The following appears on TheImagingChannel.com
By Luke Goldberg – If you have been in the imaging industry for any length of time or follow it as closely as I do, you know that on any given day a Google search will yield a vast number of articles predicting the death of printing. However, the fact that this has been true for several years now leads to the question: is print really dying?
There is no question that the office printing business is under attack from a number of forces — economic pressures, adoption of mobile devices and advancements in digital display technology top the long list of reasons why many think printing is on its last legs. Forecast projections from market research firms show declines in print and hardware placements in most segments. However, it’s worth our while to actually look at that research rather than simply glancing at headlines.
In its Worldwide Quarterly Hardcopy Peripherals Tracker, International Data Corporation (IDC) shows an overall decrease in the hardcopy peripherals market of more than 10.8 percent. However, the overall market in the fourth quarter of 2015 is still 27.58 million units. That is no small number of hardware devices. Meanwhile, high-end color laser devices continue to grow, meaning color, which has always been an enormous opportunity for the aftermarket supplies industry, continues to represent potential growth. Historically, we have managed to capture a relatively small piece of the lucrative color market; the opportunities only continue to increase for those who provide a product that competes with the OEM in quality and value.
