European PC Software Sales Reach $380 Million in Third Quarter 1992 

Sales Grows Rebounds to Highest Point in Year

December 8, 1992 ( Washington, DC} During the third quarter of 1992,
Western European sales of North American software firms increased 33% to
$380 million, the Software Publishers Association (SPA) announced today.

Thirty-seven US-based software firms participated in the SPA's data program
by submitting confidential data to the accounting firm of Arthur Andersen,
which prepared the report for the SPA. Participants included: Aldus,
Borland, Claris, Lotus, Microsoft, Software Publishing, Symantec, T/Maker,
WordPerfect, and Wordstar. The data was collected in 20 software
categories (including word processors, spreadsheets, presentation
graphics, and others) and in six software formats (including Macintosh,
DOS, and Windows).

The thirty-seven firms reported aggregate European software sales of $380
million in the third quarter 1992. Third quarter sales grew 33% from the
third quarter 1991, the highest growth rate of 1992, bringing the
year-to-date growth up to 20%.

Once again, Germany/Austria was the largest software market for US-based
companies. After a decline in the first quarter, sales growth rebounded in
the second and third quarter. Sales in the UK/Ireland market have remained
strong all year. Sales growth has been above 35% in all three quarters of
1992, and was 40% in the third quarter, the highest growth of the three
major European markets. Software sales in France also started to recover
in the latest quarter, rising 13% vs. the year-ago figure. In the first
quarter, sales in France had declined 4%, while second quarter sales grew
by just 2%. Switzerland had the highest growth of the markets, reporting
sales 170% above last year's quarter.

"In general, the numbers this quarter are encouraging," said David
Tremblay, SPA's Research Director. "Software sales in Europe are
recovering from the doldrums we saw earlier in 1992. For the first time in
several quarters, European growth in the third quarter (33%) was higher
than was the growth in North America (12%)."

"The figures once again show the importance of Windows applications in
Europe," said Gerard Gabella, Managing Director of SPA Europe. "Europe has
embraced Windows applications to a much greater extent than has North
American. In six of the eight European markets we track, Windows
applications out sold DOS applications, often by two times. Overall,
Windows applications accounted for 58% of Western European applications
revenue, while DOS applications declined to 32%. Macintosh applications
remained steady at 8% of revenues. By contrast, Windows applications
accounted for 32% of third quarter sales in North America, compared with
46% for DOS and 17% for Macintosh."

The Software Publishers Association is the principal worldwide trade
association of the PC software industry. Its more than 1000 members
represent the leading publishers of business, consumer, and education
software in North America and Europe. Headquartered in Washington, DC, the
SPA Europe office is located in Paris, France.

Software publishers Association
1730 M St, Northwest, Suite 700, Washington, D.C. 20036
202-452-1600,  Fax: 202-223-8756

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