PC Purchases on Rise Among U.S. Companies

Personal computer purchases are on the rise among U.S. companies, jumping 20% in March from a year ago, according to a survey by market researcher Computer Intelligence. The number of PCs bought by companies rose only 1 percentage point from February, although purchases have been climbing steadily since June, according to CI’s monthly survey. CI analyst Matt Sargent said rises and dips in the index are often cyclical, coinciding with the unveiling of new technology. He said the industry’s most recent rise has been fueled by Microsoft Corp.’s Windows NT operating system for corporate networks and upgrades to Intel Corp.’s Pentium microprocessors, which run most PCs. The index is based on monthly interviews with 3,000 U.S. companies varying in size, industry and location. La Jolla-based CI is owned by publisher Ziff-Davis Inc.