Printing industry price-drop down under

The printing and imaging industry in Australia has been witnessing alarmingly high levels of activity in the entry-level space since the beginning of 2006, following a continuous sharp drop in the average selling price of hardcopy output devices, says Arnnet.com.

A testimony to the ongoing hyperactive price competition was the emergence of as many as four new entry-level categories in 2006: sub-A$100 single-function mono laser, sub-A$500 single-function colour laser, sub-A$200 multifunction mono laser and sub-A$1000 multifunction colour laser segments.

While the trend is understandably worrisome for most vendors, as they struggle to protect their revenues, on the positive side it offers more options to not only price-sensitive customers, but also the channel.

HP reported on Wednesday a dip in quarterly profit, but an increase in revenue that was driven largely by PC and printing sales, says ZDNet.

In the second fiscal quarter, revenue grew to $25.5 billion, up 13% compared with $22.6 billion in the same period a year ago. Net income was $1.78 billion, down 7% compared with $1.9 billion the previous year.

Earnings per share were 65 cents, down a penny from the same period a year ago, when a one-time tax-settlement gain of 15 cents per share was recorded.

Orbotech, a supplier of hi-tech inspection and imaging solutions for printed circuit boards and flat panel displays, has recently acquired New System, a manufacturer and distributor of inkjet imaging solutions, reports TMCNet.

Orbotech will enter the inkjet imaging market, where the company hopes to invest in synergistic areas that make use of its core technologies and expertise.

Hanan Gino, president of the PCB Division of Orbotech, said this acquisition is another step in Orbotech's strategy to expand from yield management to production solutions."