This IDC Market Note provides an update on forecasts for the hardcopy market in Western Europe.
"Consolidation will be a main theme running through the hardcopy market over the forecast period. The market is declining and there are effectively too many brands chasing fewer sales, so it is inevitable that some of these brands will be acquired or merge over the forecast period. This has been the nature of the hardcopy industry for several years now; this trend will continue and affect small and large brands. This trend will also be seen in the associated print and document management software markets and channel players as a result," said Phil Sargeant, program director, Imaging, Printing, and Document Solutions.