Who is ISoftStone? Mysterious tech firm set to become one of the biggest PC vendors in China, beating Huawei, HP and Apple

ISoftStone has more than doubled its PC shipment in Q3 2024

I had never heard of the company till its name appeared in Canalys’s latest report

ISoftStone provides Digital Innovation Service and is a pure B2B player

China’s PC market is set for 6% growth in 2025, according to recent analysis from Canalys, with strong public sector spending a key factor.

In a new report, the analyst firm said it expects the country’s PC market recovery to be “sustained” over the next 12 months, with desktops and notebooks in particular growing by 9% and 4% respectively.

But nestled amongst the details of Canalys’ recent research, insights on a little-known regional vendor, ISoftStone, stood out.

Who is ISoftStone?

Admittedly, prior to the publication of Canalys’ report I’d never heard of ISoftStone, but the PC vendor secured second place in the shipment rankings in Q3 2024, which speaks volumes given the fierce competition it faces from major industry players.

ISoftStone provides technology products and services spanning both the enterprise and consumer domains. Canalys’ report noted the company recorded strong performance in both the public sector and education market during Q3 2024, and its numbers in gaming PCs also raised eyebrows.

Over the last two fiscal years, the company has experienced rapid growth, Canalys found. In Q3 2023, for example, the firm boasted just a 4% share of the regional PC market, shipping around half a million desktop and notebook units.

Fast forward to Q3 2024, and the numbers are impressive, with ISoftStone holding a 10% market share and shipping more than 1.1 million units – that’s a 123% growth rate, according to Canalys.

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All told, this meteoric rise places it on par with Huawei in terms of market share and gave the company a lead on both HP and ASUS. It’s still some way behind Lenovo, but the growth rates recorded this year suggest the firm shows no signs of slowing down.

ISoftStone: What’s behind the meteoric rise?

A key factor in this impressive growth is the state of flux witnessed across the regional PC market, according to Canalys. Since 2023, the space has experienced “significant shifts” – and the “growing presence” of domestic vendors has been a key talking point.

The government’s promotion of “Xinchuang”, or indigenous innovation, has “created a favorable environment for domestic vendors to thrive,” Canalys said.

Strong growth in the gaming PC segments could also be a leading factor here, with this particular area recording 24% growth in Q3 2024.

“Higher-value PCs with AI or gaming capabilities have been resilient despite broader market downturns, driven by heightened expectations for strong user experiences,” said Emma Xu, Analyst at Canalys.

What else has ISoftStone been up to?

On the international front, ISoftStone has been active of late, with reports in November 2024 highlighting the firm’s involvement in the Kingdee Data Center in Singapore.

China’s Kingdee International Software Group unveiled the launch of a new data center and office space in Singapore, which Datacenter Dynamics reported will act as a “bridgehead and international business center”.

While Kingdee will provide cloud computing services as part of its expansion, iSoftStone will be working closely with the firm to provide global customers with digital solutions and services.

Original Author: Ross Kelly | Source: TechRadar