Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- Top takeaways
- Market overview
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- Figure 1: Total US consumer expenditures and fan chart forecast for personal computers/tablets and peripheral equipment, at current prices, 2016-26
- Impact of COVID-19 on home office and classroom technology
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- Figure 2: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on home office and classroom technology, 2021
- Opportunities and challenges: remote working and schooling present both
- Remote working and e-learning underpin home office and classroom technology needs
- Target the Enthusiastic Remote Worker segment for ongoing home tech needs
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- Figure 3: Remote worker segments, 2021
- High satisfaction with remote work clashes with calls to return to the office
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- Figure 4: Remote work satisfaction and attitudes toward remote work, 2021
- Brands can help address remote learning challenges among lower-income households
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- Figure 5: Remote schooling satisfaction, by household income, 2021
- Working on vacation should be a boon for travel industry after pandemic concerns subside
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- Figure 6: Attitudes toward remote work, 2021
- Learning management systems boom in shift to digital remote learning
The Market – Key Takeaways
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- Spending on tech products surges, continued growth expected
- Learning management systems expect rapid growth as schools go digital
- Video conferencing growth spurred by remote work, customer/client meetings
- COVID-19 variants could undo progress made to reopen the country
- Computer chip shortage puts pressure on manufacturers and pricing
Market Size and Forecast
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- Spending on tech hardware unlikely to subside as COVID-19 spurs demand
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- Figure 7: Total US consumer expenditures and fan chart forecast for personal computers/tablets and peripheral equipment, at current prices, 2016-26
- Figure 8: Total US consumer expenditures and forecast for personal computers/tablets and peripheral equipment, at current prices, 2016-26
Segment Performance
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- Global learning management system market exceeds $13 billion in 2020
- Video conferencing market forecast for 11% CAGR through 2028
Market Factors
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- COVID-19 variants pose risk to reopenings for offices and schools
- Efforts to reduce digital divide increase access for low-income households
- Schools can mandate vaccines pending full FDA approval
- Companies looking to return to the office
- “Snow days” a thing of the past?
- Computer chip shortage affecting tech hardware supply
Companies and Brands – Key Takeaways
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- Zoom becomes standard bearer for video calling and conferencing
- Apple’s iPad remains the leader in tablets
- Low-cost Chromebooks a favorite for education sector
- LMS apps see massive downloads during lockdowns
- McGraw-Hill revenue increasingly digital
- Telecoms pledge to spend billions to help close the digital divide
Market Share
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- Zoom becomes standard bearer for video calling and conferencing
- HP and Lenovo lead global Chromebook shipments in Q1 2021
- iPad continues its leading position in tablet category
- LMS apps see big spikes in downloads during the pandemic
Market Opportunities
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- Remote work products will remain in demand as remote arrangements continue
- E-learning materials will continue to ramp up as schools go digital
- Telecoms make major investments to bridge digital divide
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- Figure 9: T-Mobile Project 10 Million, customer communication, 2021
The Consumer – Key Takeaways
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- Remote work continues at a high rate
- Majority of parents plan to send their kids to school in-person for 2021-22
- Consumers nearly evenly divided across types of home office/work spaces
- Remote workers widely satisfied with telecommuting arrangements
- More than half of remote workers willing to work on vacation to save PTO
COVID-19 Impact on Telecommuting
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- Consumers continue remote work arrangements over a year into COVID-19
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- Figure 10: Changes in work commute, 2021
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- Figure 11: Work commutes since COVID-19, February 2021 vs May 2021
- Hybrid commuters more likely to be younger
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- Figure 12: Age breakdown, by work commute, 2021
- Higher earning 35-54 year olds returning to the office
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- Figure 13: Work commute breakdown, by age and household income, February 2021 vs May 2021
- Parents remain least likely to commute to work
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- Figure 14: Breakdown of work commutes, by parental status, February 2021 vs May 2021
- Half of hybrid commuters plan to take a business trip
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- Figure 15: Plans to take a business trips, by work commute, 2021
Current and Future Schooling Arrangements
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- Six in 10 households learning remotely or from home schooling
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- Figure 16: 2020-21 schooling arrangements, 2021
- Figure 17: School provided device for remote learning, 2021
- Rural areas see higher levels of in-person schooling
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- Figure 18: 2020-21 schooling arrangements, by area, 2021
- Majority of parents plan to send children back for 2021-22 school year
