*NEWS*CANON AIMS WIDE WITH INK ,INK ,INK

[Anonymous]

Canon Aims Wide
New York -MAI 06
At
one of the largest document management and digital printing events of
the year, industry heavyweights and small fries alike are jostling to
prove they’re on to the next big thing.
But at the AIIM and
On Demand Conference and Trade Show underway in Philadelphia today, the
next big thing is the same old thing: ink, ink and more ink.Looking to
capitalize on niche industries that soak up lots and lots of ink, some
digital imaging companies are expanding into the wide format printing
market, which produces over-sized, ink-drinking documents.”Wide format
is another opportunity to get ink on paper,” says Angele Boyd,
wide-format printing analyst with research firm IDC. “The trick is to
tap into new and emerging segments.”Canon  announced four new large
format printers Tuesday. Ranging in width from 17 inches to 60 inches,
the imagePROGRAF series is priced between $1,500 and $15,000. The
narrower iPF 600 and iPF 500 machines will be available next month, and
Canon says two other models should hit the market by the end of the
year.”We believe there is a huge potential in this market,” says Nobu
Kitijima, director of marketing for the company’s Wide-Format Group.
“This shows how aggressively we are planning to capture this
market.”There’s quite a contingent of companies already in the market,
including heavyweights like Hewlett-Packard  and Nagano, Japan-based
Epson, but other companies like Xerox  have been less successful in
maintaining a presence.
That’s because the umbrella-term “wide
format” encompasses aspects of the market that are quite mature, like
black-and-white computer-assisted engineering and architectural design
(CAD).But other areas of the wide-format industry are just beginning.
“Certain companies are shifting strategies and realizing opportunities
in graphic arts,” Boyd says. “The signage market is one big potential
business.”Still, those strategies require a commitment and dedicated
resources to more than just technological advances. “They have to have
a go-to-market strategy, including channel distribution, programs for
resellers and introducing a wide range of ink solutions,” Boyd
says.According to Kitijima, Canon is aware of the challenges, but has
“full confidence” in the company’s strategy.“The key market is in the
general use area in office environments for smaller demands,” he
says.But more important is covering as many wide-format bases as
possible, from posters to giant banners. “The target market is
segmented–the office, photography, fine art, technical CAD
applications, commercial and pre-press proofing,” Kitijima says.How
Canon’s bid plays out initially depends on what customers and analysts
see at the On Demand conference, which ends on Thursday. But the
company’s intention is clear.
“We want to be number one,” Kitijima says

[Author]

May 17, 2006 at 9:53 AM