• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechFortune 500

HP Inc. to Buy Samsung’s Printing Business For Over a Billion Dollars

By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 12, 2016, 4:00 AM ET

HP Inc. just got a lot bigger.

The personal computer and printing giant said Monday that it will buy Samsung’s printing business for $1.05 billion. HP will inherit 6,000 Samsung employees once the deal closes, which HP expects will be within 12 months, said HP president of imaging and printing Enrique Lores. Of those 6,000 employees, nearly 2,000 are research and development engineers, 1,000 are sales and support staff, and the rest work in service and manufacturing, Lores said.

With the acquisition, HP gets a big printing presence in Asia, as well as Samsung’s laser printing technology and around 6,500 printing technology patents. Samsung’s laser printing technology will be crucial for HP (HPQ) as it attempts to enter the copier machine market, which requires machines that can quickly print multiple copies, explained Tuan Tran, HP global general manager of office printing.

“Korea is going to be a very important site for the HP printing business going forward,” said Lores.

See also: U.S. Safety Agency Urges Galaxy Note 7 Owners to Stop Using It

Last week, the Seoul Economic Daily reported that Samsung was considering selling its printer business as the Korean electronics giant faces tough competition from rivals like Epson, Canon (CAJ), and yes,HP. The divestiture is part of a corporate overhaul by Samsung (SSNLF) to better focus on its core smartphone, television, and memory chip businesses.

In 2013, Samsung said that it would concentrate on selling its printers and printing services to businesses, which the company believed was a better strategy than targeting consumers. Samsung does not disclose how much revenue its printing business generates.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Like many printer-focused companies, HP has seen weakening demand for its products as consumers and businesses continue to print less while shifting their attention to digital documents. A May report by International Data Corporation said that worldwide shipments of printers declined 10.6% year-over-year to 23,114,918 devices shipped in the first quarter of 2016.

HP leads the shrinking printer market with 36% market share and 8,385,014 machines shipped in the first quarter, an 18.6% drop from the previous year during the same time period, according to IDC. Canon is the second-biggest printer company in regards to shipments, followed by Epson, Brother, and Samsung.

By acquiring Samsung, HP would eliminate one of its printer rivals and gain a possible boost in revenue to offset declines in its printing business. HP’s printing business, like its overall business, has dropped the past three quarters since HP formally split in November from Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), its data-center-focused sibling.

See also: Why Hewlett Packard Enterprise Is Slimming Down On Software

In HP’s most recent nine-month period ending on July 31, the company’s printing business dropped 16% year-over-year to $13.7 billion.

Also on Monday, HP plans to debut a new line of copier machines that Tran said are based on some of Samsung’s underlying printing capabilities, like its laser and toner technologies. Although HP has a partnership with Canon that lets HP use some of Canon’s own laser technology in more conventional printers and not copy machines, Lores said the Samsung deal will not impact the relationship.

A few weeks ago, HP shared its plans to acquire Samsung with Canon, which Canon was supportive of, said Lores.

For more about HP, watch Fortune’s video:

While HP bulks up on a big acquisition, sibling company HPE continues to shrink by selling off parts of its business as it narrows its focus to its core data center hardware business. HPE said last week that it would spin off its stalling software business to U.K. software company Micro Focus in a deal worth roughly $8.8 billion.

Lores said that if HP and HPE were still one giant company, acquiring Samsung’s printer business “would have been much more difficult to execute.” He said that the Samsung deal represents “proof point that the separation is really working.”

About the Author
By Jonathan Vanian
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Jonathan Vanian is a former Fortune reporter. He covered business technology, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data privacy, and other topics.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Bernard Looney, CEO of Prometheus Hyperscale
EnergyBP
Former BP CEO takes over Wyoming data center developer, as first woman leader of Big Oil giant becomes new BP chief
By Jordan BlumMarch 31, 2026
55 minutes ago
brian
CommentaryCulture
The real engine of innovation is trust
By Brian DoublesMarch 31, 2026
3 hours ago
artemis
PoliticsNASA
NASA is finally going back to the moon, with Artemis II. What took so long?
By Emily A. Margolis and The ConversationMarch 31, 2026
4 hours ago
The green head of what appears to be an alien pokes out from behind a rock set against a rural landscape with a power pylon in the background.
NewslettersEye on AI
AI’s ability to see ‘mirages’ shows how alien machine brains really are
By Jeremy KahnMarch 31, 2026
4 hours ago
Anthropic mistakenly leaks its own AI coding tool’s source code, just days after accidentally revealing an upcoming model known as Mythos
AIAnthropic
Anthropic mistakenly leaks its own AI coding tool’s source code, just days after accidentally revealing an upcoming model known as Mythos
By Beatrice NolanMarch 31, 2026
5 hours ago
The beauty counter is now on your For You page as Ulta Beauty joins TikTok Shop, betting on the platform reshaping how America consumes
RetailTikTok
The beauty counter is now on your For You page as Ulta Beauty joins TikTok Shop, betting on the platform reshaping how America consumes
By Catherina GioinoMarch 31, 2026
5 hours ago

Most Popular

Jerome Powell says the $39 trillion national debt is ‘not unsustainable,’ but warns the trajectory ‘will not end well’
Economy
Jerome Powell says the $39 trillion national debt is ‘not unsustainable,’ but warns the trajectory ‘will not end well’
By Fortune EditorsMarch 30, 2026
1 day ago
A man used AI to call 3,000 Irish bartenders to track the cost of Guinness. Now pubs are lowering their prices to compete
AI
A man used AI to call 3,000 Irish bartenders to track the cost of Guinness. Now pubs are lowering their prices to compete
By Fortune EditorsMarch 30, 2026
1 day ago
A CEO trying to reindustrialize America says blue-collar pay is headed for 'massive hyperinflation' and kids should skip college to become welders
Success
A CEO trying to reindustrialize America says blue-collar pay is headed for 'massive hyperinflation' and kids should skip college to become welders
By Fortune EditorsMarch 30, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of gold as of March 30, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of March 30, 2026
By Fortune EditorsMarch 30, 2026
1 day ago
The federal government shed 385,000 employees last year. Now the Trump administration is on a blitz to hire Gen Z workers
Politics
The federal government shed 385,000 employees last year. Now the Trump administration is on a blitz to hire Gen Z workers
By Fortune EditorsMarch 31, 2026
16 hours ago
Markets cheer as Trump threatens to abandon Iran war, but Jamie Dimon sides with allies: ‘Win this thing and clean up the straits’
Energy
Markets cheer as Trump threatens to abandon Iran war, but Jamie Dimon sides with allies: ‘Win this thing and clean up the straits’
By Fortune EditorsMarch 31, 2026
8 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.