AI's Influence Extends to Printers.. Korea, an Important Market for HP

"Most people are surprised when they hear that AI is applied to printers, but the user response is very positive. HP's 'Perfect Output' feature allows AI to understand user intent and automatically detect and remove unnecessary ads or margins, printing only the desired parts."  
Paul Greysi, HP Vice President and Head of the Asia-Pacific Print Division, said in a recent interview with Financial News at Conrad Hotel in Yeouido, Seoul, "The influence of AI is materializing in a variety of areas, including unexpected ones," he said. 
Printers are often thought of as peripheral devices used to print paper in a corner of the home or office, unlike smartphones and PCs, and are not considered related to AI. However, HP introduced 'HP Print AI' last September, combining printers with generative AI services. It has been well received by consumers as it allows web documents to be printed on one page by excluding unnecessary margins or ads, and even Excel spreadsheets. 


Greysi said, "There is also a feature that allows AI to structure unstructured data from scanned documents to extract information," adding, "This makes printers much easier to use and more efficient, bringing surprise and joy to consumers." 
HP plans to pay more attention to security in the AI era. Greysi explained, "Security is always a top priority, and security needs to be enhanced to respond to AI," adding, "As risks become more sophisticated, defense systems and tools must also evolve, and HP recently announced the world's first printer to counter quantum-based attacks."
HP achieved a dominant 34.4% market share in the global hardcopy peripheral market in the first quarter of this year, according to market research firm IDC.  Greysi said, "Being number one in the market is the result of our efforts, and customer centricity is essential to achieve this position," adding, "HP continues to research what customer needs are and focuses on identifying and solving challenges, which is why we have achieved these results." 


He said, "The Asian market has consistently shown a significantly different appearance from other markets, and we will design products that local customers want by identifying market requirements for continuous growth," adding, "We will explore many opportunities in the office market, not only for printers but also for scanners, solutions, etc." 
HP established HP Printing Korea to lead A3 printers after acquiring Samsung Electronics' Printing Solutions Division. Currently, printers sold under the Samsung brand are products manufactured by HP in an OEM manner. HP is putting great effort into the Korean market by establishing a headquarters in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province, to develop Korea as a global strategic R&D hub for HP's printer business. Greysi emphasized, "The Korean market is very important to HP, and we have invested heavily in R&D facilities and product production," adding, "We are building relationships with various customers and channel partners, and these relationships will continue."

solidkjy@fnnews.com Koo Jayun Reporter