Printer, Copier and MFU Markets declined in Europe in 2008 according to Gartner

According to Gartner, a UK-based market research company, the combined printer, copier and MFU shipments market in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) totaled 48.2 million units, a decline of 8.4 per cent over 2007 (Table 1).

“The fourth quarter of 2008 was a pivot point for the world economy, creating a very challenging selling environment for all printer, copier and MFP hardware and software providers. The rapidly deteriorating economic environment is forcing technology providers to look at their business models and make significant adjustments,” said Tosh Prabhakar, senior research analyst at Gartner.

According to Gartner, buyers reduced printer and MFU spending in light of low confidence in the market. Sales of consumer devices were down 9 per cent in 2008. In addition, businesses delayed product upgrades and/or cancelled investment in new office devices as budgets and cost containment policies became a priority.


The tough economic climate created a lot of caution and uncertainty among both consumers and businesses. Reduced credit availability for consumers, start-up businesses and small and medium businesses across all the European markets during the next 12 months will worsen the situation in the short term. It will also continue to have a detrimental impact on the consumer market during 2009, with similar declines expected.

Most vendors suffered in 2008. Hewlett-Packard remained market leader in the overall EMEA printer; copier and MFU market, but sales were down almost 11 per cent in 2008 for the company. Lexmark experienced the greatest unit losses during the year as the organization continued to lose market share as a result of it shifting its focus to the more profitable high-end workgroup space. Samsung Electronics posted the highest year-on-year market growth with a 16.3 per cent increase in 2008, which helped it maintain second position in the page market and narrow the gap on Hewlett-Packard.

Gartner predicted that the print market would continue to feel the pressure during the next 12 months, as the economic uncertainty worsens. The recovery should not be expected to start until early 2010.

Source: Gartner Inc.

Key words:Gartner, market, printers

Sensient Technologies reported record earnings

Sensient Technologies Corporation dealing with high-purity dyes for inkjet and industrial applications reported record earnings for 2008. Consolidated 2008 revenue hiked 5.7 percent to $1.3 billion; the figure was $1.2 billion for 2007. For the fourth quarter of 2008, Sensient’s diluted earnings per share climbed 10.3 percent, to 43 cents, compared to 39 cents for the 2007 fourth quarter.

Source: Recharger Magazine

Key words:Sensient, inks, 2008

HP is going to double the recycled plastic in its cartridges

Printweek.com has announced that HP will double the amount of recycled plastic used in its inkjet print cartridges this year. The company made 200 million original HP inkjet print cartridges from recycled plastic in 2007. Now the company put in function a new recycling process. The multi-phase recycling process reduces the cartridges to raw materials, such as plastics and metals. HP then combines plastic from the inkjet cartridges with recycled bottle resin and a suite of compounding additives.

The total plastic in a cartridge is 70-100% recycled content, while stringent testing ensures consistency and reliability of the product.

Michael Hoffmann, senior vice president for the supplies, imaging and printing group at HP, said the technology reduced the company's impact on the environment.

"HP's considerable investments in building a recycling infrastructure made this achievement possible, and this is just the beginning of what we hope to accomplish," Hoffmann said.

HP's Planet Partners program offers free and easy cartridge returns in more than 45 countries, regions and territories, with a commitment that all returned cartridges would be recycled.

After this piece of news was published there were a couple of commentaries left. They do provide some insight why HP's recycling program may turn out to be less "green" than it claims to be.

Jeff Harper : You can't help but wonder how many millions of perfectly good, re-usable cartridges have been sacrificed at the altar of HP's "environmental mission". Recycling is the 2nd WORST thing you can do, re-use is the 2nd BEST thing. HP (and the other OEM's) go to amazing lengths to recover perfectly good empty cartridges and destroy them by crushing/processing/pulping etc.

Charyle Calvert: The latest "green movement" is calling for more eco-friendly ways to reduce global warming. Recycling often involves methods that can contribute to global warming. Reusing, remanufacturing and repairing products and supplies are the first line of defense. Once a product can no longer be repaired, remanufactured or reused, then the recycling method is the end of the road for that item. Anything put together with screws should be repairable. The limitation to repair is created by the OEM's who do not provide for accessibility to repair parts! This should be absolutely illegal in a society attempting to reduce e-waste.

Source

Key words: HP, recycling program

Retail sales of electronic devices in Ukraine suffered greatly

According to an article from the Ukrainian Kompyuternoe Obozrenie the dynamics of retails sales of electronic devices fell sharply in Ukraine in the end of 2008.

