Drawing on many years detailed interest, involvement and experience in printer research and the cost of printing arena, CharisCo Printer Labs seeks to meet the needs of the hard copy industry for directly comparable TCP data and also the needs of the business and commerce communities for a means of customised evaluation of TCP in its environment.

Peter Maude (Director) has been involved in the computer industry since 1987 when he joined an Apple dealership in a sales role. Gaining experience of computer hardware and printers, together with the photographic, design and print environments (also for five years previously), both an Apple oriented distributor and a high tech public relations agency provided opportunities to increase knowledge and understanding of printers and printer related issues.

In 1994/5, during the course of four years functioning as an independent consultant, Peter undertook academic studies of Page Printer Cost of Ownership for CONTEXT (leading London-based computer industry research firm). Other market studies undertaken since 1994 include:
-> Digital Convergence, Cost Per Page and Total Cost of Ownership - Drivers, Developments and Dangers - published by CAP Ventures, March 2001.
-> Time to Desk, personal computers - published by Computacenter in association with Toshiba, January 1996.
-> The European markets for PCs and printers - published by the Economist Intelligence Unit, August 1994.
-> PC, Printer and Software Distribution in Germany, France and the United Kingdom - published by CONTEXT, 1993.
-> Accountancy Software Survey - published by Certified Accountant/Tate Bramald Consultancy, in association with CONTEXT, 1993.

Between January 1996 and July 1998, Peter was employed by CONTEXT in the role of Team Leader for the printer research team, Research Manager for imaging products and, latterly, focusing on the development of an extended price tracking service covering printer consumables.

Other achievements include giving presentations at the European Ink Jet Conference in Düsseldorf (1996), Berlin (1997) and Amsterdam (2004), at an industry seminar in Tokyo, Japan, and sitting on the TCO panel at the 2001 CAP Ventures conference in Amsterdam. In addition, Peter is periodically quoted in the UK computer press.