News Release
Ricoh and Microsoft Partner in Cloud Business
Combining Microsoft's cloud services with Ricoh's nationwide sales and support
structure to drive enterprise IT deployment and utilization
Ricoh Co., Ltd. (head office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; CEO, President and Representative Director: Shiro Kondo), Ricoh Japan Corporation (head office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; CEO, President and Representative Director: Kenji Hatanaka) and affiliated sales companies in Japan (hereinafter referred to as the Ricoh Group) and Microsoft Co., Ltd. (head office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Yasuyuki Higuchi) have announced that they will partner in cloud business.
Overview of Partnership
1.Joint development and provision of solutions by the Ricoh Group and Microsoft
The two companies will offer solutions that combine Microsoft's cloud services for the enterprise including Exchange Online, SharePoint Online and etc., with Ricoh's helpdesk, deployment support and other services. They will also combine these services with Ricoh's NETBegin BB Pack Select, an information system integration and maintenance service for small and midsized businesses used to date by 90,000 companies in Japan, to generate synergy with the aim of gaining 200,000 users nationwide over the coming three years.
2.Training of human resources for cloud service rollout
With respect to its rollout of cloud services, the Ricoh Group will apply its well-developed on-site information system sales and support structure to the development of cloud business. To this end, Microsoft will provide training to 11,700 sales personnel and engineers of the Ricoh Group around Japan to enhance their understanding of relevant products and technology.
3.Joint marketing, sales and support
Microsoft will leverage Smart Business Center, its general information website for small and midsized businesses, to disseminate information, hold seminars and otherwise further strengthen its collaboration with the Ricoh Group to implement sales promotion activities, sales and customer support.
Ricoh Japan plans to leverage this partnership to double its sales of Microsoft products in Japan to \20 billion within the coming three years. Ricoh too will further accelerate the global rollout of all of its IT services through applying the achievements and success stories of its partnership with Microsoft in Japan to its global business. Microsoft will continue to work with the Ricoh Group to promote the deployment and utilization of IT by businesses.
Partnership Background
As a leading Microsoft Large Account Reseller (LAR) and Microsoft product solutions partner in Japan, the Ricoh Group has long provided Microsoft products to a wide range of customers from small to large enterprises. Ricoh currently sells over \10 billion worth of Microsoft licenses annually through a well-developed sales and support structure manned by approximately 7,700 sales personnel and 4,000 engineers stationed in 310 sites (including group companies) that provide the same high quality customer services throughout Japan. Ricoh has also been looking into the possibilities for applying the strengths and expertise that it has built up over the years to the handling of Microsoft's cloud-related offerings.
Microsoft for its part has long sought to drive the further take-up of its Microsoft Online Services through cooperating with partners equipped with rich sales and support capabilities for serving customers nationwide.
The two companies decided to work together in the cloud business because they felt that combining Microsoft's products and technological capabilities with the Ricoh Group's sales and support networks will enable delivery of cost reductions, shorter deployment time and other cloud service strengths backed up by a structure for providing the same high quality support as for on-site systems.
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.January 25, 2011
Ricoh Company, Ltd.
RICOH JAPAN Corporation
Microsoft Co., Ltd
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