The Japanese digital vendor this week bought out its Australia and New Zealand distributor, IPL Datron, after 27 years working together.

OKI Data general manager Graham Harman told ProPrint that the company is now expanding its range in readiness for a push into the commercial print sphere, with the "flagship" C9850 MFP (pictured) leading the charge.

Harman said the company is looking to grow market share "by building awareness".

"We're now marketing directly to [the commercial print sector] to let them know what we offer," he added.

"We only cover a small segment of the commercial market, but we've actually done fairly well, and without any real effort either. We've realised there's a greater opportunity to grow that market."

"We'll also be repositioning the pricing to grow that market," said Harman.

Harman acknowledged that the company would have to combat the perception that it was just a consumer printer vendor, adding that OKI already has a number of commercial print customers in Australia.

"We're just going to have to convince the market that we do have commercial machines that do the job."

Harman said the C9850 MFP was its best device for the commercial market, claiming that the machine's LED technology offered resolution that was "arguably better than what you can get from a laser printer", as well as being able to print on media up to 320gsm.

He added that the move to go direct was a natural one for the company.

"Historically, [OKI] has been represented directly in 120 countries around the world," he said. "In Australia and New Zealand it has been distributed well, but the IPL managing director, Stead Denton, really believed that in order to continue to be strong and develop in the market, OKI needed to go direct. So it was a matter of mutual consent between OKI Data and IPL."

As part of the deal, Takaaki Hagiwara has been appointed as managing director of OKI Data Australia. Hagiwara was previously the managing director of OKI Data Singapore.

OKI is based in Mascot, Sydney and currently has 13 employees.

OKI Data (which markets itself under the OKI Printing brand) and IPL have worked in conjunction since Japan-based OKI's move into Australia in 1982, with IPL handling OKI's business printer and MFP range.