HP has been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons recently, from the abandonment of webOS, the uncertainty surrounding the future of its PC division and the replacement of Leo Apotheker with Meg Whitman as CEO. The company's printer division, the Imaging and Printing Group (IPG), continues to chug on regardless though, raking in revenues and profits. We had a chat with Vyomesh Joshi, the Executive Vice President in charge of IPG, about his thoughts on the future of printing.
IT Pro: One of HP's competitors is making a lot of noise about how inkjets could replace lasers for many businesses they're cheaper to run, use less energy etc. what's your view on that?
VJ: Depending on which segment really clearly the HP Inkjet WebPress has the best technology and we are way ahead of anybody else. A lot of people talk about interesting inkjet technology, but they don't have the real commercial installed base to make that happen.
'Speeds and feeds' are no longer a differentiation it's all about web services and software solutions to really make a difference.
With inkjets in business we've already started with the OfficeJet Pro and we're getting tremendous success against low-end lasers. We have inkjets in the DesignJet and Scitex area. For mid-range offices, we believe laser is a very good technology, so in both technologies we [HP] are the leaders. We sell more inkjet cartridges than anybody else in the world by a factor of ten. In the end, it's a matter of what's right for the customer, not the technology first.
IT Pro: So you don't think inkjets would be suitable for medium-sized businesses and enterprises?
VJ: I'm not saying whether it's suitable or not. Right now, we believe that we have an excellent portfolio with lasers. I would rather have more focus on solutions and software than just hardware and supplies. 'Speeds and feeds' are no longer a differentiation it's all about web services and software solutions to really make a difference.