The IT sector suffered most of all - the total fall in sales was 30,2% in the end of 2008. Unfortunately, the segment of printing devices proved to get the most of the blow. Local experts say that the plummeting sales volumes are due to the falling demand for stand alone printers and increasing demand for MFUs (multifunctional utilities) as well as economic and financial crisis, which stepped in. The yearly sales in MFUs grew by 8.2%, but the sales of stand alone devices fell by 16.8%. In total the entire segment suffered a loss in sales by 24.8% in 2008 as compared with 2007.

Source: «Компьютерное Обозрение»

More expensive printers have lower ownership costs

Printer.com carried out a study into the top ten printers that will give the most economic benefit to small businesses. This study was conducted across the company’s database of printer vendors, and took into account product pricing from partner merchants in both the U.S. and Europe.

In the press release about the study it is mentioned that the spread in the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) between similar small business printer models can exceed $10,000 over five years. Printer.com has published a list of the top 10 small business printers, based on TCO, so small business owners can see how the selection of a printer can impact their overall operational costs.

Here is the list:

Manufacturer and Type - Av. Price - Cartridge costs 5 Years - Total costs:

1. Xerox Phaser 8560 MFP N - $1,451 - $6,193 - $7,644
2. Konica-Minolta Magicolor 4690 MF - $1,000 - $6,894 - $7,894
3. Xerox Phaser 8860 MFP D - $3,653 - $4,384 - $8,037
4. Xerox Phaser 8560 MFP D - $1,858 - $6,193 - $8,051
5. Brother DCP 9040 CN - $516 - $8,147 - $8,663
6. Brother MFC 9440 CN - $577 - $8,147 - $8,724
7. Brother DCP 9045 CDN - $608 - $8,147 - $8,755
8. Brother MFC 9840 CDW - $645 - $8,147 - $8,792
9. Samsung CLX-6200 FN - $700 - $8,179 - $8,879
10. HP Color Laserjet 2820 - $623 - $8,309 - $8,932

It is interesting to note that, in general, the most expensive printers have the lowest overall ink and toner costs. This is a case where spending more for a printer initially can save money in the long run, based on the costs of ink and toner cartridges.

For example, the average price of $1451 for the Xerox Phaser 8560 MFP N printer is $828 more than the HP Color LaserJet 2820, yet the toner cartridge costs for the HP over five years exceeds that of the Xerox by $2116.

In addition to the costs of ink and toner replacement for both black-and-white and color printers for small businesses, Printer.com also accounted for costs of service and maintenance. For some models of printers, the service and maintenance costs alone can exceed the initial price of the printer itself.

Source: Printer.Com

Key words: printers, analysis, research, ownership costs

Ink sales may rescue HP

Hewlett Packard is scheduled to report its quarterly results this week. The following is a summary of key developments and analyst opinion and commentary related to the period.

HP, the biggest personal computer maker, is expected to post solid results in its fiscal first quarter despite a dismal PC market. HP's stock has taken a hit on fears that the company's exposure to the hardware sector, which has had a grim few months as companies curbed spending, will drag down its results.

The PC market in the October-December period was the worst in six years, according to market research firm IDC. Global PC shipments in the quarter fell for the first time since 2002, and a recovery isn't expected until 2010.

But HP has some protection from the economic turbulence. The company's printer and ink business, which contributes about half its operating profit, appears to be faring well. Companies are putting off buying new printers, but analysts say demand for HP-branded ink appears strong. One reason, analysts say, is generic ink-cartridge makers often need several months before they're able to make parts that work with HP's newest printers.

Source: Associated Press

Key words: HP, Q1 results, inks

A new color photo printer from Canon

This week Canon U.S.A. Inc announced a new addition to its line of compact photo printers: the SELPHY CP780. This new SELPHY compact photo printer is ideal for the parent who wants to share images of their children with family and friends.


The Canon SELPHY CP780 compact photo printer is designed not only to be easy-to-use and convenient to carry, it is also available in three different color variations. To coincide with the new Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS Digital ELPH camera also announced this week, this compact photo printer is available in silver, blue and pink to enable consumers to express their own personal style.

The new Canon SELPHY compact photo printer will produce images of a higher quality than previous models due to enhancements to the Portrait Image Optimize feature. The printing process was also revised so that a 4 x 6-inch print can now be completed in approximately 47 seconds. The card slots allow users to plug in memory cards or print straight from the camera with a USB cord.

