Byron Connolly, CRN
Wednesday, 02 April 2003
Fuji-Xerox will audit its printer-distribution channel over the next three months, following its decision this week to merge its Phaser printing and Fuji Xerox channel printer business to form a new company dubbed Fuji-Xerox Printers.
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Essentially, Fuji Xerox Printers was formed from the melding of Fuji-Xerox Phaser printing, based in Frenchs Forest, Sydney with 53 staff, and Fuji Xerox Australia’s channel printer business, which operated in North Ryde, Sydney with around 12 staff.
The move will see the company audit and potentially cull its distribution base in Australia. “We will audit our channel over the next few months and may change distribution rights based on the audit,” said Clare Tipler, national marketing manager at Fuji-Xerox Printers.
The new company distributes its Phaser colour printer products through Tech Pacific, Alloys, HiTech, J Mills and APS. The Fuji-Xerox monochrome products are distributed through Impact, BMS and Zeus.
During the audit, the company will “talk to [distributors] about their business plans and “there might be some rationalisation,” Tipler said.
She added that the company doesn’t want to open its business to broad-based distribution due to the risk of cannabilising sales through its existing channel.
Tipler said the new company was always planned following Fuji-Xerox’s acquisition of Tektronix’s colour printing business in late 1999. “It took a while to come to fruition,” Tipler said.
The move will make it easier for channel partners to deal with the vendor, according to Tipler. “They [channel partners] only have to deal with one sales rep and have one place to get all their marketing making their life a lot easier,” Tipler claimed.
Fuji-Xerox’s Phaser printing business has grown in excess of 70 percent in the Asia-Pacific region over the past 12 months. The Phaser division grew by around 35 percent over the same period, Tipler said.
In a separate announcement, the company this week moved its Asia-Pacific regional headquarters from Tokyo to Frenchs Forest. Fuji-Xerox’s copier business remains in North Ryde.
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