PhotoEnhance: The new inkjet killer

Colour laser printers are becoming more cost-effective each year and with customers cottoning on to this fact, and vendors striving to deliver additional functionality to end-users, it is quite plausible that the inkjet stronghold in the SME and home market will come under threat from the laser printer over the next three years.

"The addition of one new feature in Oki`s new range of colour lasers, PhotoEnhance, brings with it a strong indication that this trend of competing with the inkjet market could well be closer than most have anticipated," says Neil Rom, managing director of Printacom, local brand representative for the Oki range of printing solutions.

"The reason for this is simple," he says. "When it comes to general colour printing, the colour laser has for some time now been capable of delivering far superior print quality, in far shorter timeframes and at more acceptable print costs.

"While the laser has won this battle hands down, the final straw has come in the form of digital photo printing, an activity that has become the most significant driver within the home market. The massive growth that the digital photography and photo output markets have undergone over the past decade serves as testimony to this.

"The release of the new range of Oki colour lasers printers has brought with it an `ace up the sleeve`," enthuses Rom. "PhotoEnhance technology quite simply allows users to achieve photo-like results from their laser printer, using plain paper. At the end of the day it`s a win for the home, SME and corporate user.

"When it comes to digital photo printing, the home user is obviously striving for the best possible results at the lowest cost. The SME user on the other hand is looking for cost-effective and reliable colour printing, but at the same time, a unit that is capable of delivering on versatile needs. They are, after all, generally responsible for their own marketing," Rom says.

"With the new units we believe we are providing exactly what a broad spectrum of users require, at an affordable price. For us, it`s yet another example of Oki leading the pack," Rom continues.

"In fact, prior to the introduction of PhotoEnhance, Oki was at the forefront of innovative technology, bringing to market one of the first in-line LED-driven engines, which dramatically improved colour laser print speeds. It has now, once again stepped into a leadership position in terms of features, something Oki customers can be assured of in the years to come - technology leadership," he concludes.