This study examines the moves made by various hardcopy device manufacturers in terms of MFP architecture and the partner tracks they have chosen. "In essence, there are two camps," says Kwon Chin, research manager of IDC's Hardcopy Peripherals Document Solutions practice. "There are those manufacturers that have embraced Java (or some flavor therein) and those that are embracing the 'open standards' of SOA that are pervading the IT marketplace. Regardless of the path chosen, each offers its own set of advantages in the marketplace."

Companies Mentioned: Canon; Canon USA; Hewlett-Packard (HP); Hewlett-Packard; HP; Konica Minolta; KonicaMinolta; Ricoh; Ricoh Corporation; Sharp; Sharp Electronics; Xerox

• In This Study
• Situation Overview
  • Introduction
  • Compare and Contrast
• Future Outlook
  • Vendor Profiles
    • Canon
    • HP
    • Konica Minolta
    • Ricoh
    • Sharp
    • Xerox
  • Pick a Winner
  • What Will Happen
• Essential Guidance
• Learn More
  • Related Research
  • Synopsis