*NEWS*2004:PRINTING IND, YEAR IN REVIEW

[Anonymous]

Year in Review 2004: Hard Copy
Strengthens in 2004, Continues Upward Climb
2005, Lyra Research, Inc.

The Year 2004 was Critical for the Printing industry.While
not as strong a year as 2003 in terms of unit shipment growth, 2004 was
significant in that it demonstrated sustained growth, proving that 2003 was not
just a blip on the radar screen but the start to a solid, long-term recovery
from the gloomy years of 2001 and 2002. Worldwide unit shipments increased for
the second straight year and, more important, worldwide revenue also grew
compared to 2003.

The revenue growth can be attributed to a stabilizing
of average sales prices after some precipitous drops in 2003. Although the price
of color page printers decreased by 23 percent in 2004, compared with 19 percent
in 2003, the price drop for other printer categories was not as severe. In 2004,
prices for single-function and multifunction ink jet devices decreased by 4
percent and 8 percent, respectively, versus year-ago declines of 12 percent and
19 percent, respectively. The digital copier category also experienced a slower
reduction in average sales prices, declining 6 percent in 2004 versus a 17
percent decline in 2003.

worldwide printer shipments
reached a record 110.9 million units in 2004, up 11 percent from 2003. Worldwide
revenue from the sale of printing and imaging equipment is expected to grow from
$59.9 billion in 2003 to $61.9 billion in 2004, a 3 percent increase.

Several companies reported record revenue
and profit during 2004. Dell announced record financial results for the first
three quarters of the firm’s fiscal 2005 and said it is on track to sell more
than five million Dell printers this fiscal year, resulting in over $1 billion
of printing and imaging revenue. HP’s record-setting fourth-quarter 2004 results
were a welcome change from a less-than-stellar third quarter, and once again the
firm’s Imaging and Printing Group was the star of the show, accounting for 30
percent of 2004 revenue and 70 percent of its full-year profit.

[Author]

February 7, 2005 at 9:59 AM