Global page volume from digital hardcopy devices has dropped 1.5% to 2.98 trillion during 2012 from 3.03 trillion in 2011, according to a new report.

IDC’s latest report reveals that digital workflows, deployment of Managed Print Services (MPS), and weak economies were mainly responsible for negative page growth trend in the developed countries during the period.

However, the research firm reveal that print volume in developed economies increased from mobile devices, which represent more print volume generated by smartphone and tablet users compared to non-tablet/smartphone users.

IDC research signifies that by 2015 about 50% of smartphone and tablet users in an organisation will deploy mobile print in the office environment.

About 50% of smartphone users and 35% of tablet indicated they do not know how to access print option from their mobile devices.

Asia/Pacific reported 10% page growth during the quarter, followed by Latin America with 6.7%, while Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa (CEMA) 0.72% drop.

However, the research firm projects that the global page volume would remain constant for the 2013-2017 forecast period and APeJ is anticipated to surpass the US for the highest share of page volume by 2015.

During the forecast period, monochrome laser is expected to capture the largest share of pages across.

Mono laser’s installed base is expected to rise, with colour laser capturing a small portion of both the installed base and overall pages.

According to IDC, the colour laser’s installed base and pages are projected to grow, mainly due to colour laser multifunction printers (MFPs), with the Inkjet’s overall installed base and pages set to drop 2017.

Global laser MFPs reported 2% growth in overall positive growth in pages, while the global laser printers reported negative growth, with the colour inkjet printers lost their ground to colour inkjet MFPs, which resulted in 5% loss of colour inkjet printer pages.

HP topped the overall vendor list, followed by Canon, Xerox, Ricoh, Lexmark, while others accounted for after HP.