EMEA SHIPMENTS OF MFP’S HIT 22MILLION

[Anonymous]

EMEA shipments of multifunction printers hits 22 million
Sector jumps five per cent year-on-year
Shipments
of page printers, copiers and multifunction printers (MFP) in EMEA
jumped five per cent to 22 million units in the first half of 2006, new
research has revealed.According to Gartner, colour page copier and
inkjet MFP sales fuelled the buoyant market in the first half of the
year, increasing year-on-year by 98 per cent and 24 per cent
respectively.A greater range of colour offerings and lower average
selling prices stimulated colour penetration in the business segment.In
addition, the demand for single function inkjet printers lowered as
consumers opted for better value MFP alternatives with particularly
high demand for photo-centric MFP products.The analyst firm reported
that low-end page printers boosted the overall page printer market in
the first half of 2006 and became an affordable alternative to inkjet
devices. Page printer shipments increased 10 per cent from the same
period last year.”HP excelled in the colour page market by gaining 14
per cent market share points from its competitors in the second quarter
of 2006, which helped the company secure its domination in the first
half of 2006,” said Cecile Drew, principal analyst at Gartner.”HP also
performed well in the inkjet market thanks to a good mix of MFPs and
printer offerings, an aggressive advertising campaign across Europe and
competitive prices.”Epson had a “difficult period”, failing to keep
pace with the market and losing share in key countries, such as the UK,
Italy and Russia.Brother had the strongest growth in the first half of
the year, growing 42 per cent from the same period last year.Gartner
predicts that the inkjet and page technology markets for printers,
copiers and MFDs are on track to reach 54 million units in 2006, a 13
per cent increase from last year.”Vendors will continue to consolidate
product lines during the second half of the year, and strong demand for
low-end MFPs will sustain as they remain attractive alternatives to
single function devices in the small office/home office segment,” said
Drew

[Author]

September 13, 2006 at 12:05 PM