Multifunctional and Connected is the New mantra for Printers in India

Printer technology and hence products have moved to the next level, that of solutions and printers are now multi functional devices. The market today demands connectivity for printers like al peripherals for computing. The growing trend of SoHo and small business, and personalization of the computer to a huge extent, has also added impetus to his trend. Most printer manufacturers globally are modifying their portfolios to meet the trend – multifunctional devices, top of the line printing technology along with WiFi connectivity is the need of the day for printers to sell. Brother International has recently launched10 new models of these multi functional printers with best in class technology that meets all needs of the market.

Feature rich printing experience is the way forward. Most brands are catering to this new product- a printing device integrated with Wi Fi connectivity, as well as scan and copy facilities, is the standard printer available in the market today.  In line with this, Brother International India Pvt Ltd. Is revamping their India focused product line with launch of 10 new laser printers.

According to an IDC Report, there has been slow or negative growth in the Hard Computer Peripherals (which includes Inkjet, Laser, SDM & Line Printers) market over the last couple of quarters. The market for HCPs in India grew 1.5% sequentially in Q1 2014, translating into  over 8 lakh units in terms of shipments. Of this, almost 13 % was government buying, especially for the upcoming elections in Q1 of 2014.

In this market, almost 48% is the share of HP’s printers, followed closely by Canon and Epson with 16.4% and 10.5% share respectively.

If the focus stays on laser printers, Q1 of 2014 saw a huge growth of 68.4% from the government as well as the enterprise segments, again lead by HP followed by Canon and Konica Minolta.

The good news is that despite a not so encouraging growth over the last few quarters, the printer industry in India is moving on a business focused path. Most players are mapping customer requirement with technologies and adopting a solutions and services approach rather than a product box approach. As most technologies become service oriented, printers will also become a Managed Print Services segment by 2015. Consequently, new technology will fuel the growth of the market, and in its current closely competitive state, it’s the customers who win all the way. Aggressive analysis and identification of consumers’ needs and technology customisations to meet these needs will be the focus of every printer brand going forward. Given the service mindset and connectivity USP, there is expected a good recovery in the printer market in the next few quarters.

This is also as per the latest report by Netscribes – ‘Printer Market in India 2014”, which maintains that new technologies in the printer market will fuel growth. Coupled with latest features and steady prices, this could be the growth phase that the Indian market needs. The multifunctional device, especially one with wireless connectivity, will see a much greater demand as home computers use rises in the country. Managed printer services are becoming increasingly popular and this is the opportunity that channel partners could well leverage for their business. Newer concepts like green printing and cloud printing are also being introduced in the market, and the distribution channel will utilise all these opportunities to see growth like never before. Smaller business rich regions and tier II and III cities will soon be ripe ground for these products and services.

This is perhaps the trend that Brother International is looking at using as a ride to the crest, in their product line. The brand has recently launched a new Mono Laser 2014 series, with 10 new models for printers, 5 of which are models with Wi-Fi, and 6 multifunctional devices, a strategic decision for the Indian market.

“We observed that printing demands in the consumer market   have shifted from single printer to multifunction and devices with Wi-Fi. In our  new products launch, 5 out of 10 new printers have a Wi-Fi ability, ” observes Yoshiji Matsui, Managing Director, Brother International, India,” so this was our key strategy decision, to launch these products. Now we have a wider range for home businesses, SMBs or even home needs- there is something for every user.”

Closing in on competition, Brother international is now offering printers that will help to establish them in the Indian market. “Though cannon and HO together have almost 45% of the market, we are pitching strongly for a bigger share. Some of our new models will have a much higher memory – almost 4 times, and speed will be 2.5 times,” he adds. There are also some additional features like the Auto Document Feeder (ADF), which is a big value addition for the Indian market.

While competition like Canon and HP have been around for the last 12-13 years, Matsui feels that the technology Brother offers may be a differentiator in the market. In addition, the channel distributers’ strategy has now been made more efficient than before.  In the channel line, by eliminating the national distributers, Brother international has created a free flow for the sales team to concentrate on the BC1 Level of partners. This will allow   more focus on local market needs. In addition, channel partners throughout the country get the advantage of selling anywhere and getting full service and warranty support from Brother international’s support system. With 380 service partners across the country, that should cover all levels of requirements. Besides, this strategy will offer more affordability and higher margins to local master dealers, and will also ensure better flow of support.

“Our policy in terms to channel partners is very clear,” says Matsui,”We offer good margins and rebates to channel partners, to ensure their business needs are met. At present, we are looking at expanding the number of our partners in India to about 600, under the “select partners program”. We would, going forward, like to support our partners even more and expand the number as well. We are doing a lot of ground work to satisfy the channel partners and our products are sure to appeal to end users. In addition, we provide constant upgrade training for our partners, so they are aware that they are selling the best in class printers in the market.”

In addition to partner interest, Brother international intends to have some specific plans and strategies in place for better distribution of their printers, on the roadmap to greater market share. “We are looking at setting up more warehouses,” shares Matsui.

In addition, the brand is adding below and above the line activities to support promotional work- canopies, advertisement and the latest technologies- social media to the fore.

The south Indian market, says Matsui, is vey discerning. While being price sensitive, it also demands the best features. So Brother International ensures the products have the best in class technologies as well as the requirements of the trends- WiFi being one that is in high demand.

Brother International has great plans for the Indian market with its 10 new printer models that take care of the market needs and demands.  Matsui maintains that with these products, both the end users as well as channel partners get to benefit.