Brother launches compact printers, multi-function centers

Japanese manufacturer Brother has rolled out in the Philippine market a range of competitively priced compact printers and multi-function centers (MFCs) which were designed to meet the needs of consumers and small-and-medium enterprises.

The new models will allow consumers to enjoy the Brother brand at affordable prices, company officials said during the product launch on Thursday.

A compact monolaser printer, for instance, will sell for P2,990, which is deemed low enough that even students can afford them, Brothers International Corp. Philippines (BICP) country manager Glenn Hocson said.

An MFC with three functions—printing, copying and scanning –costs P4,950 and for an additional P2,000, an MFC with fax function is available.

“We’re listening to the voice of our customers. Our DNA is always customer first,” said Hocson.

“The new series we are introducing to consumers and businesses in the Philippines provides a winning combination of exceptional reliability with high quality print-outs at irresistible value.”

As the models are designed with separate toners and drums, users can save on cost and reduce wastage by replacing the toner while continuously using the drum. These “consumables” are likewise affordable at P1,790 for the toner and P990 for the drum, Hocson said.

The four new models are HL-1110, DCP-1510, MFC-1810 and MFC-1815, one of a series of products developed by Brothers mainly for emerging markets three years ago, said Takeo Shimazu, managing director at Brother International Corp. Singapore.

Shimazu, who oversees Brother’s operations in Southeast Asia and is the president of the Philippine unit, aims to double the company’s sales in the region within five years.

Shimazu said the Philippines, with a population of about 100 million and its expanding economy, was one of its priority markets.

“Today’s market size is small but the potential is one of the biggest,” he said.

The new series of monochrome laser printers and MFCs are built for durability and robustness. Designed in Japan, the printers feature fast print speed (about 20 pages per minute), longer side guide to reduce paper skew, a short pass of 220 mm, an anti-curl system and a two-roller system that picks up and separates the paper more efficiently, reducing the probability of paper jams.

Brother Industries is part of the Brother Group headquartered in Nagoya, Japan.