Multifunction Office Products Setting Records

Shipments of office multifunction products (MFPs) will more than triple between 1996 and the year 2001, says the Hard Copy Industry Advisory Service, an online strategic and tactical consulting and information service provided by Lyra Research Inc., Newtonville, Mass. It also predicts that revenue will soar during the forecast period, rising from $4.2 billion in 1996 to $10.1 billion in 2001. The company defines MFPs as peripherals that offer printing, copying, faxing, and/or scanning capabiities primarily for hard copy output applications. Excluded are scanners with fax capability as well as specialized devices such as Xerox's DocuTech. MFPs became a mainstream office peripheral in 1996, says Judy Pirani, Lyra's vice president of advisory service.