According to research firm IDC, the inkjet all-in-one segment is expected to grow from 4,40,000 units in 2006 to 7,34,000 units in 2007. The number of images captured went up from 45 billion in 2002 to 60 billion in 2003. This is estimated to have gone up to 155 billion in 2006. That directly beefs up the sale of printing and imaging devices.

"For us, every click is an opportunity. And more the people play with the images, the merrier it is for us," says Canon India Director and GM (Consumer Imaging and Information Division and Volume Products) Alok Bhardawaj. Canon, which sold 8,000 units of inkjet multi functional devices in 2005, expects sales to jump 240 per cent in 2007 and touch 50,000 units.

Companies are now looking at newer territories like schools and educational institutions. HP, for instance, is pegging the multi-purpose devices as a good educational partner for children to print their school projects, scan encyclopaedia and copy class notes. The pilot has already been initiated in select schools in Delhi. The other target audience in the SME sector.

"The biggest challenge, however, is not to push more of these products into the market but encourage users to print, copy and scan more at home," says Bhardawaj.