The education market will shore up projector sales despite restrictions on government budgets, according to Pacific Media Associates (PMA).
The market information organisation specialises in front projectors and claims this year will see 10.4 million shipments worldwide. This represents a growth of 22% over 2010. By 2015 PMA expects worldwide unit shipments to reach 39.4 million units.
Growth is naturally slowing as an increasingly mature market becomes saturated. However, certain technological features and product segments such as pico projectors are buoying shipments.
The Mainstream (500 to 4999 lumens) segment, including projectors used in classrooms, corporations, and homes, is expected to reach nearly 8 million units in 2011 and 12 million by 2015. Despite more austere government budgets around the world, education tenders, particularly in emerging markets, remain a healthy growth engine for the mainstream projector market.
The High-End range, including models used for large auditoriums, digital cinema, and simulation and visualisation, is expected to grow from about 200,000 units in 2011 to about 430,000 units in 2015, a compound annual growth rate of 21%. Developed markets are seeing a rapid uptake of new widescreen high-end models while sales of high-end models in emerging markets is paralleling economic development and making upside demand quite good.