This 2012 user segment study looks at the printer market through five end-user environments. The information contained in the study relates to user segment shares and forecasts for the printer market in Western Europe and is based on the latest 2010 MFP forecast from published printer studies. The segments covered are home, businesses with fewer than 10 employees, 10–99 employees, 100–499 employees, 500 or more employees, and government/education. The information is provided for all classes of printer from desktop through to high speed. All information is provided for 16 countries in Western Europe: Germany, France, the U.K., Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Switzerland, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Greece, and Ireland.

"All market segments are susceptible to the economic uncertainty that is enveloping Europe and as a result there are few sectors that will outshine others. One of the more successful product areas in recent times has been business inkjets, and IDC forecasts that more of these products will become installed in small office and SMB environments either as desktop workgroup products or personal products," said Phil Sargeant, research manager, Imaging Hardware and Document Solutions, IDC.