During keynote sessions at the Canalys Channel Forum, executives from both outfits shared their insights on the forces propelling the PC market forward. Lenovo, in particular, forecasts significant growth in PC sales over the next few years, spurred by the increasing adoption of AI-capable products.
Lenovo Veep Luca Rossi said that AI advancements and the migration to Windows 11 were key factors supporting hardware manufacturers. “Windows 10, end of life in October ’25 ... will drive PC substitution, change, replacement,” he said. Rossi elaborated on the positive outlook, noting that the combination of AI integration and the replacement of legacy PCs, many of which were hastily purchased during the pandemic, is working in the industry's favour. “In 2025, the market will grow between five and 10 per cent or PC, and I also see a similar value in 2026. Now, this is the PC world, but think about AI in tablets, smartphones, IoT [internet of things] devices, talking stations,” he said. “I think the revenue in the next three years, at least for the devices, is for it to grow.”
Rossi added that the enhanced specifications of AI-capable devices would drive the anticipated revenue growth. “Revenue duplication should be even higher because these devices are carrying more memory content, more SSD storage content, typically the CPU or the NPU or the silicon is a bit more expensive, so we expect [average sale prices] to be 3, 5, 7 per cent higher going forward,” Rossi added.
Microsoft’s general manager of device partner solutions sales for EMEA, Dimitra Darda, said that the shift to Windows 11 were an opportunity for Volish partners. She underscored the importance of driving awareness about the end of life support for Windows 10 to encourage customer migrations. “We are also investing a lot in the channel to create this awareness. What does it mean if they could be out of support some months from now?”
Darda outlined a three-pronged approach to support customers: helping them explore their options, working with them to find the proper devices, and planning the migration together. She stressed that while Windows 10 had been a robust operating system, users needed to transition to Windows 11 to benefit from the latest updates and enhancements in hardware, security, and software. “Windows 10 was a great operating system, but Windows 11 is where Microsoft is doing the latest on the updates, significant reviews that we have for years, and also all the enhancements that we are doing in hardware, security and software,” she said.
