Digital technologies aid photo-printing growth

Photo printing is a growing trend witnessed in the Indian market these
days. Canon, a player in this space, expects digital tech­no­logies to aid
photo-prin­ting growth in India. In an inter­view with Pragati Simlote
of CyberMedia News, VP Sajeevan, National Head of IT sales, Canon shares
Canon's take on the photo printing market in India and the company's plans
of making inroads into this segment.

How has the photo-prin­ting segment been growing in India?

The imaging sector encom­passing photography and photo printing has
witnessed robust growth in the current year aided by digital techno­logies.
Some of the positive factors for this growth have been increasing PC penetra­tion,
availability of a wider range of digital cameras and greater printing
possibilities at home and at photo finis­hing retail outlets

What are the drivers of growth in photo printing space?

 Several factors have affected the growth of the photo prin­ting
space. The drop in digic­am prices has been a prime motivator of growth in this
space. Increasing use of digi­tal still cameras is expec­ted to lead to higher
levels of pene­tration of photo-prin­ters in the home seg­ment. At the same
time, the digital still camera would get a fur­ther fillip once the availabi­lity
and affordability of prin­ting infrastructure is in place.

The do-it-at-home trend (promoted by Canon) has proved to be a popular alter­native
in India and overseas and has reduced the depen­dence on com­mercial photo
studios.

PictBridge is a standar­dized technology that lets you print images from the
memory card in a digital camera directly to a printer. PictBridge Technology is
also driving the market photo printer as it eliminates the need to have a
computer in the first place.'

How has the photo printing market changed overtime?

Consumers of today are be­coming increasingly discer­ning and they will
settle for nothing but the best printing solutions. Hence, photo prin­ting
solutions are pre­ferred over other traditional prin­ting methods. Besides,
con­sumers want ease of use each time they use a printer. With a photo printer,
one can print multiple photos on one page. One can also add text and captions to
the photos that are taken from the photo printer. On a photo printer, one can
create wonderful layouts ready to go in just a few minutes.

What are the target seg­ments for the company and where does the company
see growth coming from?

Photo printing would see a boost across segments — consumer and
professional. Canon photo prin­ters are already equip­ped with features like
Easy-Photo­Print Plus and Easy-Photo­Print software, Exif Print 2.2 compatible
applica­tions that make it simple to print stun­ning digital pho­tos.
However, advanced ver­sions of the existing features will also act as catalysts
for growth to drive photo printer sales in the coming times.

How is Canon targeting this growing market?

Canon is focused on expan­ding the market by offering consumers a complete
digital photo experience. We offer a complete range of solutions to cater to
consumer require­ments at all levels-entry, mid and high-level. Realizing the
immense potential that lies within this market and the Indian digital market,
comes the announcement from Canon regarding our new go-to-market strategy
comprising de-layering of the distribution channel, retail expansion and
creating a value shift. Cost of acquisition as well as running cost is very
critical in the entry-level product segment.

How big is Canon's channel base for photo printers?

Channel partners are the catalyst for Canon's growth. The marketplace is
fiercely competitive and we must continue to invest in our part­ners to enable
them to adapt to the changing environ­ment and deliver on specia­lized
customer selling. We are cur­re­ntly distributing our printers through 70
Canon Premium Partners across the country and would be expan­ding this base to
have prese­nce in every major city in the country.