HP to target small, medium businesses

Hewlett Packard India Pvt Ltd is now looking at the small and medium business (SMB) segment to drive growth in its colour laser jet printer market in the future.

With two new colour laser printers "" CLJ 3500 and CLJ 3700 "" launched a few days back, the company is looking at further consolidating its share in the laser colour printer market of the country.

According to figures released by the International Data Corporation (IDC), the total colour laser jet market in India in the calendar year 2002 was 1,870 units, which has registered a steep hike, with as many as 2,481 units being sold in India in the first three quarters of the calendar year 2003.

"At the end of the third quarter that ended September 2003, the share of HP was 94.4 per cent," said Vibhor Bansal, country category manager, colour lasers and business inkjets for Hewlett Packard.

The other companies that have the remaining 5.6 per cent share in the colour laser market are Xerox with 3.9 per cent and others like Epson and WeP.

The colour laser printer market in the country today is less than three per cent of all the printers sold.

Bansal said, "With the new series launched in the SMB segment, we intend to drastically increase this number."

Elaborating on the business plans of the company, Bansal said about six months ago, HP introduced the 'Colour in office' concept, with the intention of making colour printing more affordable, and thus increasing sales.

"The idea is not to provide the cheapest colour laser printers, but just the right products for various categories," Bansal said.

Bansal said the colour laser printers that have been introduced for the SMB segment will be complemented with the Business Inkjet series of printers introduced about two months back.

"The BIJ 1100d printers are meant for a small work group, ideally a corporate, where the cost per page turns out to be just one rupee," said Bansal.

The country head for colour laser and inkjet printers said with these new products, the number of printers sold annually will increase drastically and for the first time, colour laser printers will actually be affordable, with entry level prices being as low as Rs 40,000.

"We will also be better placed to compete with Xerox, HP's competitor, in the higher-end printing segment in the country. The new series will also boost the sales of printers, which had registered a flat growth about two years ago," he said.

A survey carried out by the company has revealed that the sales success rate of companies almost doubles if colour is used in presentations, proposals and other documents related to business.

"We have launched a countrywide awareness campaign along with our partners in to popularise the use of colour in office, which will be reflected in our sales figures this calendar year," the official said.