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- Figure 19: 2021-22 plans for schooling arrangements, 2021
- Rural and suburban households drive push to return to schools
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- Figure 20: 2021-22 plans for schooling arrangements, by area, 2021
Home Office Spaces
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- Nearly four in 10 have a dedicated home office
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- Figure 21: Home office space, 2021
- Home office space a function of household income
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- Figure 22: Home office space, by household income, 2021
- Remote and hybrid commuters have either a dedicated office or space for remote work
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- Figure 23: Home office space, by work commute, 2021
Home Internet Behaviors
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- Internet speed sufficient for six in 10 households
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- Figure 24: Home internet behaviors, 2021
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- Figure 25: Home internet behaviors, by home internet behaviors, 2021
- Remote workers have faster, more reliable internet
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- Figure 26: Home internet behaviors, by work commute, 2021
- Parents have more demanding broadband needs
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- Figure 27: Home internet behaviors, by parental status, 2021
- Internet performance correlated with household income
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- Figure 28: Home internet behaviors, by household income, 2021
Remote Work and Remote Schooling Devices
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- Nearly all remote workers use some ancillary products
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- Figure 29: Remote work devices, 2021
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- Figure 30: Headphone/earbud usage, by household size, 2021
- Home office leads to additional device usage
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- Figure 31: Remote work devices, by home office spaces, 2021
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- Figure 32: Breakdown of home office spaces, by number of devices purchased, 2021
- Hybrid commuters most likely to use webcam products
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- Figure 33: Remote work devices, by work commute, 2021
- Parents purchase array of devices for their children’s remote schooling
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- Figure 34: Devices purchased for remote schooling, 2021
- Figure 35: Devices purchased for remote schooling, by household income, 2021
Remote Work and Remote Schooling Satisfaction
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- Generally high satisfaction rates with remote work
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- Figure 36: Remote work satisfaction, 2021
- Parents overall satisfied with remote schooling
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- Figure 37: Remote schooling satisfaction, 2021
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- Figure 38: Remote schooling satisfaction, by household income, 2021
- Parents more satisfied with remote work than nonparents
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- Figure 39: Remote work satisfaction, by parental status, 2021
- Dedicated work spaces elevate the remote work experience
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- Figure 40: Remote work satisfaction, by home office space, 2021
- Device purchases correlate with higher satisfaction with remote work
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- Figure 41: Remote work satisfaction, by number of devices purchased, 2021
Attitudes toward Remote Work
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- Remote workers feel strongly about the benefits of remote work
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- Figure 42: Attitudes toward remote work, 2021
- Work relationships diminish with remote work
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- Figure 43: Attitudes toward remote work – Work communication and relationships, 2021
- Dedicated work spaces critical for remote working
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- Figure 44: Attitudes toward remote work – Work space, 2021
- Figure 45: Attitudes toward remote work – Work space, by home office space, 2021
Consumer Segmentation
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- Figure 46: Remote worker segments, 2021
- Isolated Remote Workers (24%)
- Characteristics
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- Figure 47: Profile of Isolated Remote Workers, 2021
- Opportunities
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- Figure 48: Breakdown of employment status, by consumer segments, 2021
- Hesitant Remote Workers (31%)
- Characteristics
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- Figure 49: Profile of Hesitant Remote Workers, 2021
- Opportunities
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- Figure 50: Attitudes toward remote work – Communication and productivity, 2021
- Enthusiastic Remote Workers (46%)
- Characteristics
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- Figure 51: Profile of Enthusiastic Remote Workers, 2021
- Opportunities
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- Figure 52: Remote work products used, by consumer segments, 2021
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- Figure 53: Attitudes toward remote work – Remote work and vacations, by consumer segments, 2021
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Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Sales data
- Forecast
- Consumer survey data
- Marketing creative
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Appendix – The Market
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- Figure 54: Total US consumer expenditures and forecast for personal computers/tablets and peripheral equipment, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2016-26
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