10 May 2010
The monochrome laser printer market faces a challenging future because of the economic downturn, according to four new reports from Lyra Research.
The reports present worldwide forecast data and analysis for the black and white laser printer market, and single function low-end printers and high end MFPs.
Monochrome Single-Function Laser Printers: Worldwide Forecast, 2006–2013 explores how the global economic slowdown caused a severe decline in shipments and revenue for the monochrome single-function laser printer market in 2009. It discusses how corporate layoffs drastically reduced workforces, which in turn reduced printer requirements.
Companies slashed IT budgets and replaced older printers only if they malfunctioned and could not be repaired. As a result, unit shipments of laser monochrome devices were down 40 percent through three quarters of 2009. As the economy begins to improve, the monochrome laser market will start to rebound in 2010, but managed print services and migration to shared multifunction devices will slow growth in this market.
Low-End Monochrome Laser MFP Market Worse Than Expected in 2009: Worldwide Forecast, 2006–2013 examines how low-end monochrome MFP shipments began to decline throughout the world during the last quarter of 2008 and how a large correction to the low-end of the monochrome MFP market occurred in 2009.
In 2009, once thriving low-end market segments experienced plummeting shipment and revenue growth rates. The migration of models into faster segments and the continuing decline of fax-based device shipments continued to contribute to a drop off in this segment, with the poor economy accelerating these trends.
Midrange Monochrome Laser MFP Market Flattens Out: Worldwide Forecast, 2006–2013 discusses how the midrange monochrome MFP market had been growing slowly in 2008 in terms of unit shipments. This growth was fueled by strong increases in shipments of A4-size MFPs, counterbalanced by declining shipments in A3-size MFPs.
In 2009, the recession caused the situation to change drastically when potential buyers took themselves right out of the market for both A4- and A3-size models. The decline in shipments of A3-size models might have been worse if it hadn’t been for the fact that some customers opted not to acquire A3-size color devices and instead acquired monochrome A3-size MFPs.
High-End Monochrome Laser MFP Market Still in a Slump: Worldwide Forecast, 2006–2013 discusses why the recession impacted the high-end segment of the monochrome MFP market earlier than it affected other monochrome MFP segments. The decline began in mid-2008, when limited access to credit, which is often required to purchase these expensive devices, caused the market to falter.
Customers who normally would have purchased MFPs for high-volume walk-up environments or for central reprographic departments deferred purchases between 2008 and 2009. In 2009, customers cancelled many purchases outright or deferred them indefinitely. Commercial printers also found themselves with excess capacity because overall print volumes dropped dramatically in 2009.
Director for Lyra’s Hard Copy Industry Advisory Service Larry Jamieson said: “The monochrome laser market has been the bedrock of the office printing market for more than two decades, but as we enter the post-recession era, there will be many challenges for monochrome laser vendors. Print usage and hardware acquisition practices are changing as a result of increased interest in the cost of printing, concern for the environment, and greater use of managed document services to control print costs.
“Players in the office printing market will need to understand the changing dynamics of printing and where the opportunities lie. Certainly, single-function printers and A3-size MFPs are facing significant pressure, and there is definitely a greater interest in A4-size MFPs. Color still looms large for the future. However, monochrome print capability will still dominate most office and home office applications, and there is still opportunity for printers, especially in the emerging markets.”
The full reports cost $950 each, click here for more information and to buy them.