Business of Tech: Daily 10-Minute IT Services Insights · 2026-06-24 · 11 min
A structural repricing of memory and silicon components is forcing a shift in the economics of hardware resale for managed service providers (MSPs) and IT service providers. This shift is driven by concentrated demand for memory components from AI infrastructure build-outs, as evidenced by data from IDC and remarks from companies including Apple, Micron, SK Hynix, and Samsung. The episode highlights that memory costs have quadrupled in a year, and that both endpoint devices and servers are experiencing durable price inflation due to component scarcity and intensified competition for supply. The most consequential development cited is Apple’s acknowledgment - confirmed by Tim Cook to the Wall Street Journal - that device price increases are now “unavoidable” because the cost of memory can no longer be absorbed. Memory manufacturers’ share prices rallied on this signal, reinforcing an investor consensus that higher component costs will persist. IDC data showed AI-focused, non-x86 servers using Nvidia’s ARM chips generated $58.7 billion - or nearly 48% of all server revenue - up 107% year over year, while x86 server revenue declined due to DRAM and NAND shortages.
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