Looking next at highlights in the Office Business, I will describe the momentum in A3 color model sales and the shift to high-speed models.
This slide shows the year-on-year rate of expansion in unit sales of A3 color office MFPs (multi-functional peripherals). Unit sales growth is centered mainly in North America and China. Continuing from 2Q, figures are again showing a year-on-year increase in 3Q. The increase was 9% in 2Q and 8% in 3Q. That increase was greater in high-speed models in Segment 4 and above, which are highly profitable. Growing at 11% in 2Q and 14% in 3Q, these models are beginning to contribute to heightened profitability. Non-hard are also currently recovering, and we plan to accelerate their recovery by increasing the MIF (number of machines in the field) for high-speed models.
This slide shows the year-on-year rate of expansion in unit sales of A3 color office MFPs (multi-functional peripherals). Unit sales growth is centered mainly in North America and China. Continuing from 2Q, figures are again showing a year-on-year increase in 3Q. The increase was 9% in 2Q and 8% in 3Q. That increase was greater in high-speed models in Segment 4 and above, which are highly profitable. Growing at 11% in 2Q and 14% in 3Q, these models are beginning to contribute to heightened profitability. Non-hard are also currently recovering, and we plan to accelerate their recovery by increasing the MIF (number of machines in the field) for high-speed models.