenges to budgets and reductions in funding. Although over its sales peak, the US is still a very important market, with classroom penetration levels at 35%, which is half the UK figure.
"Despite the budget restrictions faced by the US, there is still plenty of room for growth and we're predicting a strong market for at least the next four years," says Messenger. "Although federal government will no longer stimulate the economy, local school districts can raise money for technology funding. As with the world tenders we track, there seems to be no direct link between a district's economic prosperity and the investment in school spending."
There have been two significant acquisitions in the last quarter, namely DYMO / Mimio buying Headsprout and Pearson buying Schoolnet. Both these purchases highlight the desire for the leading players to build the education focus of their businesses. This is a major differentiator and sets them aside from a manufacturer who is just producing hardware.
"In this current economically unsure world, education is a beacon that remains universally valued across the globe," says Messenger.
Futuresource Consulting (futuresource-consulting.com) is a specialist research and knowledge-based consulting company, providing its clients with expertise in consumer electronics, digital imaging, entertainment media, broadcast, optical manufacturing, storage media and IT.
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