Futuresource Higher Education PC TAM

Date Published: 30 Nov 2021

Current Market Trends

A high proportion of institutions in both North America and Western Europe reported purchasing new technology as a way of overcoming some of the difficulties presented to them by COVID-19. Non-interactive TV, flat panels and interactive whiteboards were prominent in North America, with interactive whiteboards favoured in Western Europe. Smaller items such as microphones and webcams also featured strongly in both regions. 

Desktops continued to hold a prominent position across universities, accounting for approximately two out of every five computing devices. Yet Chromebooks and tablets moved up the ranks, stealing share from laptops and MacBooks, due to portability and lower costs. 

Futuresource expects some device growth across North American and Western European higher education institutions during the next three years. Growth will be stronger across North America, particularly in smaller institutions. 

When it comes to AV, interactive flat panels had the highest coverage in lecture theatres. In classrooms and seminar rooms, where communication needs are different, standalone projectors had the highest coverage. However, at 30% coverage in North American and 28% in Western Europe, purchase decision makers still have plans to increase their holding. 

Student Information Systems were commonplace across higher education institutions, and were integral to universities and how they operate. The research also showed a shift to Learning Management Systems, with nine in ten Western European universities having an LMS in place, and just under eight in ten in North America. 

Looking to the LMS brands, PowerSchool achieved the highest penetration in North America, followed by Google Classroom. However, these brands are eclipsed by Canvas and Blackboard in Western Europe, with other players a substantial distance behind the market leaders. 

Although prevalent across both regions, Western Europe led the way for Esports clubs, which were found in nearly half of institutions. Planned investment was also high, with more than half of institutions in both regions considering investing in gamer server management, indicative of the growing importance this area is for higher education institutions. 

Contents

Number of Teaching Spaces

Impact of COVID-19

Audio-Visual Device Coverage