It's like printing money

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Monty Solomon <monty () roscom com>
Date: November 16, 2004 11:21:31 PM EST
To: undisclosed-recipient:;
Subject: It's like printing money

It's like printing money
The cost of personal computing has been driven down by technology and
competition, but ink is still high-priced -- and profitable

By Robert Gavin, Globe Staff  |  November 1, 2004

Forget the next big thing. The real money in technology is being made
from a product first introduced some 5,000 years ago: ink.

As consumers and businesses spit out computer-generated letters,
reports, and photographs, the US market for ink cartridges is soaring
into the tens of billions of dollars. Ink cartridge shipments are
projected to exceed $34 billion this year -- more than double the
value of printer shipments -- and then grow by about $1 billion a
year through at least 2007, according to IDC, the Framingham research
firm.

Needless to say, this big and growing market is sparking a rush for
this liquid gold. Original manufacturers, like industry leader
Hewlett-Packard Co. of Palo Alto, Calif., are investing hundreds of
millions of dollars into building a better ink cartridge while a
growing legion of remanufacturers, resellers, and refillers are
devising methods they hope will produce cartridges of similar
quality, but at lower costs. Among the latest entrants: Cartridge
World, an Australian franchiser that opened its first New England
store in Weymouth in June, and Staples Inc., the Framingham office
supplies retailer.

Also coming to a store near you: an automatic cartridge refilling
system for the home, introduced last year by Inke Private Ltd. of
Singapore and selling for about $70.

...

http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2004/11/01/ 
its_like_printing_money/


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