Lexmark survey dispels commonly believed myths; Nationwide study reveals Internet's impact on paper use and provides glimpse of future printing environments
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Despite the immense popularity of "paperless"
media such as e-mail and the Internet, a new study by Lexmark International,
Inc. reveals that the need for printing remains as strong as ever — and
is growing. Results of the study also offer details on home and office printing
and the future of printing technologies and applications, including public preferences
for wireless printing, while dispelling a number of popular misconceptions about
printing trends.
Myth No. 1: Online technology is the death knell of paper
The survey helped further dispel the myth of the "paperless office."
To the contrary, the Internet and its seemingly boundless information sites
have led to an increase in pages printed both at home and at the office, with
ever higher numbers of pages being printed closer to the end user (a phenomenon
known as "distributed printing").
According to Lexmark's study, over 90 percent of respondents with a printer
at home print Internet content, and three out of four respondents print from
the Internet while at the office. Moreover, while nearly all respondents were
printing Internet content, one in ten respondents report printing from the Internet
at home everyday. Nearly twice that percentage prints out Internet content at
the office on a daily basis. Additionally, more than 40 percent of respondents
print from the Internet at home at least on a weekly basis.
According to the Lexmark survey, the most commonly printed Internet content
is e-mail, followed by research, news, children's activities and entertainment.
The Lexmark survey also revealed age differences in the content printed from
the Internet:
-- Respondents over 55 are printing e-mail at twice the rate of those aged
18-44.
-- However, 18-34 year-olds are three times as likely to print entertainment-related
content compared to those over 45.
Myth No. 2: On-screen content trumps hardcopy content
Futurists have speculated that computer users eventually will print less and
rely more heavily on the computer screen to view content. However, when Lexmark
asked why people print from the Internet, answers suggest that dependence on
hardcopy output will continue despite the evolution of screen technologies:
-- Almost one out of three cited a need for hard copy to archive information.
-- The need to share information with friends, family and co-workers compels
a significant number to print.
-- Others said they print from the Internet simply because they "prefer
reading hard copies."
The Lexmark survey also found that younger respondents tended to report less
of a need to archive hard copies of material. Fifty-six percent of 45-54 year-olds
reported that they print pages off of the Internet due to the need for hard
copies for their archives, as compared to 42 percent of those 35-44 and only
33 percent of those 18-34 who print off of the Internet for the same purpose.
Myth No. 3: Businesses are satisfied with the functionality of their existing
fleet of printers
When it comes to the business environment, enterprise printing is taking on
a new "hue" with the rise of multifunction products and the popularity
of color output.
Lexmark asked which single feature users would most like to see from their
office printer. Dazzling color, increased speed and document scanning were the
features users coveted most. Desire for added functionality like scanning supports
research by industry group Lyra Research, which estimates that multifunction
product shipments worldwide will top six million by 2005 (compared to little
more than three million in 1999).
The preference for color output mirrors global trends that indicate increasing
use of color in the workplace as color printers become faster and more affordable.
According to industry analyst group IDC, sales of desktop color laser printers
increased 16 percent from 1999 to 2000, and are estimated to represent more
than 20 percent of all laser printer sales in 2004 (compared to less than three
percent in 1999).
Myth No. 4: Mobile technology negates the need for printing
But printing is not limited to the home or office. The Lexmark survey hints
that markets exist for public access to standalone wireless printers, which
would allow users to print from PDAs, laptop computers and other portable devices.
Preferred sites for such printers are libraries, airports and shopping malls
and grocery stores.
In the home, more than one third of respondents would be interested in a standalone
printer that would allow constant, PC-free access to the Internet. Almost 70
percent of respondents would place such a device in the study or den, followed
by the family room and the master bedroom.
About the survey: The survey, which was conducted by the opinion and market
research firm SWR Worldwide, included 500 respondents who use computer printers
both at home and in the workplace on a regular basis. The survey's margin of
error was plus or minus 4.4 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.
Visit Lexmark's Web site at www.lexmark.com.
This article originally appeared in the January 2002 issue of Recharger.