HP bails on Asian digicam market
By
Mike Tomkins
(Tuesday, August 2, 2005 - 12:05 EDT)
A brief news article from press agency Reuters notes that Hewlett Packard Co. has taken the decision to stop selling its lineup of digital cameras in Asia.
According to the article, HP is refocusing its energy on the more profitable home photo printing market for the region. The company will continue to sell its digital cameras in North America, Europe, and Latin America.
The Japanese market is, like most these days it seems, extremely competitive. Turning a profit on digital camera models isn't easy, with stiff competition from a number of home-grown names long known in the photography business. In that light, HP's decision really isn't too surprising, and the company likely stands to make much more money from its printer business - after all, photos taken on most any brand of digital camera can potentially be printed using HP's inks, papers and hardware. Printers also have the advantage for their manufacturer of a revenue stream selling consumables, and inks in particular often have to be bought from the original manufacturer of the printer - ensuring that your customers are somewhat of a captive audience.
For more details, read the Reuters item.
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