CES: Analyst notes greener and smaller event

Low-key CES 2009 could indicate larger problem

CES 2009

The 2009 Consumer Electronics Show will be all about green computing, both environmentally and economically, according to one analyst.

Rob Enderle, founder and principal analyst at the Enderle Group, suggested that exhibitors and attendees will focus on energy efficiency and dollar value at this year's conference in Las Vegas.

"The consumer electronics industry clearly got the message that the market wanted more power-efficient products for 2009, and ingredient companies like AMD and Intel were all over this with products that still promised high performance but at a much lower energy cost," he said.

Enderle noted the push from larger vendors to increase the efficiency of their consumer offerings, as well as the growth in energy-saving technologies such as virtualised systems and high-efficiency power supplies.

The analyst also noted the increased focus on value. With the struggling economy, many vendors are hedging their bets on affordable systems. Enderle cited new low-cost notebooks from Dell and Lenovo's Idea Center as specific examples of the direction vendors may be taking.

"In a down economy value rules, a point that was clear in PC announcements from Dell and Lenovo," he said. "Both products also showcase that success depends on delivering value, as well as low price."

The economy is also having an effect on CES itself. When it officially opens on Thursday morning, the conference is expected to see an attendance drop. When combined with Apple's decision to cut ties with the Macworld conference, Enderle sees a potentially bleak future for the big January trade shows.

"CES really follows too close to the holidays and focuses on a market and vendors that tend to refresh products late in the summer and generally aren't ready to talk about them until just shortly before they actually launch," he said.

"In the end, successful product releases are all about timing and control, and CES may simply have run out of both."