HP
burns up printer market
10
May, 2005
by Steve
Wexler
Already
the dominant player in the imaging and printing markets, HP
is looking to further separate itself from its competitors with
new solutions and partnerships targeted at graphics
professionals and small and mid-size businesses. Announced on
Tuesday, the offerings bring new capabilities for general office
printing, in-house marketing, and color management.
Highlighting
the news is the HP Color LaserJet 2600n printer which, starting
at US $399, sets a new standard for its class with a combination
of affordability, fast print speeds and high print quality. With
speeds up to 60 percent faster than comparably priced color
laser printers, customers no longer have to sacrifice price,
speed or quality when purchasing a color laser printer for their
home office or business.
According
to Gartner analyst Peter Grant, the SMB marketplace is at an
ideal point for the adoption of low-cost, high-quality printing
solutions. "Color has been growing in popularity because of
lower prices and faster print speeds for monochrome and color,
which in turn will open up market opportunities as customers try
color printing for their home or office for the first
time," he said. "If they have the same reliable
experience with color that they get with monochrome, they may
just switch."
Research
shows that many small businesses are eager to move from
monochrome printing to in-house color printing to promote their
services, products and image. A study conducted by International
Communications Research for HP found that 60 per cent of all
SMBs are currently using color marketing materials to promote
their business.
HP's
new relationship with LogoWorks, a company that specializes in
Web-based logo design services, enables SMB customers to get a
customized, professional-quality logo created in just a few
days, starting at $265. The computer giant also has expanded its
relationship with StockLayouts, a company that creates
agency-quality graphic design templates in Microsoft Word and
Microsoft Publisher for in-office printing. Through this
relationship, HP now offers customers a special edition CD of
StockLayouts templates packed with professional-looking
brochures, flyers, newsletters, business cards and more.
HP
also announced a variety of imaging and printing solutions for
the SMB customer, including:
solutions
for the small office, home office or small workgroup (HP
LaserJet 1020 starting at $179; the faster HP LaserJet 1022
starting at $199; HP Business Inkjet 1000 starting at $149; HP
Deskjet 9800 series wide-format printer starting at $299; and HP
Color LaserJet 2600n starting at $399); specialized color
printing and space-saving multi-function options (HP Business
Inkjet 2800 starting at $499; HP Designjet 70 C+/A2+ printer
starting at $795; and HP Color LaserJet 2800 All-in-One series
starting at $799); and imaging and media solutions (HP mp3135
Digital Projector series starting at $2,499; HP vp6300 Digital
Projector series starting at $799; HP Scanjet 7650 starting at
$699; and HP Coated Laser Brochure Paper, glossy and HP Coated
Laser Photo Paper, glossy starting at $19.99.
Expanded
alliances offer more choices for graphics professionals. HP is
expanding its alliances with key industry leaders to improve the
imaging and printing experience for graphic arts professionals,
including graphic designers and professional photographers. For
more information, visit www.hp.com/go/2005hpimagingandprintingconference.
Copyright 2004 Integratedmar.com Corporation