Designed with a new wave-shaped top surface, the SELPHY CP780 compact photo printer comes equipped with a 2.5-inch LCD screen, making it easy to review images and navigate through menus from various angles.

The Canon SELPHY CP780 compact photo printer carries an estimated retail price of $100.

Source: Canon USA

Key words: Canon, Selphy, printer, photo

Calculate your printer ink costs

After investigating the high cost of original inks for inkjet printer, the American Consumer Institute (ACI) introduced a calculator aimed at helping customers select a printer that is most cost-effective over a course of three or more years.

The ACI has already criticized printer manufacturers for not disclosing ink costs on packaging. “It’s not a lot to ask to put a value on the box to let customers know how efficient it is,” says Steve Pociask, president of the institute. “And once people buy these printers, they are trapped because the cartridges are not interoperable.”

The link to the calculator is here.

In fact, the institute found that over the useful life of a printer, the actual cost of the hardware may be as little as one-tenth of the cost of the ink, according Mr. Pociask. Accordingly, the ink price per page is the most important information for consumers to consider when buying a printer.

The new calculator enables customers to pick an inkjet that delivers the lowest ink costs based on their printing practices. If you enter three variables: the number of black-and-white pages you print a week, the number of color pages and the number of 4-by-6-inch photos, the calculator will return results that include printer models, cost of the hardware, and estimated cost of the ink. It provides estimated ink costs for three, five and seven years of use.

The calculator makes its decisions based on 17 printers in its database. While this number is a bit limited, the ACI says the calculator relies only on tests from Quality Logic, an independent testing lab that employs industry-accepted ISO standards.

If you’re shopping for an inkjet, the new calculator provides a good estimate of what you can expect to pay.

For example, if you plan to print 50 b/w pages, 5 color pages and 1 photo per day in average during 3, 5 or 7 years, here are the probable costs involved:


Source: New York Times

Key words: inks, printer, color, cost, ownership

Inkjet-printed memory made from gold

Techradar.Com informs the Japanese Nissan Chemicals developed the technology of printing memory from a printer.

Using inkjet technology for creating not just photographs and A4 prints, but physical objects is not a new idea, but the notion of printing computer memory in that way is certainly novel.

Japan's Nissan Chemical Industries has developed a way to print memory from an inkjet device that uses nanoparticle-sized gold dust and polystyrene.

To make it work in an electronic circuit, Nissan Chemical has also managed to print tiny transistors that connect to relatively conventional electrodes in devices like IC tags.

The resulting memory can be incorporated in just about anything, such as product packaging, making it an ideal replacement for the silicon-based memory in RFID chips. The researchers say that it's also just 10 per cent the cost of silicon memory.

Early prototypes have a problem with low data density – just 2.5kbits per square centimeter at the minute – but Nissan Chemical says it will improve that in time for commercialization by 2011.


Chips like this could soon be squirted from a printer

Source: www.techradar.com

Key words: inkjet printing, technology

RechargEast Magazine, FEBRUARY'09 issue

READ IN THE FEBRUARY'09 ISSUE:

» Remanufacturing the Samsung SCX-4300 Toner Cartridge
» Fitting CB436 Cartridges in HP LJ P1005 – a How - To Useful for Service Engineers
» TOSHIBA MJ-1015 MJ-1016 FINISHERS – LET’S “FINISH” THE COPY/PRINT JOB (part V)

» Ink and High Quality make SMILE INK // Smile Ink, Serbia

» Canon Pixma iP 4500: the Printer Does Not “See” the Installed Cartridges
» Eastern European Aftermarket of Imaging Supplies is Facing Hard Times. Is It Really?
» Are aftermarket manufacturers quick to fill up market needs?

Full page e-version of the magazine is also available here:

Download the FEBRUARY'09 issue.

Key words: remanufacturing in Eastern Europe, chips, cartridges, toner, inks, compatible cartridges, inkjet, supplies, markets

Konica Minolta launches 4 new color printers

Magicolor 1600W

Konica Minolta reinforced its lineup of color printers by launching 4 more color laser printers in the Magicolor 1600 series. The two printers and two multifunction peripherals in the new Magicolor 1600 series are the company's smallest and most affordable to date, and their Simitri HD color polymerized toner saves up to 15 percent of the energy usually required for laser printing.

All four printers produce 20 ppm in black and white and 5 ppm in color. The simplest, the Magicolor 1600W ($229), is a Windows-only printer with a USB 2.0 interface and 200-sheet input tray; its rated duty cycle is 35,000 pages per month. For $329, the Magicolor 1650EN adds PostScript 3 and PCL6 emulation for Mac and Linux as well as Windows systems, as well as Ethernet network connectivity and an optional 500-sheet second input tray.

