Western Europe Inkjet and Page Printer Installed Base, Page Volume, and Supplies 2012–2016 Forecast

This IDC study presents the market for single-function printers, which is set to decline throughout the forecast period with a sharp fall in shipments 2012. Low-end A4 inkjet printers are the main motor behind the strong trend as they are literally disappearing from retail shelves. Nonetheless, despite a decline in shipments and installed base, monochrome printers will continue to be a key element of the day-to-day office life, used for heavy-volume and back-office printing. Color laser devices will stay afloat experiencing a flat trend in terms of installed base.

"The hardcopy market landscape is developing fast," said Mario Lombardo, research manager, IDC EMEA. "As supplies revenues continue to shrink, vendors are forced to seek new revenue streams in print services and document solutions. For this reason, channel partners and strategic alliances with software vendors will be two key factors for survival in the coming years."