Printing spends drop by one p.c. in 2013: Gartner

MUMBAI, INDIA: The combined serial inkjet and page printer, copier and multifunction product (MFP) market in India totaled 690,344 units in the first quarter of 2013, a 8.9 per cent decrease from the first quarter of 2012, according to Gartner, Inc.

Total end user spending remained almost flat witnessing a fall of one per cent from the same period last year, totaling $237.5 million. Both the monochrome and color markets posted a decline of 2.9 per cent and 11.2 perc ent.

"Vendors are targeting the small and midsize business (SMB) and Small office home office (SOHO) markets in India with increased focus on the cost and quality needs of office users," said Zalak Shah, research analyst at Gartner. "Key market players are trying to stimulate demand with new offerings and working closely with channel partners for market expansion."

HP remained the market leader in the Indian printer; copier and MFP market, as its market share totaled 52 per cent, followed by Canon with 20 per cent share. Epson accounted for nine per cent, while Samsung Electronics accounted for eight per cent of the market in the first quarter of 2013.