Sales volumes of color and monochrome models saw year-on-year growth of 6% and 7%, respectively. Non-hardware¹ sales were supported by emerging signs of a bottoming out in printing demand, and sales in existing businesses grew 9%, while sales in new areas, such as various print-related services, jumped 129%.

The Company also continued initiatives to capture the large-volume printing needs of major corporate customers. In Japan, we developed unique solutions by combining the on-demand output² services of Kinko’s Japan Co., Ltd., acquired in May 2012, with office unit products and services, strengthening our marketing capabilities targeting large corporations. In Europe, we utilized Charterhouse Print Management Limited, acquired in the previous fiscal year, to offer a wider selection of production and print services for sales promotion materials.

Furthermore, we formed a capital and business alliance with France-based MGI Digital Graphic Technology S.A., which operates a unique business in such growth markets as plastic cards. This alliance is aimed at developing applications for package printing, in addition to paper output in the existing commercial printing market.