Multifunction and Single-Function Ink Jet Shipments Converged in 2005
In 2005, multifunction devices stole the spotlight in nearly every market segment. Shipments of ink jet MFPs came close to surpassing those of single-function ink jet printers for the first time in history. Considering this explosive growth, it was just a matter of time before shipments of ink jet MFPs surpassed shipments of single-function printers. Last year, revenue from ink jet MFPs exceeded revenue from single-function ink jet printers. This increase was the result of higher sales pricing for multifunction units. Although the growth rate for ink jet MFP shipments slowed somewhat in 2005, a 14.7 percent increase brought the total number of of shipments to 43.9 million units.