Indian SMBs to spend $330 million on printers

Kolkata

May 11th, 2007

Small and medium businesses (up to 999 employees) in India are on track to
spend $330 million on printers this year, up a robust 19 percent over last
year's $280 million. The bulk of the fresh demand comes from small businesses
(up to 99 employees), which will account for upto 75 percent of the country's
total SMB printer expenditure this year, according to a recent study by Access
Markets International (AMI) Partners.

"The volume of documentation among SMBs has grown multi-fold-product
brochures, marketing proposals, pamphlets, bills and advertisements," says
Somnath Das, Analyst at AMI-Partners. "This acts as a significant driver;
boosting SMB demand for printing and imaging. Easy availability of low-cost
printers coupled with the adoption and usage of integrated printing solutions
has resulted in significant cost savings to SMBs."

AMI's study notes that Indian SBs (small businesses with up to 99 staff) are
ones that show huge progress in terms of technology adoption. Das says. "Up
to 40% of PC-owning SBs bought printers in 2006-either to augment existing
infrastructure or as first-time adopters. There is also a gradual shift from
inkjets to color laser printers and multi-functional devices (MFDs)," he
adds.