Brother Gulf strengthens regional operations to fuel global revenues

In line with this, the leading manufacturer has announced the launch of its new range of laser multifunction centres (MFC) in the region - the Mono Laser 7000 series.

In addition, the company also announced that it has been awarded the prestigious Spring 2008 'Pick of the Year' award by Buyers Laboratory Inc. (BLI), the world's leading independent tester of document imaging products.

The company's focus in the regional market is being driven by the growing opportunities within its fastest growing IT destinations, primarily in the UAE, where the IT sector is expected to reach $2.4bn by 2011, thereby fuelling the upsurge in the demand for ICT products in the country.

In addition, reports also indicate positive projections for the IT industry in Turkey, which is looking at a 16% growth from 2007 to 2011.

Aiming to capitalize on these booming markets, Brother has outlined a strategic plan, which focuses on maximising its core business while expanding and developing new opportunities to leverage the ever-growing demand in the global printer, copier and multi-function products (MFP) market.

"We consider the Middle East as a key market for Brother, with the UAE, Turkey, Iran and Saudi Arabia emerging as our main targets in the region, accounting for approximately 75% of our total unit and value share in the region," said Shinji Tada, Managing Director, Brother Gulf.

"The strategies we have formulated are devised to further increase our market share and sustain the revenue growth we have witnessed over the years, and this includes the launch of our new Mono Laser 7000 series. We are acting on the specified strategy under our Global Vision 21 plan, which is focused on acknowledging ongoing changes such as diversification of work styles, advancement in the network environment and enrichment of contents, and enhancing our product offerings according to the requirements of today's business landscape."

The Mono Laser 7000 series is comprised of monochrome laser MFCs specifically designed for Small Office and Home Offices (SOHOs) and small and medium businesses (SMBs) that require affordable, feature-rich and cost-effective office printing solutions.

The new range, which includes the DCP-7030, DCP-7040, MFC-7340, MFC-7450 and MFC-7840N models, delivers a wide array of critical office productivity functions that is essential for these companies' demanding and hectic operations.

Brother has invested in the development of this range' running cost, ease-of-use, print speed office-grade laser printing quality, superior scanning and advanced PC faxing options, and strong after-sales support, making it an ideal option for both SOHOs and SMBs.

"In the past, the feature of fast printing speeds was generally found only on high-end expensive machines designed for large organizations. It is our belief that fast printing speeds and various combinations of features such as Scan, Print, Copy, Fax, PC Fax, and Direct USB Printing should be available to the SMB and SOHO segments, without the high price tag. At Brother, printing at speeds up to 22 A4 pages per minute and a '3 Year Return to Bench' warranty is standard. Further, we offer the lowest in class cost per print at approximately 8 fils per page, and this should certainly boost the productivity of any small office or small workgroup connected to a local area network," added Tada.

In addition to its new high performance range, Brother offers the HL-2170W, a monochrome laser printer designed for SOHOs, and the winner of the coveted award from BLI.

Globally recognized as the most prestigious awards in the industry, BLI awards are based on 2 to 3 months of laboratory testing, where BLI tests 200-300 models per year from all OEM's and undertakes a complete evaluation of all aspects of a model.

The winners are awarded based on test data as well as the opinions of a committee of BLI analysts and editors; with the awards supported by a published test report.

Recognised for its outstanding performance in the tests administered by BLI, its exceptional print speeds and wireless printing capabilities for greater flexibility, the HL-2170W is also expected to further drive Brother's growing customer base in the regional SOHO and SMB segments.

"The award we have received from a credible body such as Buyers Laboratory is a testament to the advanced technologies, which we are continuously integrating into our products in an effort to bring unprecedented benefits for our ever-growing client base in the region. Through our heightened focus on the needs of the SOHO and SMB segments, we are confident that Brother Gulf can tremendously benefit from the booming Middle East and African markets in the coming years," concluded Tada.