Sales figures for the first half of 2006 from Infosource* reveal that Konica Minolta is once again the number one supplier of professional colour devices in Europe. The results show that Konica Minolta has held on to the leading position that it first established back in 2005.

With 20.3 per cent market share in colour-capable and full-colour devices, Konica Minolta has a clear lead in the sector. Despite obvious attempts to crack the professional colour market, Xerox is trailing in second place with 16.0 per cent; Ricoh is third with 12.2 per cent, while Canon has 10.3 per cent of the market share. All figures refer to Multi Functional Peripherals (MFPs) producing more than eight pages per minute rather than the slower devices, such as inkjet printers, that are not suitable for the professional market.

In addition Infosource figures for the full colour market alone reveal that Konica Minolta has a massive 41 per cent share. Its closest competitor here is Canon with 15.7 per cent.

2006 has seen Konica Minolta continue to lead the way in terms of innovation and product choice. So far this year the company has already launched six new devices along with numerous accessories and software packages and has also announced the creation of Simitri HD, its new high definition toner. Therefore it is no surprise that print professionals are choosing from its broad portfolio of award winning products.

Olaf Lorenz, general manager, product marketing division, said of the company’s latest achievements, “We’re delighted to be in the number one spot again. Our success is not only due to our superior devices but our commitment to ensuring that every customer has the machine that matches the needs of their business.

“We have an aggressive strategy to ensure that we maintain our position, so despite our success we won’t be sitting still. There is much more to come from us throughout the rest of 2006”

*Source: Infosource, photocopier market 2006, Western Europe