The smart connected device (SCD) market posted another quarter of growth in Western Europe, driven mainly by increased demand for personal computers. According to figures published by International Data Corporation (IDC), PC, tablet, and smartphone shipments totaled 60.1 million units, with volume 8.6% higher compared with the same quarter a year ago.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the Euro Area declined 0.2 percent to 111.9 (2004=100) in October, following a 0.1 percent increase in September and a 0.6 percent decrease in August.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the U.K. increased 0.4 percent in February, after increasing 0.6 percent in January and remaining unchanged in December. Five of the seven components made positive contributions to the index this month. The index now stands at 109.9 (2004=100).

"The U.K. LEI continued to increase in February, with most components contributing positively," said Bert Colijn, Senior Economist at The Conference Board. "However, order book volume declined and stock prices were flat. The index's six-month growth rate suggests that the economy will continue to recover, but further acceleration in the months ahead seems unlikely."

Natural Gas Prices Declined Again in U.K. and Continental Europe on Mild Weather

Day-ahead electricity prices in continental Europe recorded a fifth consecutive monthly decline in March as surging German solar and wind output helped chase prices lower in neighboring countries, according to data just released by Platts, a leading global energy, petrochemicals and metals information provider.

In this briefing, Smithers Pira examines the state of the European printing industry specifically in terms of the performance and next steps for various printing equipment and processes.

Printing equipment

Challenges continue to present themselves throughout Europe for traditional printing equipment suppliers.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the Euro Area rose 0.1 percent in February to 111.1 (2004=100), following a 1.4 percent increase in January and a 0.3 increase in December 2013.

"This month's reading of the Leading Economic Index for the Euro Area suggests that we are leaving the rebound effects from the recession behind us, and that the pace of growth may not accelerate further," said Bert Colijn, Senior Economist at The Conference Board.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for France increased 0.3 percent in January to 117.5 (2004 = 100), following a 0.3 percent increase in December, and a 0.1 percent increase in November.

At the same time, The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index® (CEI) for France, a measure of current economic activity, was unchanged in January, at 103.5 (2004 = 100), following no change in December, and a 0.1 percent increase in November.

Riverbed and Loudhouse survey of 1,000 IT decision makers finds that while strategic IT implementations often fail to reach their potential, 'Transformer' companies are getting it right – with twice the success rate

Transformers recognise the importance of a high-performance network and application infrastructure to maximise the impact of applications and technology investments