Promoted as an alternative to the printer, a digital copier can be linked to an office network so that office workers can run copies without leaving their desks. Laser printer technology was originally cribbed from Xerox, and Canon miniaturized the technology and made it affordable. Legendary William Hewlett of HP first authorized licensing the Canon technology in 1975. Apple Computer 's Steve Jobs and his director of engineering, Bob Belleville, led the charge to launch the revolutionary LaserWriter with the Canon engine in 1986, as part of the industry-shaking move toward desktop publishing. Today, Xerox, Seiko Epson , Tektronix , QMS , Sony , Lexmark International Group , and many others make printers of every size and quality.
Scanners translate information from paper, film, and bar codes into electronic data.
While scanners have been used mainly by commercial photographers and graphic artists, electronic imaging and document management now strongly drive the market. Office technologies are increasingly converging. For many office equipment products, the cutting edge of technology has remained as dull as a butter knife. But nothing stays the same forever, not even postage meters. Sudden changes in office equipment markets have hurt others as well.