Epson: adding color to Latin America. (Special Advertising Feature: Focus On ...).

With its sophisticated high-performance inkjet printers, video projectors, scanners and other image-capture and reproduction-related equipment, Seiko Epson Corporation is bringing more color to Latin America's home and business markets.

"Today's generation is used to communicating in color," says Fabrice Commelin, Epson's vice president for Latin America. "Whether it's printing, video presentations, photos or images projected on a screen, it's important to communicate using the highest quality colors."

The main product lines of Seiko Epson--an important player in the realm of capturing and reproducing digital color images--include information-processing related equipment such as printers, scanners, multifunction devices, video projectors, and electronic devices components including, for example, semiconductors, LCDs (liquid crystal devices), and precision products, especially watches.

"Epson Latin America makes products that capture the image - and the imagination," says Commelin.

For business presentations, watching movies, or playing video games, Epson's video projectors utilize advanced liquid crystal display (LCD) technology for sharper, more colorful images on the screen. "By design, our projectors have no moving parts, except for the fan," Commelin notes. "That gives our projectors very high reliability, as well as high quality."

Although business data projectors remain the largest segment of the market, demand in Latin America's education and home entertainment markets has begun to accelerate, according to Commelin. Seiko Epson recently launched the ELP-30 as an entry model in the growing home, small office/home office and education markets. Simple, easy-to-use and offering outstanding cost-performance, this is truly a multi-purpose projector for home or the small office, Commelin says.

In the world of color printers, Epson offers economical models for the home and small business markets. They utilize Epson-created "P.I.M." technology to provides outstanding reproduction quality. "Our P.I.M. technology is included in both the printer and digital camera to capture more colors than other digital devices," Commelin says. "The camera can capture many more colors than you can see on a computer monitor, and with the P.I.M. technology, what you print is a true copy of what you capture in the digital camera."

In addition to being one of the leaders in the mass market, Epson offers advanced color printers that are coveted by professional photographers and engineers looking for best possible reproduction. In some markets, there is a waiting list for Epson's top printers, which can provide printouts up to 40-inches wide.

When it comes to reproducing quality digital photos, Epson more than a year ago solved one of the most difficult technical challenges--high-quality black and white images without the effects of metamerism (a greenish effect on black and white photography). "Our ink technology is the best way to print out black and white photos and other graphics," Commelin says. "In addition, our digital images have a permanent, 100-year life in some media--more than regular analog photography."

Throughout Latin America, Epson is also a leader in point-of-sale applications, such as receipt printers for credit cards, digitizers for supermarkets and bank ATMs.

Epson has been serving the Latin American home, business and printing markets since 1983, and now has subsidiaries and distributors throughout the region, in addition to 500 service centersthe principal business centers of. In addition, Epson Latin America operates various factories in Latin America known for high-quality products, efficient service and an in-depth understanding of the needs of local consumers.

Founded in 1942, Seiko Epson Corporation is one of world's leading companies for high-quality technology products that meet customer demands for increased functionality, compactness and energy efficiency. For more information, visit www.latin.epson.com.