Users plumping for multi-function value in droves
Users plumping for multi-function value in droves
Multi-Function Printers (MFPs) are set to take substantial share from the single function printer market by the end of the year.
That is according to the latest findings from IDC, which predicts a unit growth for MFPs of 22.8 percent, equating to 62,186 units, with the value of shipments growth of 29.4 percent, US$432.3 million. When compared with single-function printer activity, MFPs remain the highest growth category in the hardcopy industry.
“Historically the MFP market has been relatively smaller than the single-function printer and copier markets but the gap is closing. While some categories of printer shipments have seen a decline, such as inkjet, the MFP category has seen tremendous growth” said Loretta Pein, senior analyst for IDC’s MFP Tracker Program in Australia.
"Buyers are now beginning to switch to MFPs in increasing numbers as they can now see the advantage of combining all their needs into one device. The providers of the traditional hardware are now offering added functionality, finishing, managed and service options to fully exploit the need to integrate office functions into several convenient devices rather than a multitude of office machines,” added Pein.
MFPs have been popular with the home user market for some time, with the space saving aspect of not having a separate printer, copier, scanner and fax machine, together with the cost saving, very appealing to that market. Increasingly, the corporate buyer is now seeing the benefit of integrating all their input and output functions into one system designed for ease of use and financial savings.
“We are now in a new era in market maturity. Buyers of all sizes are more discriminating, looking for rational benefits more than smart technology. MFP vendors have to help customers protect and add value to existing investments. Those already prepared for change will invest aggressively in expanding their market share while their competitors struggle to implement survival strategies,” concluded Pein.
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