“Lexmark’s products are industry-specific”

From being viewed as a pure printer company, Lexmark is positioning itself to be seen as a printing solutions company. Jonathan Yeo, the company’s managing director, ASEAN/South Asia, spoke to SUSHMA NAIK

* Do you believe we have reached a stage where a printing solution or software is a bigger value-add than the printer itself?

In the future, printers will have to bundle specific software to cater to the requirements of different industries. As more and more documents get printed, different industries will need disparate printing solutions. We believe that the extra edge in our products comes from the software we bundle with them. For example, we have management software called MarkVision that helps organisations improve the process of printing in networked offices; alerts can be customised to be sent out via e-mail or SMS for tasks such as cartridge replacement. Our software is generic, and we customise it according to the needs of different customers. There can be industry-specific solutions for banks or even universities. Today we have reference customers in almost every category.

* Can you give us some examples?

We have a big customer base in the healthcare industry. A typical hospital has to maintain different document processing devices such as photocopiers, fax machines and PCs. These documents are typically stored manually so that copies can be made. We propose a system that integrates the workflow of all these different devices. This would not only facilitate the easy retrieval of documents but also reduce storage costs. We have done this in the US with Baptist Health, Arkansas, which has implemented MarkVision.

MarkVision helps organisations improve the printing process in networked offices

* In an industry that is increasingly getting cluttered, what do you think is Lexmark’s competitive edge?

We believe our software has more features than most other vendors who offer simple network connectivity. Our products are also industry-specific. In the US we have a huge share in the pharma industry. Lexmark has implemented printing solutions in 49 of the top 50 pharma companies. We bundle software with our printers that can fulfil the needs of different pharmaceutical companies with specific printing needs. For example, we have software applications that help pharma companies print on medicine cases.

* Which sectors are you planning to target in India?

India is one of our biggest markets. We are looking primarily at the banking and healthcare sectors. Since we have a base in Mumbai we will start by focusing on the financial sector. We also see a substantial opportunity in the Indian SME space.

* What do you think will be key drivers for the printer market in future?

Digital photography is an area with huge potential. In the previous year, there has been a 30 percent increase worldwide in the sale of digital cameras. Additionally, with an increasing number of users looking at camera-enabled mobile phones, another big market is opening up.