Source: www.konicaminolta.com

Key words: Konica Minolta, color, laser, printer

New laser printers from Samsung

Samsung launched a new laser printer: Samsung ML-2855ND, which offers output speed of 30 pages per minute, helped by a 400MHz processor and 64MB expandable to 192MB of memory. The recommended market price of the printer is $358. The new printer is a compact device having built-in duplex printing and a TonerSave feature to cut its total cost of operation. It also has a USB 2.0 interface and 250-sheet cassette and 50-sheet multipurpose paper tray. It is designed to produce 50,000 pages per month.

Source: www.samsung.com

Key words: Samsung, technology, laser, printer

New all-in-One Pixma inkjets from Canon

Canon added two new modes to its office all-in-one lineup. The Pixma MX860 and Pixma MX330 combine color inkjet printing with copying, scanning, and fax capability and a flock of convenience features.

Priced at USD200, the MX860 includes automatic duplex copying, printing, and two-way paper feeding, for two-sided copying or scanning of letter-sized documents without the need to flip and re-feed pages. The unit can also scan and print at the same time during copying jobs and combines 802.11b/g wireless with Ethernet and USB connectivity for multi-PC sharing.


Pixma MX850 - the model previous to MX860

The USD 110 Pixma MX330 features slightly lower scan and print resolution, with a four-color, two-cartridge ink system and a 1.8- instead of 2.5-inch color LCD control panel. In addition, the MX330 offers an Auto Scan Mode that recognizes the type of document being scanned so it can be saved quickly in the right format; the ability to save scanned JPG and PDF data directly to a flash drive or memory card; and Auto Photo Fix red-eye correction and brightness and contrast optimization.


Pixma MX310 - the model previous to MX330

Source: Hardwarecentral.com.

Key words: Canon, technology, inks, printer

Dell uses Zink technology in its new mobile printer

Dell began shipping a mobile printer based on Zink’s inkless printer engine. Like another printing device based on the Zink technology, Poloraid’s Pogo printer, the Dell Wasabi PZ310 produces 2-inch x 3-inch prints with a peel-off adhesive back. It uses Zink’s heat-activated, dye-based, inkless printing system and can produce a print in 55 seconds. It can make prints wirelessly, via Bluetooth or from a camera via USB.

As the manufacturer informs, Wasabi PZ310 has a 12-paper capacity and a 15-print-per-charge battery. Now the device is sold directly from Dell.com at $99.


Here are some technical details about the new printer:

Weight:
Weight (wihout battery): 195g (7 oz)
Weight (including battery): 225g (8 oz)

Output Size:
Paper: 2" x 3" (50 x 76.2mm)
Print: 2" x 3" (50 x 76.2mm)

Print Speed:
55 seconds per print, from send to share2

Zero ink required.

Source: www.dell.com

Key words: Zink, Dell, technology, inks, mobile printer

Hackers can reach to your printer

Hacking is not only about computers. This week, HP has alerted owners of its LaserJet printers of a vulnerability that could lead to unauthorized access of files stored on those printers.

In its security bulletin, HP said 13 different models were affected by the flaw, and said owners should download and apply a firmware patch as soon as possible.

According to a listing on the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures website, the problem is a “directory traversal vulnerability in the HP JetDirect web administration interface”.

Printers are not often thought of as a security risk, but with many now featuring hard disks on which potentially sensitive data could be stored, it makes sense to ensure they are secure.

“Printers tend to be low on the priority list of systems or devices to be patched, this one will likely linger for years to come,” said analyst Adrien de Beaupre of the Internet Storm Center.

“The impact might not seem severe, as in the attacker can view the printer configuration, however viewing cached versions of printed documents can be. Other than patching, disallowing access to the web admin interface is likely the only other mitigation.”

Source: www.itpro.co.uk

Key words: hackers, printers, danger

Scientists find dangerous particles in printers again

The identity and origin of tiny, potentially hazardous particles emitted from common laser printers have been revealed by a new study at Queensland University of Technology, USA.

Professor Lidia Morawska from QUT's International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health led the study which aimed to answer questions raised by earlier findings that almost one third of popular laser printers emitted large numbers of ultra-fine particles.

These tiny particles are potentially dangerous to human health because they can penetrate deep into the lungs.

Professor Morawska said the latest study found that the ultra-fine particles formed from vapors, which are produced when the printed image is fused to the paper.

