APC 2014 Annual Report Download - page 174

4BUSINESS REVIEW
TRENDS IN SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC’S CORE MARKETS
Data centers and Networks
In 2014, the Global IT markets (Information Technologies) remained very difficult situation with sanctions on the Russian economy,
stagnant, with IT buyers taking a gradual approach to new projects lower energy prices and the rapid fall of the Ruble.
and initiatives. An improving US economy provided a boost to IT Gradual improvement of data center markets in North America and
spending in the second half of the year, but was offset by Western Europe was offset by softer trends in Russia, Asia and
geopolitical headwinds: tensions between Russia and the West, Latin America.
slower growth in emerging economies, war in the Middle East, and The migration to the Cloud and growth in hyper scale Data Centers
weak economic environments in the Euro zone and Japan. accelerated, needing new customer engagement models as well
Fast growing IT solutions around Cloud and Mobile continued to as faster adaptation of our offer to leverage the full Schneider
disrupt IT markets, along with tentative recovery in X86 server Electric portfolio of solutions. IT reinforced its position in the fast
shipments and early indications of a stabilizing data center growing modular data center market with the integration of AST
infrastructure investment cycle. Modular.
Our transactional single phase market experienced strong growth Secure power industrial markets achieved steady growth along
in Asia in the second half of the year, and higher demand in with improved outlook for infrastructure investments in power
Western Europe. Growth in these markets helped to offset generation, chemical production, and semiconductor fabrication.
significant impacts of distributor destocking in Russia, amidst a
172 2014 REGISTRATION DOCUMENT SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC