KODAK Graphic Communications Group expects revenue in China to grow about 20 percent this year, thanks to demand from the finance, government and health sectors, the company's digitized division said yesterday.

The graphic communications division, which contains the high-end scanner and related software business, achieved revenue of US$60 million in the first half in China, according to Wang Bing, the division's president in China.

"The division is Kodak's hope of digitalization and the company aims to transform the business to be more electronic-oriented," Wang said.

Kodak used to focus on film and printing paper but its business dropped when the digital camera became popular.

Now the graphic communications group global revenue is US$4 billion annually, accounting for 30 to 40 percent of Kodak's total income. Kodak aims to lift the digital business contribution to 80 percent, said Wang, without giving a timetable.

The Industry and Commercial Bank of China, the State Administration of Taxation and Standard Chartered Bank are clients of Kodak for enterprise-used high-speed scanners.

"Banks and government bureaus in China are in the process of improving work efficiency and providing paper-less services," said Thomas Hou, sales director of Kodak's division in China.

The demand for document imaging is surging in the telecommunications and insurance industries as the firms have to send bills to millions of customers every month, according to Hou.