According to InfoTrends, there are almost 30 million printers and multifunction devices in offices and homes throughout the U.S. and Western Europe, and most are connected to a network.

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Researchers at Accenture tracked consumers who were planning to buy multifunction devices in 2012, and found the rate rose to 41% form 27% for those buying smartphones, 23% from 16% for tablet computers, and similar jumps for those buying PCs and and HD televisions.

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Brother International introduced a new class of laser printer, fax, and multifunction products devices featuring 33.6-kbps fax transmission.

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The company continued to focus on basic Daytimer-like features in the Palm OS, while multifunction, Internet-connected devices were what customers clamored for.

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OPTiM's suite of solutions includes setup, diagnostic and marketing tools for NGN and home networks, and also targets mobile devices, routers, TVs, gaming platforms, multifunction peripherals, servers, printers and DVD recorders.

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