As part of its largest commercial product launch to date, HP has expanded its printing product portfolio with new mobile and wireless printing solutions and an extensive range of affordable inkjet and colour LaserJet printers. All the new printers produce higher quality prints at faster speeds with greater ease of use.
Bernard Meric, senior vice-president for HP`s imaging and printing group (IPG) in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, says this is in line with the company`s strategy for growth, the trend towards digital convergence and a significant growth in the colour printer market.
"In fact, the post-merger quarter was one of the best for IPG, despite low consumer confidence and a global slowdown," says Meric. "The merger helped us gain market share and has put HP in a favourable position to execute its new strategy for growth. We intend to accelerate our presence in Africa so that we move even closer to this market."
Underpinning HP`s strategy is the dramatic increase in worldwide Internet access for both businesses and consumers; greater mobility using wireless technology; the simplicity and quality of digital imaging; an increasing need for high-value communications that allows companies to personalise their information; and a shift in business workflows from analogue to digital systems.
HP has responded by redefining printing and imaging through Web-enabled devices that allow users to print from their PDA, cellphone or laptop. This includes improved printer technology that produces high resolution, reliable products so companies can produce their marketing material in-house without sacrificing quality; and by driving the cost of colour printing down while improving performance, to cater for the growing demand for colour printing.
"Our focus is on making colour printing the standard in the office environment, while maintaining market share in monochrome printing," Meric explains. "In developing these new products, we have overcome many of the barriers to entry such as speed, ease of use, size, reliability and price. We have also included language options such as French and Arabic to cater for our customers in the Middle East and Africa and to counter the grey market."
Roland Farian, HP`s product manager for colour LaserJets, concurs, adding that the new colour LaserJet 2500 is a cost-effective solution that`s ideal for small businesses or users who need a monochrome and colour printer for general office use.
"The LaserJet 2500`s small footprint means it can easily be accommodated on the desktop. It`s easy to use and offers optional network printing and increased media flexibility. Delivering up to 4ppm in colour and 16ppm in black and white, this printer provides high performance at an attractive price, making it accessible to SMEs," he says.
Farian adds that not only does colour printing provide a more professional means of marketing your business, it also helps companies to communicate information more clearly. "Research has shown that printing in colour not only improves comprehension by 75% and increases readership by 40%, but it also accelerates learning from 55% to 75%," he says.
When deciding what type of printer is required - Inkjet or LaserJet - users should base their decision on the volume of colour versus black and white printing, the media used, print speeds and cost per page.
"Typically, the LaserJet provides durable print outs, higher print speeds and is rather media independent. Inkjets on the other hand are designed for smaller print volumes and require special media for improved print quality," says Farian.
"We`ve found that customers have very specific needs and will be loyal to a particular type of printer. However, with the advances in print technology both inkjet and colour LaserJet compete in terms of print quality, performance, reliability and ease of use. HP will continue to offer both technologies, to give customers the choice and to meet their diverse needs."
For more information on HP`s solutions and activities in Africa, surf to www.hp.com/africa.
Share
Editorial contacts