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European Mass Market Scanner Growth Continues as Market Matures

(Weymouth, MA) December, 19 2000... The Western European market is the second largest market for scanners, accounting for more than 35% of the worldwide market in 2000. Growth in the Western European market is due to factors ranging from low prices, to PC bundles, and the growth of the retail channel and e-commerce. The low end flatbed scanner market in Europe is estimated to grow to almost 18 million units in 2005, according to a new report from InfoTrends Research Group. Revenues are projected to peak in 2004 at $1.6 billion, and then begin to decline.

"The Western European scanner market is beginning to enter a phase of maturity, which is marked by slowing unit growth and flattening scanner prices," said Janet Kauffman, research analyst for InfoTrends Research Group. "The stability in average selling prices is attributed to several key factors, including the departure of low-cost scanner brands, the user demand for features and quality, and the need for vendors to increase profitability. Thus, prices will decline 12% annually through 2005."

As the market transitions into maturity, the market will continue to consolidate as vendors seek out more profitable markets. Furthermore, the composition of the market is changing, as premium-brand vendors increase their market share at the expense of low-cost scanner vendors. Indeed, many secondary companies lost market share in 2000. Remaining vendors will need to stay in touch with consumers to continue innovating and developing new technologies.

InfoTrends' annual report on the Western European scanner market, "2000 European Mass Market Scanner Forecast," available now, profiles key players Acer, Agfa, Artec/Ultima, Canon, Epson, HP, Microtek, Mustek, Plustek, Primax, and Umax. It outlines the evolving scanner distribution trends in Western Europe, including the rise of e-commerce. Looking toward 2001, the report discusses the key technology trends that will impact the market, including market size for PC shipments, inkjet printer shipments, and online connectivity by country. The five year forecast includes breakouts by price segment, country, sensor, interface, resolution, bit-depth, and OS.