IT business market analysis outfit TrendForce has revealed its newest report on worldwide SSD shipments. The supply headlines with the attention-grabbing statement that international SSD shipments had been down 10.7% YoY in 2022. It additionally seems to be on the manufacturers jostling to promote probably the most models within the international rankings and among the causes behind the cargo quantity fall.
The report claims that the varied provide and demand points that had plagued the SSD business had been largely resolved in 2022. Particularly, TrendForce says that the issue with constrained SSD controller provides was resolved final yr. We should assume that provides of the opposite main part, NAND flash, had been additionally flowing with out difficulty.
Regardless of the seemingly free-flowing provides of key SSD elements, TrednForce is basing this share on its determine of 114 million SSDs being shipped throughout 2022. After all, we don’t have full-year 2023 figures but.
So, what occurred to trigger the numerous decline in SSD shipments final yr? TrendForce doesn’t handle that query instantly however does point out that the worldwide financial system remains to be struggling in 2023. Certainly, 2022 noticed the pandemic-inspired IT gross sales bubble burst (with a ensuing drop in PC gross sales), and recessionary forces like inflation and layoffs had been regularly within the information. The Russia-Ukraine conflict has additionally had impacts far past the area.
A bigger a part of TrendForce’s evaluation was of the competitors between the highest SSD makers, as evidenced by shifting market shares. It was famous that the highest 5 SSD manufacturers elevated their mixed market share from 53% to 59% from 2021 to 22. In the meantime, Kingston is clearly dominant, closing on controlling almost a 3rd of the market by itself. TrendForce says Kingston has been placing roots down within the industrial management and OEM markets to each develop and strengthen its grip. One other attention-grabbing statement is that whereas worldwide shipments had been down, Kingston and Adata managed to consolidate their market dominance.
As for 2023, TrendForce paints an image of the worldwide financial system persevering with to wrestle and the large gamers persevering with to make use of their muscle to develop. We’ve beforehand reported on the aggressive manufacturing cuts by NAND suppliers in quest of higher costs. Nonetheless, Chinese language NAND and controller suppliers may be eager to deal with any gaps left by extra established manufacturers. Making an attempt to create synthetic shortage to push market costs increased seldom pays off in a very aggressive market. TrendForce notes that there’s already proof of China’s Longsys turning into extra worldwide, with acquisitions in Brazil, for instance.
It nonetheless appears to be an excellent time for these eager to add extra SSD storage to their programs. Nonetheless, there are warning indicators that shopper SSD costs are leveling out, and even beginning to improve.