While the market for mobile office printers continues to be strong, growth is
shifting to new market segments. Back in 2007 the global market for mobile
printers reached $255.5 million and is expected to grow at a 9.2% CGAR over the
next five years. Strong growth was expected in the Field workforce segment,
which surpassed in-store retail as the largest application market for mobile
transaction printers in the early part of 2008. Warehouses and distribution
centers also generated more mobile printer revenues than retail stores during
the year, and the route accounting/DSD segment is expected to surpass retail
during the 2007-2012 forecast period. The current economy could alter the
forecast but once amortized, the revenues could be positive.
Continued strong adoption in field workforce applications may be masking
softness in other traditional core markets. Retail, with a projected compound
annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.5%, is the most sluggish of all the vertical
markets. The retail, mobile workforce, warehouse/distribution center and route
accounting/DSD markets together accounted for 74.2% of all mobile printer
revenues worldwide in 2007. Of these, only mobile workforce is experiencing
double-digit growth. And in late 2008-2009 it is expected to continue with
increased, yet adjusted levels.
Changing business processes in the field service segment is increasing demand
for mobility and driving change in connectivity and form factor requirements for
mobile transaction printers. “As mobile field service applications mature,
demand for printed output – specifically to support receipt, work orders and
other content – is rapidly emerging.
Beyond the shift in mobile printer applications and demand by vertical
market/industry, there are numerous signals that the mobile printer market is
maturing. End-user expectations about printer costs are becoming more realistic,
and organizations are becoming less reliant on value-added services.
End users reported significantly lower obstacles to adoption than in previous
studies and showed increased awareness of mobile printer uses and ROI potential,
although there is still room for progress in those areas.
Asssessments
