September 26, 2007

Your Next Printer: Cheaper Printer or Cheaper Prints

There's a new war for your printing dollar going on, and you should be aware of it.

Kodak and Xerox have recently launched color printers (ink jet and solid-ink respectively) that are more expensive than printers from HP (and possibly others).

They are more expensive initially but claim to offer less of a cost for the actual print per page being that the ink is cheaper. If printing is important to you you really need to educate yourself and know about printing.

HP is clearly the leader in printing and has a lot of not only market share but mind share. Xerox has a loyal following and wants to build its lead, as does Lexmark, Dell and other printer manufacturers. Kodak, only recently in the printing business is going to vigorously fight to gain more market share as well.

What does this mean for your business?

The International Herald Tribune writes - There is no question about which industry behemoth Xerox hopes to disrupt. According to IDC, the market consultants who track industry sales, Hewlett-Packard commanded almost 40 percent of the global market for color laser printers last year, up from 33 percent in 2005.

Xerox's share held steady at 10 percent in that period. And AngËle Boyd, an IDC vice president who specializes in imaging and printing, doubts that Xerox will gain much ground.

Although much of the business world is focusing on "Web 2.0" and now Vonage's two body slamming court orders - printing is only going to get more important.

How what you print looks is a direct reflection on your business. The cost of what you print is equally important and needs to be of concern to you.

If you only have 1 or 2 printers and your printing needs are minimal, printing might not be any significant part of your budget. However, if you have several printers and print lots of prints and copies then seriously considering the cost of printing and evaluating the brands of printers you use, cost of paper, and ink should be on your priority list.

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