(Luton, UK) July 20, 2005… According to a new InfoTrends/CAP Ventures report, total service and maintenance revenues for workgroup copiers, printers, and MFPs sold in Western Europe are expected to demonstrate steady growth, reaching €2.46 billion by 2008. A shift towards higher end printers and the use of more colour are contributing to this market’s overall growth. 

The most growth will occur in the monochrome and colour printer markets where revenues in service and maintenance start at a comparatively low level compared to workgroup copiers. Overall copier service and maintenance revenues will see some decline.

The service and maintenance growth among monochrome and colour laser printers is largely being driven by the increasing popularity of multifunctional printing devices. Overall, a growing installed base, additional functionalities, the prevalence of colour, the increase of serviced printers, and stable average service prices are all reasons for this market’s steady growth. 

Consumers are also gravitating toward network-capable multifunctional high-end devices in the workgroup environment. Because these devices are more critical and of greater value, a growing proportion of extended printer warranty contracts are being sold in the workgroup environment. Growth in this high-end market is also fueling a shift towards the contract or print plan method of selling devices. This is expected as the line between multifunctional copiers and printers continues to blur.

InfoTrends/CAP Ventures’ new white paper entitled Western European Service & Maintenance Solutions: Workgroup Printers/Copiers provides a detailed overview of average service and maintenance costs per unit on a speed segment level for monochrome and colour workgroup printers and copiers. The document also considers how each unit compares with one another in relation to the average costs per unit, total service revenue, and the current and future installed base status.

“Services and solutions will certainly remain a necessity in the market, but these benefits will become less visible as a standalone offering,” commented Catherine Cresswell, a Director at InfoTrends/CAP Ventures. “To succeed in this market, vendors and channels must find ways to incorporate services and solutions into the sale of the hardware, consumables, and even paper rather than attempting to sell them as standalone offerings.”

This white paper is available immediately to clients of InfoTrends/CAP Ventures’ Communication Supplies and Digital Peripherals Solutions Consulting Services Europe. For more information about the report or to make a purchase, click here or contact Jason Russell at + or .