TVS-E Set To Emerge As A Transactions Printing Company

Dot matrix printers cater to the huge transaction printing market. Besides, given the low paper and consumables cost, these printers are best suited for the Indian market. Hence the dot matrix printers market in India is expected to witness a solid, sustainable growth in the coming days.

In order to be a part of the growing retail boom in India, TVS Electronics (TVS-E) well known for its dot matrix printers series now wants to be projected as a transactions printing company. Starting way back in 1987 when dot matrix printers were the main form of office and transaction printing, TVS-E has over the years continuously innovated for the Indian customers.

According to Global IT research and advisory firm, Gartner, in the first quarter (JFM) of 2007, TVS-E had 40%; Epson 38% and WeP 21% of the market share. Vishal Tripathi, principal research analyst, Printing Markets, Gartner, “With a major boom in Indian retail market, and players like Bharti- Wall Mart, Reliance, Tata and Aditya Birla group venturing into the retail segment, it definitely presents a huge opportunity for vendors to grow their business. TVS-E’s move in this direction will boost it sales and further cement its position in the dot matrix market.”

More from Biztech

Future Group - Reliance Retail Deal approved by CCI RBI ban on cryptocurrencies takes effect; prohibition could force investors to tap the black market

Generally, there are three types of solutions used by the retailers: PC-based point of sale (POS), integrated POS and cash register. In PC-based POS, external printers which are either mini printers or 80 columns can be used as these solutions are not very expensive (TVSE is focusing on this segment). In integrated POS, high end printers of IBM and NCR are used and these are expensive solutions, used by the likes of Reliance Fresh, Pantaloons and Lifestyle. Cash register is used by petrol pumps, hotels and restaurants.

Commenting on the retail boom and the growing market for dot matrix printers in India, S. Narendran, senior vice president, Printing Business and Marketing, TVS Electronics, says, “The belief that the dot matrix printer market in India is declining is misplaced. We want to focus TVS-E as a transaction printing company. The market for dot matrix printers in India is around 600 crores and there are around 12 million retail outlets in India. Automation of these outlets has not been reached to even half of this number. Though the market for dot matrix printer is growing at a lower speed than laser and inkjet printers, ample opportunities still exist for TVS-E.”

Pro Series printers for retailers

From time to time, TVS-E has been delivering products with the latest innovations. The company recently launched the Pro Series printers under its “Printing simplified” campaign. The Pro Series printers are the next generation of 80 column dot matrix printers designed for seamless operation and superior performance under the most demanding operating environments.

The POS devices from TVS-E support regional languages and will be helpful for the retail entrepreneurs to deploy in their outlets in various states. These devices include various functions like UPS, credit card reader, printing typical requirements of retailers like printing of bills, receipts, orders, vouchers, invoices, labels, tickets, etc. Unlike laser and inkjet printers, dot matrix printers due to their ruggedness can run in any environment with very low maintenance. The company has also introduced the concept of bills per minute in the Pro Series printers for its customers.

Informs Narendran, “We spend more than 5% of our total revenue on research and development. We continue to invest in the core faculties of design like embedded software, industrial design, manufacturing engineering and life cycle management. We also invest in new product introduction processes and our engineers are trained in design for Six Sigma.”

Customers on the lookout for VAS

Earlier vendors used to pitch their customers on the basis of cost per page. However, the scenario has changed and customers are now looking for value added services rather than costs of printing. Printer vendors are coming up with customised solutions to suit their customers’ requirements.

Outsourcing printing work is a major obstacle in the growth process of TVS-E. As Narendran points out, “Still most of the large companies in India are outsourcing their printing work. Outsourcing of printing job is a major obstacle in our growth process. We are in the process of innovating our business model to support each and every kind of demand of the customers.”

TVS-E Roadmap

TVS-E is eying the Indian Railways and state transport corporations for issuing tickets through its POS devices. The company also plans to take the Pro Series printers to the SAARC region and consequently, the European countries. It also intends to launch a range of thermal and label printers, to gain a strong hold in the retail boom.

Opines Narendran, “We feel that there is tremendous business opportunity in India and similar markets for what we call ‘e-transactions,’ which simply means automation of all types of transactions. We feel we can exploit this business opportunity with innovative products specifically designed to address the retail sector.”

The global dot matrix sector has witnessed a downslide in recent time. The number of multi-nationals investing in research and development has declined substantially, with some looking at cutting costs and others exiting the market altogether. These circumstances could benefit TVS-E in a great way.