Gartner: Server Market Grew in 3Q

The consultant said total server shipments around the globe reached 1.1 million during the third quarter of 2002, compared with 1.07 million units for the same period in 2001.

HP maintained a 30 percent market share, Gartner said. While still in the top spot, HP's share dropped from the combined 32.5 percent calculated for the same period a year ago.

However, Dell's market share grew from 16.8 percent during the third quarter in 2001 to 19.2 percent this year. IBM's share of the worldwide server market also dropped, from 14.5 percent to 13.9 percent, Gartner said.

Sun Microsystems, which has been beset by sluggish sales and a stock price hovering at less than $3 per share, did get good news in the quarter. Gartner said Sun's server market share worldwide grew from 5.4 percent to 6.2 percent.

Gartner also advised that the overall market growth numbers should be read cautiously, alluding to the soft market that persisted last year in the wake of Sept. 11, 2001.

In the United States, Dell maintained its top standing in server market share, at 26.3 percent, compared with 23.3 percent for the third quarter of 2001, Gartner said. HP remained in second place in the United States, with a market share that fell from 29.2 percent to 25.9 percent, year over year.

IBM's U.S. server market share grew from 11.3 percent to 11.7 percent, as it remained in third place, according to Gartner.

Overall U.S. server shipments grew by 12.2 percent in the third quarter on a year-over-year basis, Gartner said.