Vendors focus on high-end products to counter sagging shipments of HCP

Dubai: The Middle East hardcopy peripherals (HCP) market recorded an alarming quarter-on-quarter drop in unit shipments in Q2 2008 of 6.8 per cent. According to market research company IDC, the market's value overcame the shortfall, however, to grow 4.1 per cent quarter-on-quarter, following a change of focus from several vendors towards promoting higher-end products to achieve their value targets.

The overall market stood at around 825,000 units valued at approximately $327 million, driven primarily by the volume and value growth of multifunctional peripherals (MFP) shipments, which were responsible for 43.4 per cent unit market share. Both single-function printers and copiers witnessed double-digit declines in unit shipments, which clearly reinforces IDC expectations of a stronger shift to MFP products in the coming quarters.

In terms of technology, inkjet devices recorded the biggest quarter-on-quarter unit decline at 14.6 per cent, while shipments of monochrome laser products remained stable, growing 0.6 per cent in volume over Q1. Color laser devices were the star performers, as shipments grew by around 11.0 per cent in both volume and value for the quarter.

On a country level, Egypt was the fastest growing country in the region with quarter-on-quarter growth of around 26.0 per cent in volume and 62.5 per cent in value, reflecting the country's strong potential and its healthy business environment. Saudi Arabia saw a slight quarter-on-quarter decline of 1.0 per cent in volume, while the UAE posted a moderate 1.7 per cent increase in unit shipments.