China becomes a regional leader in managed print service

China has become one of the leaders in Asia Pacific's managed print services estimated to reach US$1 billion by 2012, said Springboard Research Monday.

The managed print services (MPS) market is forecast to grow from US392 million in 2007 to US$825 million in 2011, according to the research house

"These robust growth figures indicate not just vibrant MPS marketplace, but they also reflect the emergence of MPS as the best growth bet for the print hardware vendors in the region, who have seen a decline of hardware sales amidst the economic slowdown," said Sanchit Vir Gogia, senior research analyst for Services at Springboard Research. "Enterprises in the region are eager to test and adopt the 'next level' of printing environment, presenting the MPS vendors with a growth opportunity in a difficult economic situation."

Australia and China lead the region

Australia and New Zealand together will remain the largest MPS market in the region throughout the forecast period of 2007-2012; cornering over 25 percent of the market and expanding at a CAGR of 19.3 percent, Springboard said. While India is behind China and ASEAN in overall market size, the South Asian country is forecasted to be the fastest-growing market in the region with a CAGR of 22.6 percent, the analyst firm added.

"The MPS model is still in its infancy in Asia Pacific and enterprises in the region need to be educated that this is much more than an alternative print hardware purchase model," said Phil Hassey, vice President for Services at Springboard Research. "The challenge for providers is to ensure they manage MPS offerings prices and offer solutions as a long-term strategy, providing immediate and successful results for enterprises."

HP and Fuji-Xerox are top vendors

In the MPS competitive landscape, HP is the clear leader with a dominant market presence in the region's marketplace, said Springboard. In second place, Fuji-Xerox has leveraged its robust set of MPS offerings and a strong partner ecosystem to strengthen its regional presence, Springboard added. Lexmark is the only other global printer vendor that has a discernible market presence in the region, Springboard noted. The remaining market is highly fragmented and is made up of local service providers and other printer vendors, the research company observed.
By Computerworld Hong Kong Staff, Computerworld Hong Kong, 03/19/2009