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Developing Regions Drive Worldwide Page Volume Growth as Developed Regions Lose Ground, According to IDC

Users continued to adopt the convenience and functionality of multifunction peripherals (MFPs), which helped MFPs increase their lead in page share. Single-function printers and single-function digital copiers declined in page volume and share. MFP page growth showed regional variation with developing regions recording double-digit growth rates, while developed regions settled for single-digit growth.

The page-volume story remains consistent across MFP technologies with a twist. For laser, MFPs are the leaders in page volume but lag printers in installed base. Worldwide laser printers still generated a respectable 1.1 trillion pages in 2010, and registered page growth of 1.6%. For inkjets, MFPs are the dominant force both in terms of both page volume and installed base.

Color laser continued its penetration in both developed and developing regions. Developing regions had a healthy appetite for color laser pages across both printers and MFPs with double-digit growth across the spectrum. In contrast, developed regions had double-digit color laser MFP page growth of 15.5% while color laser printers registered 0.6% page growth. Affordable color and select developing economies are driving color in developing markets. Measured against the backdrop of managed print services (MPS) and workflow digitization, color remains a bright spot for vendors in developed economies. With mono laser still at 85% of the worldwide installed base, this gives color ample upside opportunity.

Technology Highlights

• Color laser recorded increases in both developing and developed regions for overall installed base growth and page growth. Worldwide color laser page volume grew 11% year over year.
• Laser A3 devices contributed 49% of total page volume despite constituting only 14% of the worldwide installed base. A4 devices are moving up in speed, reducing average print volume in the higher speed segments. Copier-based vendors (A3) will need to address this challenge, nonetheless continuing to strengthen their A4 lineups to meet growing A4 demand.
• Laser printer devices continued to transition to higher speeds across both mono and color. This trend was stronger in developed regions. One example: mono laser printer pages in developed regions grew to 575 billion from 565 billion, in spite of an installed base decline of 3.3%.
• While inkjets comprised the majority of the worldwide installed base with a 64% share, overall share decreased by 1.4% year over year. However, developing regions recorded growth of 1.5% in the installed base, expanding from 109 million to 111 million units.

Vendor Highlights

HP retained the number one position for overall worldwide page share in 2010. Canon and Xerox retained the number two and three rankings in worldwide page share. Xerox's momentum in laser pages helped it close the gap with Canon in worldwide page share.

Additional worldwide details (technology category, sub technology category, sub technology product level) are provided in the table below.

The study, from IDC's Worldwide Page Volume and Vendor Share Program, provides total market size and vendor shares for single-function printer, MFP, and single-function digital copier (SFDC) pages (prints/copies) and installed base. Data includes installed base units and pages by technology, sub-technology, and speed (laser) for 7 regions.

Notes:

• * Digital hardcopy devices include single-function printers, multifunctional peripherals (MFPs), and single-function digital copiers (SFDC). This study included only mono laser devices under 70 ppm (pages per minute), color laser devices under 45 ppm, and personal through workgroup inkjets.
• IDC tracks A3 and A4 digital devices using remote monitoring tools, consumable trackers, and other data collection methods. Installed base is derived from IDC Worldwide Hardcopy Peripherals Tracker shipment data and IDC proprietary retirement research.
• Developed regions include the United States, Western Europe, Canada, and Japan. Developing regions include Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan), Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa.

For more information about IDC's Worldwide Page Volume and Vendor Share Program, please contact Angele Boyd (aboyd@idc.com) or Dinesh Srirangpatna (dsrirangpatna@idc.com).

About IDC

International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. IDC helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based decisions on technology purchases and business strategy. More than 1,000 IDC analysts provide global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. For more than 47 years, IDC has provided strategic insights to help our clients achieve their key business objectives. IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world's leading technology media, research, and events company. You can learn more about IDC by visiting www.idc.com.

IDC
Dinesh Srirangpatna, 949-241-6576
dsrirangpatna@idc.com
or
Michael Shirer, 508-935-4200
press@idc.com