Khalil El-Dalu, regional sales manager for Epson Middle East discusses how the manufacturer is consolidating in market on the basis of its patent innovations in projectors and printers

Do you reckon that 3LCD is a superior projector technology?

At GITEX, we showcased our technologies in 3LCD projectors and highlighted the difference in performance between DLP and 3LCD projectors. For instance, 3LCD delivers high-quality images with equally high white and colour light output while the colour light drops in DLP. For instance, when you say a projector is offering 3200 ANSI lumens, it is the same in colour and white with a 3LCD projector whereas in a DLP the colour will drop to around 1000 ANSI lumens or even less depending on the model. Which is why we have been the market leader since 2001. Consumers are often not aware of this and are quite surprised to know. We have shown them the flickering effect which can make eyes tired after a period. That is why 3LCD is leader in the education vertical. Even in the animation segment, 3LCD has been quite popular.

Discuss the laser projector that you have launched?

We showcased the laser projectors targeting the installation market at GITEX. With this, customer can fit and forget. This is ideal for rental companies. The hassle of changing lamps is removed and you can have 20,000 hours of work and 5 hrs standard warranty on this. You can place the projector in any position because of the laser light which you could not do with a lamp. It also offers 4K enhancement, meaning users will benefit from images with vivid colours, exceptional sharpness and detail.

We have a projector that offers 25000 ANSI lumens which is very bright. EB-L25000U is the world’s first 25,000lm 3LCD laser projector There is also a projector with 8000 ANSI lumens that comes with a special lens and produces an amazing projection in terms of size from a close distance. This is the EB-L1405U which includes an array of flexible features for minimal fuss and almost no maintenance. Corporates, higher education establishments, visitor attractions as well as rental and digital signage companies can now deliver powerful, superior-quality presentations.

Discuss the home cinema projector market opportunity and if they compete with the television segment?

Epson’s 3LCD technology ensures vivid colours and bright images are displayed even in a well-lit living room environment. For home cinema, consumers want to see depth of image and colour and so the contrast ratio matters.
We showcased the EH-TW6700 that boasts Full-HD resolution and is 3D-ready. Equipped with both horizontal and vertical lens shift, the EH-TW6700 can be placed far off-centre to a screen and still project a bright, accurate image just where it’s needed. Offering a smart cable-free installation, the EH-TW6700W adds Wireless HD transmission as well as access to the Epson iProjection app, letting the user control their projector from a smart device. Most of our home cinema projectors support true 3d- if you have the content then you can play 3D.
The prices are coming down in televisions but an 80 inch screen and higher will be on the expensive side. With a home cinema projector you could easily have a 100 inch display or even 150. It gives a cinema effect. It is not direct competition with televisions and addresses a different aspiration for users who want to relax and get a cinema experience at home.

How do you view the success in ink-tank printers and the savings in cost of printing you offer?

We have been seeing great success with the ITS (Ink Tank Solution) range, which delivers ultra-low-cost printing and eliminates the need for cartridges. We are growing month on month basis- ultra low-cost solutions- today we have 14 models. We have an A3 Multifunction as well. This is an unbeatable proposition. It is wide range- single function, mono, colour, 4-colour, 6-colour, multifunction etc.
Further, the WorkForce Pro range of business printers, offers a cost-effective and ecological alternative to laser printers, which consume up to 80% less power than comparable laser products. When used with our RIPS (Replaceable Ink Pack Solution) technology, WorkForce Pro RIPS printers can print up to 75,000 pages without the need for replacement ink, reducing product downtime and maintenance requirements.
Micropiezo is at the heart of the technology in all our inkjet printers- across the ITS series, the workforce, large format printers etc that sets the benchmark for high performance.
Today we have laser printer manufacturers worried because unlike the ITS models, in lasers users have to worry about the Fuser unit, transfer belt, drum and higher power consumption which is in the region of 400-500 watts vis-à-vis about 35 watts in ink tank models. Electricity bills will drop drastically for customers as they shift to Epson’s ink tank printers. We have gained a high market share in the value market. In Saudi, we now have 21% market share. Very recently, we have won a large order from Abu Dhabi Police to supply 1800 ITS printers and 1700 of mono ITS models. Our position to customers is that they shouldn’t worry about the initial cost of printers but rather think what each page of print costs. Then the ITS printer makes most sense.
We make profit for the day we sell because of the realistic prices. And we can make incremental profits with service agreements with customers whose print volumes are significant.