(Norwell, MA) August 13, 2002 -- In a recently released forecast, CAP Ventures analysts predict an expanding production copying & digital printing market (print on demand, data processing, and high speed copying). CAP Ventures expects the retail value of print in the production copying & digital printing market to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9%, from $36.6 billion in 2001 to $57.6 in 2006. The print-on-demand market will drive this growth as its retail value of print increases from $26.2 billion in 2001 to $50.5 billion in 2006, a 14% CAGR. Retail value of print in the print-on-demand market grew from $21.4 billion in 2000 to $26.2 billion in 2001, a 22% increase. “Despite the current poor state of the U.S. economy, the print-on-demand market will grow, showing double-digit increases in installed base, annual impressions, total annual revenue, and retail value of print,” commented Ron Gilboa, Director of CAP Ventures' On Demand Printing & Publishing Consulting Service. “Recent introductions of black & white and color print-on-demand products have helped to spur this growth.” Black & white print on demand will represent $17.1 billion in retail value of print by 2006. Placements in this product category are dominated by new lower-priced and low-volume Segment 5 & 6 digital copier/printers. These devices have recently entered the market and will significantly grow the installed base of the 80+-page-per-minute (ppm) segment, which will more than triple from over 26,000 in 2001 to over 80,000 in 2006, a CAGR of 25%. Color print on demand will continue to perform well, capturing $33.4 billion in retail value of print by 2006, up from $17.3 billion in 2001 at a CAGR of 14%. Reductions in cost per print are helping to drive volume and provided reduced pricing for consumers. The growth in print on demand is due in part to new applications and opportunities, but is also related to technology classification and volume migration between the two other environments (high speed copying and data processing) that are represented in the production copying and digital printing segment. High-speed copying will continue to undergo significant changes as analog copiers are discontinued and aggressively displaced by digital copier/printers and standalone print-only devices. As the digital transition continues, the retail value of print of in the high-speed copying segment will drop significantly (-16% CAGR) over the next 5 years. Data processing is a large market with some growth in placements (2% CAGR) and installed base (4% CAGR), but otherwise is stable or in decline. The retail price of print drops from $5.2 billion in 2001 to $4.8 billion in 2006. In this segment, converging applications are bridging the gap between data center and print on demand. CAP Ventures’ U.S. Print On Demand Market Forecast includes 2001 placements and a full forecast to 2006. The forecast consists of placements, installed base, impressions per machine per month, annual impressions, revenue (equipment, supplies, and service), average retail value per image, and retail value of print. In developing this forecast, CAP Ventures analysts examined establishment dynamics, equipment introductions, economic conditions, and existing installations. They also gauged market receptivity, vendor’s distribution strategies, and plans of end users. Analysts looked at service and consumable cost as well as market pricing issues for product in the forecast. In addition, they evaluated the results from 2001 and factored in anticipated product developments in the later years of the forecast. Forecast components include: * Print On Demand (POD) * POD Mid-Range B&W (40-79 ppm)        * POD High-Speed B&W (80+ ppm)        * POD Spot Color (50+ ppm)        * POD Convenience Copiers/Printers (3-23 ppm)        * POD Production Process Color Printing Systems (24+ ppm)        * POD Color Servers for Copier/Printers (3-23 & 24+ ppm)        * POD Direct to Press (4+ color units) * Data Processing * Data Processing Mid-Range Black & White Printing Systems (40-79 ppm)        * Data Processing High-Speed Black & White Printing Systems (80+ ppm)        * Data Processing Production Spot Color Printing Systems (50+ ppm) * High-Speed Copying * High-Speed Black & White Copiers (70+ ppm) * Production Copying & Digital Printing The complete forecast is available immediately to clients of CAP Ventures’ On Demand Printing & Publishing Consulting Service. For more information on the forecast or to make a purchase, please contact Stewart MacDonald at (781) 871-9000, ext. 175 or via e-mail at [email protected].