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Ink-Based Technology for the Office Today is a very exciting time in the printing market. After years of only incremental changes to imaging technology, new and important developments promise to usher in a new phase in printing—particularly color printing in the office environment. Several ink-based marking technologies have recently surfaced, and these technologies are causing quite a stir in the market. The reason for this is simple. Ink-based imaging offers a number of attributes that address an underlying need in office printing: affordable color. In fact, for quite some time InfoTrends has forecasted a much broader deployment of inkjet-based technology to address these unmet needs. Benefits and Advantages So, what are the inherent benefits of ink-based marking technology? To begin with, the writing system is relatively simple with only a few major components. Of course, ink is required as well as some sort of ejector or print head. In addition, the ink must be dried once it has been applied to the page. Although it depends on the implementation, most ink-based writing systems can produce high-quality prints at very fast speeds. At the same time, the direct writing process used with ink-based technologies allows for broad support of different media and substrates. Perhaps most importantly, ink-based marking technologies provide for lower hardware and operating costs compared with other marking technologies. The reasons for this are simple: ink is relatively inexpensive compared with toner and there are fewer moving parts, which translates to fewer maintenance items and replaceable components. Despite advancements in marking technology, customers continue to demand more from their office equipment. At the top of the list for most customers today is increased productivity, which does not always mean a faster printer. Often, increased productivity relates more to the need for a product with the right set of features and paper handling capabilities to meet customer needs. Purchase price is also a key component in any future buying decision. In fact, InfoTrends’ own research shows that the cost of the device, the cost of the supplies, and the cost of service continue to be the top three factors influencing future office equipment buying decisions. Finally, office customers are looking to integrate more color into their documents. They understand the value of color—particularly for those documents that touch their own customers. At the same time, however, most of today’s office customers feel that color printing is too expensive. Considering current customer needs and the benefits of inkjet technology, it makes sense to consider an ink-based page printer for the office. An ink-based page printer could address many of the barriers that are prohibiting growth in office color pages today. The preceding is an excerpt from a report entitled Opportunities for Ink-Based Marking Technologies in the Office Imaging Market. To learn more about this report, visit our online store or contact Robyn Wuori at ext. 109 or via e-mail at . |
