This IDC study provides detailed data and analysis of the EMEA blade market over the course of 2010, both in terms of units and revenue. It also includes market positioning and updates concerning the blade strategies of selected vendors. Analysis of drivers and inhibitors of the blade server adoption in EMEA, as well as market forecast for the blade segment for 2010–2015 are also provided.
"While shipments growth and average sales values (ASVs) showed positive trends, the blade form factor was pulled up by a general server refresh occurring in the region, as opposed to being the category dictating revenue growth. We believe that now more than ever, blade server customers in Europe are weighing up their choices about hardware architectures — density-optimized rack servers, blades, multiprocessor rack servers — as well as suppliers. 2011 will be a crucial year in this area, as competition among top vendors offering an array of architecture choices is expected to heat up in a moderately growing market," said Giorgio Nebuloni, senior research analyst in the Enterprise Server Group for IDC EMEA.