I’ve blogged on printing cost issues in “HP LaserJet Printers and Cost of Ownership”. Since then, there have been very interesting developments in this space. Some manufacturers now offer ways to figure out your relative printing costs—so you can decide what kind of devices you want to print documents on. The leading tools in such page cost calculations are described in this newsletter by Industry Analysts, Inc. An expert on this subject, and key member of my Team, Tara Tackett delivers the following blog post on hp’s free tool in this space, the Page Cost Calculator:
"There was a point in time in the not too distant past, when printers were printers, copiers were copiers, and rarely did the two compete with one another.
With the introduction of printer-based MFPs, like the HP LaserJet M4345 MFP, the game has changed. Today, MFPs boasting high speeds and features such as copy, scan, fax and comprehensive paper-handling are competing in the traditional copier space. And, digital copiers with networking capabilities, previously seen only in printers, are competing for printer pages as well.
Which is better? Printer-based or copier-based? Copier vendors would like you to believe that printer-based MFPs are a poor choice due to their higher supplies costs per page. Printer vendors counter with the higher hardware and maintenance costs of copier-based devices.
HP understands there’s a place for both. In order to choose the device that is best for your business, it is critical to know your page volumes, or the number of pages you print each month.
Printer-based MFPs, with their lower purchase price, cost less overall at lower page volumes. Copier-based devices, with their lower supplies CPP, may cost less at higher page volumes.
How high is high, you ask. Which device would be right for your business? Let us help you find out. HP has just introduced a Page Cost Calculator for HP MFPs featuring the LaserJet M4345 MFP and its top three digital copier competitors. With just a few easy steps, it will help you determine which device offers you the best value--the HP MFP or the digital copier. Feel free to give it a try. You may be surprised at what you find.
This interactive tool, which has now launched on hp.com, is already receiving high praise from analysts. Andy Slawetsky from Industry Analysts says “We thought HP’s Page Cost Calculator was impressive for two reasons. First, it dispels the myth that A3 devices are, for the most part, cheaper to operate than A4 devices. Second, the sponsoring vendor (in this case, HP) does not always win.”
Mr. Slawetsky is correct. HP doesn’t always win. The tool was created to give customers upfront and honest information they need to make the best purchase decision. If a customer is printing unusually high volumes, say 25K pages or more per month, the HP M4345 MFP may not be the best device for them. At those volumes, a customer may be better off economically to use a device with a lower supplies cost per page. Good choices for environments with high print volumes are the HP CM8050/8060 MFPs with Edgeline Technology.
It is worth noting, however, that according to a study completed by International Data Corporation (IDC), a full 87% of workgroup class copiers and MFPs (25-45ppm) print less than 20,000 pages for month. At these volumes, you’ll be much better served by HP."
I hope you have time to try the Page Cost Calculator, it’s pretty enlightening in that it gives objective Total Cost Per Page based on the volume of pages you print. Please feel free to leave any comments about this blog and I’ll make sure Tara gets them. -Vince
