Sharp Middle East discuss benefit of printing and document management solutions at IDC's IT Managers Forum

Doha, Qatar, November 15, 2011 - During the recent IDC IT Managers Forum in Doha, Sharp Middle East addressed the changing purchasing priorities of the country and the region's CIOs, focusing on smart IT buying when updating a business print environment.

As one of the world's premier data analysis and market research companies, IDC pays close attention to the technology trends shaping the Middle East. During the IT Managers Forum, IDC examined the strong focus on proving the return on investment (ROI) of IT investments that has characterized the transformation of business since worldwide spending levels started to recover in 2009.

IDC data shows that so far in 2011, 28% of IT expenditure has gone on hardware, with 23% being spent on IT services, meaning that CIOs are spending a large portion of their renewed budgets on upgrading and replacing hardware and supporting infrastructure to boost efficiency and drive greater ROI.

"Using intelligent ways to lower costs and maximise productivity through innovative solutions is something CIOs in the region are embracing. An area which allows a significant cost saving and streamlining is the printing environment, and we have seen an upsurge in businesses in Qatar adopting Sharp printing solutions," said Ravinder Kumar, Deputy General Manager, Sales, Sharp Middle East. "IDC's findings show that CIOs are establishing long-term infrastructure development roadmaps, and they are prioritizing projects that bring business value, such as turning to office automation printing solutions."

With a long history of innovations behind it, Sharp's latest solutions address many of the ROI driven transformations the region's businesses are looking for. During the IDC IT Managers Forum, Sharp showcased document management solutions and multi-function printer (MFP) products which help businesses gain greater customer satisfaction due to better organisation leading to increased responsiveness.

Sharp also focused on the fact that smart IT investments begin with intelligent information, with the start of a solution implementation demonstrating the cost of a business's infrastructure and how a switch to an office print automation or document management solution can reduce costs and boost productivity, adding value to the business.

"It's important for businesses in Qatar to understand how much of an impact a reduction of physical storage space or a decrease in paper usage can have on costs and productivity, to the benefit of a company. Events such as the IDC IT Managers Forum are the perfect place to begin showing what solutions are available to do this," Chakrabarty added.

Showcasing one of the many MFP solutions Sharp Middle East offer customers, representatives from Sharp were on hand to run through demonstration of the MX-2310U along with Sharp's document management solutions to increase workflow efficiency at the forum.

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About Sharp Middle East
Sharp Middle East FZE was established in 1998 in Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai, UAE as a wholly owned subsidiary of Sharp Corporation. The office is the regional hub for the Middle East and Africa regions, covering 60+ countries. Sharp's primary business activities include audio-visual and communication equipment, health and environment equipment, information equipment, and crystalline and thin-film solar cells. For more information please visit www.sharpmea.com

© Press Release 2011