Laser MFPs shoot for SME customers
While previous inkjet multi-function printers had a poor reputation, the latest laser models can be of real benefit, writes Michael Duffy
Michael Duffy, CRN 30 Oct 2006
ADVERTISEMENTLaser multi-function printers (MFPs) currently represent a strong opportunity for technology resellers, and this is being driven by a number of factors. The UK’s business community features an increasing number of small start-ups and home-workers. These are the customers best positioned to benefit from the advantages of MFPs.
A typical MFP replaces three or sometimes four conventional devices: printers, faxes, scanners and photo-copiers. This provides compelling benefits for smaller business and home-workers. The most obvious of these is the direct saving on initial purchase price; the cost of an MFP is usually much lower than the cost of purchasing all four of those devices separately. Entry-level monochrome MFPs now start from under £100, with colour devices starting at about £300.
In a recent report on the US MFP market, analyst IDC forecast that between 2006 and 2010 the colour laser MFP segment represents one of the strongest growth opportunities. This is likely to be mirrored in the UK.
Perhaps of equal importance is the amount of space an MFP can save. Modern MFPs are designed to offer the smallest footprint possible, and take up less space than the selection of individual devices they replace. Office space is expensive, particularly in the south-east of England, and technology that enables businesses to maximise their use of available space is likely to prove popular.
Aside from these headline benefits, there are also ongoing total cost of ownership (TCO) savings associated with MFPs that are perhaps less obvious. Newer MFP devices are based on laser printing engines, as opposed to older inkjet-based models. These are cheaper to run because the printing cost per page is much lower. Over a typical three-year lifespan, a laser MFP will cost its owner anywhere between three and eight times less than an inkjet, depending on how heavily it is used. This figure takes into account both the up-front purchase price of the device and the cost of buying consumables over that period.
Inkjet MFP devices have proven popular in the past because of their low purchase price, compared with lasers. But with increased awareness in the marketplace of TCO issues and the falling price of laser devices, laser MFPs represent a growth opportunity.
Laser printer-based devices have a number of other inherent advantages over inkjets. They can print much more quickly, are far quieter, and do not use wet ink, so the print-outs do not smudge when handled.
In addition to the TCO savings that come from the lower printing costs, MFPs also consume less power than the combination of devices they replace in an office. With increasing energy costs, this is a benefit which should appeal to businesses of all sizes. Equally, by consolidating the copy, print, fax and scan functions into a single device with just one operating interface, staff only need to be trained on one device.
Using one single device means that customers can simplify maintenance and support. Rather than having three or four separate companies to deal with consumables, maintenance and technical support, an MFP means that the customer can have a single point of contact.
While MFPs have been around for a while, older inkjet-based models were too slow, noisy and expensive to run for mainstream business adoption. However, these days newer, laserprinter-based devices are more affordable than ever and offer many more advantages.
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