The Kodak Stream Inkjet Press is expected to be available in 2010 and if it is successful, could challenge Xerox and lead to more business for Hewlett-Packard, Eastman Kodak, Ricoh, and other inkjet printer makers. Large offset presses costing several million dollars each, dominate the $400 billion a year printing business. However, inkjet and laser technologies are making small inroads into the market. The new presses challenge Xerox, which claim that their laser technology – iGen3 and Docutech Presses – account for more than half of all digitally produced pages worldwide.

These inkjet presses cost as much as $2.5 million a piece and are more expensive than the $500,000 Xerox machines, but cost less per page to operate. Inkjet machines produce a page for one cent, versus four cents for laser technology used by Xerox. Digital printer makers expect to earn the bulk of their profits by selling ink.

Inkjet makers claim that their technology makes digital printing competitive in price and quality with offset printing, which produces 9% of all printed pages worldwide. Digital presses only account for 2% of offset pages or $8 billion annually. That share is expected to triple in next three to four years as quality and speed improve.

In May 2008, Samsung Electronics rolled out 26 printing devices and applications and began offering customized print software. They will also offer hardware combined with software applications. Many of Samsung’s new products featured enhanced connectivity capabilities, including wireless and USB ports, providing the ability to print from, or scan to USB sticks, while selected models featured a glossy finish that would add a contemporary edge to modern offices.

Samsung’s plans to enhance its channel network, service infrastructure and reorganize internally to support and drive the next stage of its business growth. It plans to strengthen its corporate channel coverage by over 80% while intending to increase its printer headcount and invest in enhancing its service infrastructure by benchmarking market practices.

New printers include monochrome and color laser beam printers as well as monochrome and color laser multifunction printers along with Samsung printing applications developed in-house or with partners for document management, device management, and billing. Their new printers embraced design principles like smaller size, optimization and being eco-friendly which has won Samsung a Greenpeace award.

After successes in memory chips, mobile phones, and LCD televisions, Samsung’s next wave will be laser printers. They are to become the company’s key business area and have announced an aggressive plan to become the top player in the laser-printer market by 2010.

Samsung has pursued this market due to its large size. According to a market survey, the worldwide printer market was at $131 billion in 2007 while the market for memory chips and LCD TVs was valued at $60 billion and $101 billion respectively. In Southeast Asia alone, laser-printer products generated $400 million in revenue in 2007, or a growth of 80%. Samsung plans to achieve a 90% growth rate in 2008.

The IT business has been a key focus area for Samsung in recent years. They achieved a 31% growth rate in the regional IT market in 2007. The growth in the printer business will help Samsung expand in the IT market. They have formulated strategies for design, optimization and building partnerships to build their brand equity. Samsung is also focusing on building partnerships with global leaders, including Microsoft and EMC that will help develop a range of document-management and device-management solutions.

Monotype Imaging is a global provider of text imaging solutions for manufacturers and developers of consumer electronics devices like laser printers, copiers, mobile phones, digital televisions, digital cameras and software applications, and operating systems. They also provide printer drivers and color imaging technologies to original equipment manufacturers. Monotype Imaging technologies are combined with access to more than 10,000 typefaces and offer fonts and industry-standard solutions that support all of the world’s major languages.

Revenue for the first quarter of 2008 was $27.3 million, up 6% over revenue of $25.7 million in the first quarter of 2007. Net income for the quarter was $3.7 million, compared to a net income of $1.6 million for the same period last year. At the end of the first quarter of 2008, Monotype Imaging had cash balances of $27.8 million and an outstanding debt of $128.1 million compared to cash balances of $19.6 million and an outstanding debt of $131.4 million as of December 31, 2007. The company continues to expect full year revenue for 2008 in the range of $112 to 116 million. This estimate reflects the foreign exchange gain and legal and accounting expenses as well as a higher than anticipated effective tax rate.

Dr. Roger Stronell at the Kitchener Area Reproductive Medicine Associates (KARMA) clinic and the Mississauga Isis Regional Fertility Centre (providing obstetrical and gynecological imaging services for medical specialists) made the move to color laser printing because of its professional look. He told the Toronto Globe and Mail newspaper, “There’s a certain professional panache in color you don’t have with black and white.”

While some radiologists still use typewriters to produce their reports, he has embraced computer technology. Dr. Stronell likes the ability to embed an image in a report and annotate it. He does this for specialists who use the images. As Dr. Stronell points out, “There’s a teaching and consulting function in one.” He uses three laser printers in his clinics and is impressed by their image quality. The drop in prices allowed him to purchase these printers and allowed him to deal with patient issues “quickly and clearly.”