This study looks at the MFP market through six distribution channels, providing market shares and forecasts for the printer market in Western Europe, based on the latest 2009 MFP forecast. The study covers all classes of printers, from desktop to high speed. All information is provided for Western Europe and for 16 countries: Germany, France, the U.K., Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Switzerland, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Greece, and the Republic of Ireland.

"2008 and 2009 have been tough years for parts of the indirect channel that have traditionally been used to market hardcopy devices. Some segments of the channel have seen a severe decline, leading to mergers, acquisitions, and in some cases bankruptcy. Further consolidation is expected in the indirect channel throughout the forecast period as dealers and VARs face a difficult future as distributors become stronger and vendors' own direct consulting divisions increase their scope," said Phil Sargeant, research manager, Imaging Hardware and Document Solutions, IDC.