“North America, which is really the focus of this report, is by far the biggest region in terms of printer and fluids purchases, accounting for about two thirds of the world’s total,” commented Bob Leahey, a Director at InfoTrends/CAP Ventures. “Europe comes in second, while other regions are tiny by comparison.”

In terms of trends, the continuous ink jet segment is relatively flat. This segment has been hurt in direct mail environments by the competition from piezoelectric and thermal ink jet technologies. In bindery and other intensive commercial printing uses, however, continuous ink jet printer placements are still growing at a modest rate. Meanwhile, piezoelectric is increasing at a moderate rate (7.1% per year in revenues), as is thermal ink jet.

The greatest amount of growth in the thermal ink jet (TIJ) market can be attributed to console units, the high-end TIJ printers that marry TIJ ink jet heads to high-speed mail tables (mail transports). TIJ console revenues are expected to show a 10% CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) through 2009, representing the strongest growth among all types of printers.

InfoTrends/CAP Ventures’ new study entitled Inkjet Addressing and Personalization: Overview and Outlook 2004 sizes the ink jet addressing and personalization market in the U.S. and Canada and also provides insight into the habits and preferences of the print providers that purchase these services. The study also provides market estimates for Europe and the rest of the world.

Research for the study consisted of extensive desk research, telephone interviews with the industry’s top equipment vendors and distributors, and two structured surveys yielding more than 200 responses. To support its market estimates, InfoTrends/CAP Ventures also received confidential shipment data from some individual manufacturers of ink jet coders for use in creating aggregate estimates.

Regarding the structured surveys, the first survey questioned lettershops, direct mail houses, and other print providers about their use of high-speed ink jet technology and their preferences for future products. The second survey questioned print customers about the addressing and personalization services that they buy and their preferences for changes in ink jet printing.

InfoTrends/CAP Ventures’ study is available for purchase immediately. For more information on the study or to make a purchase, please contact Alison Hipp at (781) 616-2100, ext. 126 or via e-mail at alison_hipp@infotrends.com.

InfoTrends/CAP Ventures is the leading worldwide market research and strategic consulting firm for the digital imaging and document solutions industry. We provide research, analysis, forecasts, and advice to help clients understand market trends, identify opportunities, and develop strategies to grow their businesses. Additional information about InfoTrends/CAP Ventures is available on the Web at www.infotrendsresearch.com.

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