According to Market Intelligence Center (MIC), a Taipei-based ICT industry research house, worldwide motherboard shipment volume is forecasted to grow 5.8% year-on-year to 145 million units in 2005, mainly due to brisk demand in emerging markets such as India, Russia and Brazil. In addition, market demand in North America has remained slightly upward, while the Western European market, which had been in a lull in the first half of 2005, has showed signs of warming up. Value in 2005 is expected to tick-up lightly to just over US$8 billion. For all of 2006, volume is projected to reach 153 million units, annual growth of 5.4%, due to sustained growth in both emerging and mature markets.

MIC further reports that Taiwanese motherboard shipment volume will hit approximately 98.3% of worldwide market share in 2005. In the third quarter, worldwide motherboard shipment volume is estimated to have reached 37 million units. Fourth quarter volume is projected to surpass 40 million units. 

Consumer demand in emerging markets combined with the low-priced push of the major brands caused volume of value-line boards to rise. However, ASP (Average Selling Price) declines were checked by Intel's chipset allocation strategy, which brought about greater adoption of the new generation 945 series chipsets. In addition, component suppliers are likely to be more cautious over concerns regarding overbooking by ODMs and channel players.