Printer Market Weathered a Weak Q1 says IDC

New Zealand Printer Market Weathered a Weak Q1 says IDC

Auckland, 5th June 2003

New Zealand's economic situation deteriorated in the first quarter of 2003, as a combination of factors such as the rising exchange rate against the US dollar, the power crisis and geopolitical concerns regarding the war in Iraq and the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) have dampened business confidence. Furthermore, summer holidays traditionally extend into Q1, thus shortening the quarter for businesses.

As a result, the total printer market, dominated by inkjet printers which made up of 82.0% of the total printer shipments, weathered a weak Q1 with a growth of 6.1% in shipments over last quarter. A total of 46,314 inkjet, laser, dot matrix and line printers valued at NZ$22.8 million were shipped in Q1 2003. Compared to the same quarter last year the total printer market declined by 8.3% and 5.4% in units and values respectively.

When considering the Asia Pacific region the New Zealand printer market was not as badly affected. Countries such as Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore experienced a decline of 33.1%, 13.2% and 12.5% respectively in shipments over the same period last year.

IDC forecasts the overall printer shipments to grow further by approximately 10% in the next quarter as demand is likely to be

stimulated by new budgets released in both the government and corporate segments. However, overall single function printer shipments could be dampened by the uptake of multifunction devices (MFPs), particularly inkjet MFPs, as vendors increase the hype surrounding inkjet MFPs.

About IDC:

IDC is the foremost global market intelligence and advisory firm helping clients gain insight into technology and eBusiness trends to develop sound business strategies. Using a combination of rigorous primary research, in-depth analysis, and client interaction, IDC forecasts local and worldwide markets and trends to deliver dependable service and client advice. More than 700 analysts in 43 countries provide global research with local content. IDC's customers comprise the world's leading IT suppliers, IT organisations, eBusiness companies and the financial community. Additional information can be found at www.idcresearch.co.nz

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