3/2009
How do you define "copier"?
My definition is, "...any output device whose design and manufacturing heritage includes walk-up copy functionality, a healthy amount of copies each month, and 11x17 media handling - defined in our industry as A3 devices. There was a time when to be a copier, the unit simply was not connected to a computer. Makes sense.
When I attend shows and meet people for the first time, give them my card, and nine times out of ten, a smirk comes over that person's face. Soon to be followed by, "what the heck are you doing here? Don't you know everybody here sells copiers?"
Of course, somebody touting a name like "The Death of the Copier" in an ocean of "copier guys" is going to get strange looks.
The title refers to the sea change in our and any other industry that depends (or once depended) upon paper.
The title is not to be taken literally - or should it?
Walking around the ITEX show I could not find one A3 machine(Oki, Konica, Samsung, Xerox may have had some, but I didn't get past the first pew in PagePack church) - yes, all the machines could print, yes they all had ADF's and could scan/copy.
But the A4s were everywhere.
HP for years has been telling people that less than 20% of copying is done on 11x17. Interesting.
Some studies from HP also state that the average number of images per machine averaged using ALL machines in the field, comes to around 5,000. Interesting.
Could the rest of the Office Output universe be quietly catching up or catching on?
Perhaps HP has been so quiet recently for a reason; instead of trying to change the copier industry/model, HP may just let the industry evolve to its level.
Regardless, without much fanfare - TheDeathOfTheCopier is upon us right now.
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