Inkjet web press makers will have to work to meet customer expectations about the life of their equipment, a report says.

According to IDC, print customers who may take up the technologies are used to having presses last ten years or more: “Vendor success may be impacted by their ability to protect a customer’s investment, with technology that is both scalable and extensible,” it says.

Inkjet will continue to dominate the worldwide market for what it calls ‘continuous-feed printers’ beyond 2014, “advancing a dramatic shift in the worldwide production print market”.

The International Data Corporation research says inkjet has already taken over from electrophotography, with the change set to continue through the 2014-2018 forecast period. Equipment sales are expected to reach $1 billion by 2018 with compound annual growth of 10.8 per cent.

"A dramatic technology shift occurred in 2013 as high-speed inkjet maintained its momentum, while incumbent technologies declined," said Andrew Gordon, research director, Production Output Solutions. He says high-speed inkjet vendors will make “great strides” toward improving print quality and substrate flexibility.

While the majority of HSIJ placements are going to the traditional markets, technology vendors are opening up new opportunities in publishing and commercial print, it says. “Considering the immense print volumes produced in these segments, aspirations to convert these volumes to digital print are driving business development activities.

“This application diversification will accelerate as vendors find the right balance of operating costs, productivity, and print quality.”

Analysts are predicting a “looming vendor shakeout” is on the horizon as the market begins picking inkjet winners.

IDC's Worldwide and U.S. Continuous Feed 2014-2018 Forecast and Analysis (IDC #248239) presents data and analysis to support planning, development and go-to-market strategies for technology vendors participating in the continuous-feed production print market.