HP PISSED-OFF AT COUNTERFEIT CARTRIDGES ACROSS EAST-AFRICA

[Anonymous]

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/060608-hp-blasts-counterfeit-refill.html
HP blasts counterfeit refill cartridges
U.S.
PC and printer maker Hewlett-Packard has said 60 percent of the refill
products used in printers across East Africa are not genuine — a
situation that is impacting sales heavily.

HP East Africa made
the revelation as the company rolled out printing technology targeting
the multi-million dollar regional graphic arts market.Charles
Munyororo, the HP general manager for the imaging and printing group
for English-speaking Africa, said the products most affected are laser
and ink cartridges used in printing machines, of which he says only 30
percent to 40 percent are genuine.”These fake and counterfeits are
finding their way into the regional market through Asia.He acknowledged
that counterfeiting is a global business with sales in billions of
shillings a year. It affects suppliers and manufacturers and also
interferes with the customer’s ability to buy genuine products with
superior quality.”We at HP, therefore, have the duty to inform our
customers that by using genuine toner or cartridge, they will have a
better return on their investment by the purchase of HP printers,
because it lasts longer and you are sure it will give you better
quality every time,” said Munyororo.

The company is currently
introducing graphic arts products, which will improve speeds and the
cost of digital printing in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda. The
regional roll-out is part of a worldwide release to support HP’s Print
2.0 Strategy, designed to capture more digital pages from the analog
print market to enable customers to take advantage of new market
segments and business opportunities.”The new products range from
high-speed inkjets, offset and photo-quality liquid
electrophotographic, and large-format printing,” said Walter de Meyer,
the HP Graphics GTM lead for English-speaking Africa.The new products
include a high-speed, 30-inch inkjet platform for the high-volume
production of books, direct marketing materials and newspapers and a
latex printing technology that offers an environmentally responsible
large-format printing alternative. The company will also market its HP
smartstream digital workflow portfolio, which offers customers greater
flexibility with specific solutions to address a broad range of market
segments and application needs.

[Author]

June 10, 2008 at 11:23 AM