1.How do you look at India’s MFD space and what would be the share of SMB segment contributing to the MFDs in India?
Indian offices across various verticals are adopting Laser MFDs to improve their productivity, save cost, be more efficient and simplify their printing infrastructure.With SMBs becoming the growth engines of our country, Canon believes in supporting them in this journey by proving world-class technology at a cost which suits their budget. Canon wants to be the technology partner for SMBs by addressing their requirements by providing best-of-breed printers.
Canon color Inkjet MFD and Laser MFD are the best options to consider as these devices are equipped with features to address the requirements of SMBs and ensure that they get best quality prints.Laser printers mainly find place in the SOHOs, SMBs and Work groups. The SMB contribution to Canon Laser is around 20% and we look to grow in this segment. With the changing technological trends, SMBs are constantly updating themselves with these new trends. They are also beginning to equip themselves with technology that will help them focus on their core business objectives.
2.How do you position your products and solutions in this space of SMB?
The SMB segment in India is growing rapidly in size with a vast geographical spread. This growth has impacted various industries including the printing industry. Their office printing requirements are changing drastically. SMBs are beginning to understand the importance of maximising productivity and ensuring profitability. Canon Laser MFDs are equipped with multiple capabilities that are designed to simplify the printing environment and workflow of SMBs, making it an ideal office printer.Canon Laser MFDs – MF 221D, MF 217W, MF 226dn and MF 229dw – come loaded with a host of productivity and convenience features, some of them made by Canon, especially for the Indian user. The devices provide high-speed prints, sharp resolutions and office-ready features such as networking and security.
3.What is your market share in this segment?
The SMB contribution to Canon Laser is around 20% and we look to grow in this segment.
4.What kind of value and advantage do you provide for channel partners to sell your MFD solutions in India?
We have dedicated teams within Canon to work with B2B and B2G segments and our new MF 200 series will help address the requirements of these sectors. With the help of our new programs, we will closely work with the VARs and SI community to expand our reach even in tier II and tier III cities.
Canon will be launching new dedicated Partnership programs for VARs and SIs namely Canon Corporate Reseller Program (CCR) and Office Cartridge Reseller Program (OCR) to target the B2B markets. With their help, Canon will be focusing on cities namely Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad and Chandigarh for the MF 200 series.
5.What are the big market segments or verticals that you are looking for pushing your MFDs?
Government, SMBs, BFSI, retail and the education sector remain key contributors to the growth of MFDs. All the segments have different set of print requirements and business objectives and Canon will continue to cater to the requirements of these segments. Wealso have plans to focus on MAHE segment and are targeting a business growth of 25% by 2016.
6.What are some of the big challenges that you see in this space today in India and how can these be overcome?
All challenges pose an opportunity for any brand owner in the current scenario. Therefore we look at all the segments as our products cater to each and every need in terms of printing solution. Also segments are looking for one stop solutions rather than separate devices for each and every function. With the simplification of IT there is more adoption of technology amongst the SMBs.
7.What kind of growth are you looking at from this segment of MFDs and what would be the contribution of SMBs?
We are looking to grow substantially in the MFD segment, the introduction of MF 200 series is a key indicator of the same. The SMBs contribute currently about 20% to the MFD share of Canon. With the rise in demand for one complete solution that caters to all the needs of the user and MFD is appropriate answer to them rather than just a standalone printer. Also the opening of new opportunities to provide various additional features like (Canon Mobile Printing,Apple Air Print ,Mopria) are converting the MFD to a smart MFD .