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InfoTrends Report Offers Details on the Latest Developments in Smart Chips

(Weymouth, MA) November 30, 2009 . . . When OEMs first started using chips on supplies, the aftermarket initially struggled due to the newness of the concept and the limited availability of solutions. Today, the aftermarket has found solutions to solve this issue and includes chips on their products simply because the OEMs do. Some aftermarket companies believe that the ability of the aftermarket to bring products to market faster and finding ways around patents is having an impact on the OEMs. In the past five years, however, chips have become much more complex. While in the past, the chip (sometimes a killer chip) would count pages and shut down the cartridge, it now communicates with the printer and is, in many cases, the engine that drives the printer. In addition, chips were initially more of a memory device but now have more restrictions and provide more functionality to improve toner/cartridge performance. The aftermarket now largely has to offer chipped products otherwise their offerings would not be fully functional.

Cathy Martin, a Senior Consultant at InfoTrends, stated, “While smart chips initially presented a challenge to the aftermarket, they have become so commonplace that the aftermarket has access to nearly everything they need to produce similar effects.” She continued, “Nevertheless, it is a constant technology struggle as the OEMs continue to enhance the technology and features provided by the chips and the aftermarket continues to seek ways to keep pace with them. To make things even more difficult, the time to market for new OEM supplies for new printers appears to be getting smaller forcing the aftermarket to continually develop and find sources of parts and components including chips.”

InfoTrends has released a report offering details on the smart chip market, including a separate Excel file with a database of chips by product and aftermarket options available:

This report, Smart Chips Revisited: 2009, serves as a follow up to InfoTrends’ 2003 report on the smart chip market. It provides details on:

• Background information on smart chips
• The view of the aftermarket
• Legal issues around the use of chips
• Laser & inkjet manufacturers using smart chips
• Printing supplies and the auto industry
• Chip manufacturers
• US-based aftermarket chip providers
• Asian aftermarket chip providers
• Inkjet chip reset products
• A profile of Cryptography Research

For more information or to purchase this report, please visit our online store or contact Robyn Wuori at +1 ext. 103 or e-mail .

InfoTrends, a Questex company, is the leading worldwide market research and strategic consulting firm for the digital imaging and document solutions industry. We provide research, analysis, forecasts, and advice to help clients understand market trends, identify opportunities, and develop strategies to grow their businesses. Additional information about InfoTrends is available on the Web at www.infotrends.com.

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