Tokyo (December 12, 2012) – Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc. (Konica Minolta) today announced that Konica Minolta Business Solutions Deutschland GmbH (KMBD), an European subsidiary of Konica Minolta based in Langenhagen, Germany, has signed a share purchase agreement with Raber+Märcker GmbH (Raber+Märcker), a leading software and system company for integrated IT solutions from Stuttgart, Germany.
Background and aim of acquisition
Konica Minolta has been globally providing Optimized Print Services (OPS) that is an approach to optimize customers’ print and document environment. KMBD has been known for achieving continuous high performance to provide document solutions to customers especially in Germany, which is the largest market in Europe and also has a high demand for OPS.
On the other side, proposal and consultation requests for providing professional support and strategic solutions towards business process improvements and IT solutions including IT infrastructure setup, besides the print environment setup, have increased from Small and Medium Business (SMB) markets. In order to respond to such requests in a comprehensive manner, the establishment of a business structure has been an important task in KMBD.
Through this acquisition, Konica Minolta primarily aims to strengthen the capability of KMBD by utilizing Raber+Märcker’s specialized expertise in Business Process Consultancy (BPC) to contribute to customers’ business process improvement and more diverse IT solutions for a wider range of options including IT infrastructure setup in addition to the existing KMBD’s document solutions. KMBD will acquire the know-how of various consultation strategies to offer optimized total business operation such as the introduction and operation of enterprise system setup or stable IT system operation to enhance the long-term partnership with customers. This will especially benefit the SMB customers, who need to improve their work efficiency.
Current status and future development
KMBD and Raber+Märcker have signed a share purchase agreement on November 30, 2012. Raber+Märcker will be operating as a subsidiary of KMBD and will continue to use its company name and product brand after the acquisition.
With this strategic collaboration, Konica Minolta pursues to obtain the know-how of IT solutions to provide high-value-added services such as Business Process Consultancy (BPC), beginning with Germany and gradually expanding to all European areas and other areas sequentially.
Overview of Raber+Märcker
Company name Raber+Märcker GmbH
Founded 1934
Headquarters Stuttgart, Germany
Employees Raber+Märcker has about 290 employees as of November 2012.
Businesses BPC offering and integration & customization of business software solutions, to provide IT infrastructure setup and operation-related support and services, to offer MFPs(multi-functional peripherals) & printers and document solutions, Sales and maintenance of commercial printing equipment and related products
Going forward, Konica Minolta will strive to deliver high-value-added solutions and services that fulfill diverse needs of the customers, under the Communication Message “Giving Shape to Ideas,” thereby gaining customer satisfaction and further increasing corporate value of the entire Group.
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