"In the printing process, toner is melted and when it is hot, certain compounds evaporate and those vapors then nucleate or condense in the air, forming ultra-fine particles," she said.

"The material is the result of the condensation of organic compounds which originate from both the paper and hot toner."

The study compared a high-emitting printer with a low-emitting printer and found that there were two ways in which printers contributed to the formation of these particles.

Professor Morawska said this research provided information which would help consumers better understand the risks of laser printers and would help the printer industry to design low or no emission printers.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090211094043.htm

Key words: dangerous printers, particles, health issues

Inks from your coffee dregs

High costs for inks made some inventive minds look around for other sources to feed a printer. Here is an interesting result: after drinking your morning coffee, you could use the dregs on the bottom of your coffee cup for printing a couple of pages. Here is the way this “break-thru” technology might look like if it were on the market.


Source: Inhabitat

Key words: inks from coffee, interesting, strange printing, inks

Kodak is experiencing hardships

According to Reuters, Eastman Kodak forecast a wider-than-expected loss and said revenue could drop as much as 18 percent in 2009.

In a statement on Feb. 03, 2009, Kodak reps explained the company expected revenue to drop 12 percent to 18 percent in 2009, leading to a loss from continuing operations of $200 million to $400 million.

Analysts had expected a 2009 loss of only $35 million, according to Reuters.

In the statement, Chief Executive Antonio Perez said the company's balance sheet is "solid", but that it sees "no immediate signs of economic recovery."

Compounding its woes, the recession has pushed Kodak's consumer customers to scale back on vacations and other events that typically spur use of photography services. Meanwhile, businesses have reduced spending on printing systems.

One year ago, before the worst of the economic downturn, Kodak's perspective looked much brighter. It had anticipated revenue by a compound annual growth rate 5 percent from 2008 to 2011. A new restructuring plan was elaborated. During that restructuring, Kodak halved its workforce.

As a result of the economic environment, the company plans to cut costs, including investment in growth areas, such as Image Sensor Solutions, its Kodak Gallery online service, Electrophotographic Printing in GCG, and Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLED).
Source: www.reuters.com

Key words: Kodak, economic downturn, loss in value

HP joins Formula 1

Last week HP announced a two year partnership with the ING Renault F1 team. The announcement was made at the launch of Renault’s new car, the R29, at Renault’s office in Paris.

Innovation, technology and performance are key criteria that both companies share and are critical to the success in the worlds of Formula 1 and technology. HP supplies highly reliable, performance-engineered products and solutions to support the racing stable on its course to victory.

To effectively conduct the necessary calculations and stimulations in the development of Renault’s single-seaters, HP supplied the test facility in the UK with HP ProLiant BL456c servers to integrate the workflow and support.

For the conception and analysis office, HP has provided HP xw6600 workstations with the latest technology and 3D notion. The HP 8530w mobile workstations allow for the recovery and analysis of data when the cars are at the racetrack.

“This partnership is proof of HP’s technology and innovation leadership in a highly performance-driven environment,” said Eric Cador, senior vice president, HP PSG EMEA. “The quality and reliability of our products and solutions supplied to the ING Renault F1 Team will help to further improve their competitive performance on the track.”

Source: www.hp.com

Key words: HP, Formula 1, news, companies

Lexmark changes its inkjet division's name

Lexmark International executives told employees on Jan. 28 that the company is changing the official name of its inkjet printer division to better reflect its strategy and product offerings.

The Consumer Products Division, as it has been called, has been renamed the Imaging Solutions Division.

Paul Rooke, Lexmark's Executive Vice President, who heads the division, noted that since 2007, Lexmark "has been transitioning our CPD business from a low-end, low-usage consumer-focused business to a business with higher-value, higher-usage inkjet devices designed to meet the needs of small office/home office and small to midsized business customers."

Lexmark's inkjet division has struggled since the latter half of 2005 as customers bought the printers, which are often sold for little or no profit, but then didn't buy enough of the highly profitable ink to meet profit expectations.

Since 2006, Lexmark has walked away from 20 percent, and then 30 percent more, of its inkjet printer sales in an attempt to get away from those people who don't print enough.

It has focused product introductions on higher-usage segments, such as all-in-ones, which include scan, copy and sometimes fax functions. Plus, it's developed many wireless inkjet printers, which are often used by multiple computers, meaning more ink used per printer.

And the company is focusing its marketing dollars on countries with higher print usage.

Source: www.kentucky.com

Key words: Lexmark, name, Imaging department, printers