OEMs look to target SMB small office home office (SOHO) users with new inkjet printers.
Afaqs! reports that both HP India and Canon India are set to compete in the entry-level printer market, despite the market for inkjet printers declining in recent years.
HP has released new Officejet Pro X series printers along with Officejet Pro 3610/3620 B&W series printers based on new laser technology that has running costs comparable to toner refills but is claimed to produce “laser-like quality” prints. While the Officejet Pro X printers are aimed at mid-sized enterprises, the Officejet Pro B&W series are specifically designed for small businesses and the SOHO market in India and China, priced at Rs 7,999 ($146/€113) and Rs 11,999 ($219/€170), with both models offering print, scan and copy capabilities.
The OEM plans to run a “multi-channel advertising and marketing campaign across print, digital, out-of-home and at point of sales outlets”, including delivery of training to sales professionals at a retailer level in order to highlight the advantages of its inkjet products over laser at point of sales, beginning with 1,500 stores across India’s top 10 cities.
Ranjivit Singh, Head of Marketing, Printing and Personal Systems India and HP India, commented on the plan: “It is like creating a new category. It will be one of our most visible campaigns.
Meanwhile, Canon India also plans to launch new inkjet printers designed for the SOHO segment, with industry analysts expecting demand in the inkjet market to grow as a result of both OEMs targeting it.
The business inkjet market in particular has experienced decline, with 80 to 85 percent of the 1.1 million inkjet printers shipped in 2012 being bought by home users. Alok Bharadwaj, Executive Vice President of Canon India explained that “cost of printing is the biggest driver in the business segment”.
The perceived gap in quality between laser and inkjet is another factor affecting the business inkjet market, with original ink refills needing to be cheaper to keep overall cost of printing and maintenance down. Furthermore, businesses are increasingly using MFPs that can be accessed over a shared network, and many predominantly use black and white printing, for which laser printers are often seen as more appropriate.