President of the newly formed group will be Jack Glacken, from US-based Today's Graphics. The forum is designed to allow customers to share ideas and exchange best practice strategies.

"Our primary focus continues to be helping our customers to be successful and the HP Indigo Customer Forum will complement all existing consumer support networks," said Rich Raimondi, vice president of US commercial sales, HP Imaging & Printing Group.

"The forum will give customers the opportunity to connect quickly and effectively with their peers."

But HP's decision to withdraw from ICE has led to acrimony from the organisation with a source from ICE suggesting the split had been "petty".

"The official reason from HP was that we did not cover enough of the consumer base," said the source. He added that despite losing HP's support ICE was fine financially.

By Philip Chadwick