OEMs increase focus on IMEA region

July 8, 2011

HP and Canon have made moves to develop their operations in the IMEA (India, Middle East and Africa).

Vyomesh Joshi, HP’s head of imaging and printing, spoke to the Times of India about the OEM’s plans to increase involvement in India, whilst Canon Middle East revealed it would take responsibility for the company’s operations in East Africa.

Joshi told the newspaper that CEO Leo Apotheker had sent him to India to ensure “attention, support and focus” was paid to the opportunities in the Indian market, and that the printing sector there provided a “huge opportunity” for the company to invest.

He added that he wants to ensure the country “becomes an innovation hub”, because the “extraordinary opportunity” for companies to engage with the growing consumer, business and enterprise markets there are there for the taking.

Joshi also commented on the reports that investors would like to break HP up, stating that if people were to “look at our parts and the overall business, and if you look at where the market is going, the value for the customer is more if we stay together.”

Meanwhile, Canon Middle East has announced it will take charge of operations in East Africa to “enhance the delivery of support services” to its partners there. The announcement was made at a meeting in Dubai, with subsidiaries and partners from Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Somalia, Eritrea, Rwanda and Burundi present.

It added that the change would be “greatly beneficial” to customers in the region because trade links would be improved between East Africa and Dubai, with Dubai’s central trade position a particular positive.

Anurag Agrawal, Managing Director, Canon Middle East, stated: “The transfer of operations of the East African market is part of our continuing efforts to raise the level of support that strengthen our relations with partners.

“Moreover, it reaffirms Canon’s commitment to find new ways to deliver our quality products and services to consumers in line with our closer to customers strategy. The recent meeting with our channel partners also provided an excellent opportunity to discuss our exciting plans to harness the immense growth potential of the East African region and to likewise ensure a seamless transition.”

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