Eastman Kodak Co. is not — repeat not — planning to sell off its DigiMaster and NexPress commercial printer business. At least for now.
The company is trying to assuage fears of some of its customers that it might shed its toner-based printer line. NexPress and DigiMaster printers both are assembled at Kodak’s facility in Gates.
Kodak had pointed to the toner-based printer business earlier this week at its annual investor conference in New York City as one area needing a new business model.
In a conference call today with analysts and media who follow print technology issues, Kodak’s worldwide vice president of sales and marketing for digital print solutions said that resulted in misperceptions that Kodak might get out of that line.
“Kodak’s core strategy for graphics communications customers remains the same,” said Kevin Joyce , the digital print executive.
Kodak also has posted a two-minute video on YouTube featuring CEO Antonio Perez emphatically making the same point.
“Kodak has no plans to divest,” Perez said. “We see a better return by continuing in those businesses. We want our NexPress and DigiMaster portfolios to achieve their potential faster.”
Perez said that instead of selling off the lines, Kodak is looking to increase its spending in R&D, broaden the product line and find business partners that would give the printers greater market reach and that would pick up some of the R&D costs.
At the investor conference earlier this week, Perez said other business lines needing a change in their business models include consumer camera film and image sensors.
The YouTube video can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/kodaktube.
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