Worldwide shipments of hardcopy peripherals (HCP) increased 1,7% to nearly 23,8-million units in the first quarter of 2018 (1Q18), according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Hardcopy Peripherals Tracker.
This was the sixth consecutive quarter of year-over-year growth for the overall market. Both inkjet and laser unit shipments contributed to the positive momentum, expanding 2,1% and 1% year over year, respectively.
Notable highlights from the first quarter include:
* Five out of eight IDC regional markets recorded year-over-year growth in the first quarter with the Middle East & Africa leading the pack with a 19,6% increase and 1,6-million units shipped.
* Inkjet delivered year-over-year growth for the sixth consecutive quarter in 1Q18 with a 2,1% increase to 14-million units shipped. Strong growth in the business inkjet market (9,7% year over year) was the key contributor to overall inkjet market growth.
* Both A4 and A3 multifunctional printers (MFPs) in color and mono laser markets continued to grow, recording year-over-year gains of 1,9% and 4%, respectively.
* HP Inc enjoyed 4,2% year-over-year growth in global shipments with a particularly strong performance in the US, China, and India. Due to the requirement to print bills, there is still a strong demand for low-end laser printers in India since the implementation of GST. In China, there continues to be strong demand for print devices with the ongoing expansion of the small and medium business segment and tier 3 channels.
* Canon overtook Epson for the top position in the Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan) region in 1Q18 with 9,1% year-over-year growth and its highest regional shipment total ever with 1,17-million units in the quarter. Its strong performance was largely due to the new G and TS series devices launched last quarter that are starting to gain traction.