*NEWS*KODAK PRINTERS HIT CANADIAN MARKET

[Anonymous]

Kodak printers finally hit the Canadian market
New printers enter a crowded market, and the pioneering photo firm is banking on low-cost ink to gain marketshare .    
102007 With the release this fall of its first printers lineup, Kodak is encouraging people to start printing more. A lot more.The company is targeting the home office and consumer-level market space with promises of print savings of up to 50 per cent. Included in the EasyShare All-In-One printer portfolio are the 5500, 5300 and the 5100 models.Steve Billow, writing systems development manager of Kodak’s inkjet system division, said the company outlined its value proposition four years ago, and now it’s following through.“We started with customer needs and when we talked to customers and did surveys, we were consistently told the same thing,” he said.Customers are concerned about the cost of printing, image and print quality, the set up of the printer and are interested in an all-in-one device.Barbara Pierce, a spokesperson for Kodak’s inkjet system division, said the company’s strategy will be based on lowering total acquisition costs.“We’re offering a fair price for our hardware and ink,” Pierce said. “This is for the consumer who prints a lot and because they’re saving money, they’re going to come out ahead. We also want to initiate a relationship to work with Canadian retailers and their customers to teach them how to be smart about their printer purchase.”

Kodak is providing training to Canadian retail staff through a dedicated team of education experts and promises to provide full support on both the retail and customer ends.Based on testing conducted by QualityLogic Inc. , it was determined that Kodak’s all-in-one printers, combined with its low-cost ink products, can save customers up to 50 per cent on total printing costs.“Kodak is revolutionizing the consumer inkjet printing industry with a bold new model – premium ink for half the cost,” Pierce said.“This gives people the freedom to print high quality photos and documents without concern for replacement ink costs.We know people will respond to the opportunity to print more for less.

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October 25, 2007 at 11:05 AM