WEEKEND MFP INDUSTRY NOTES
6-28-09
The following is a quick review of copier/MFP industry news from various trade publications.
Canon’s executive vice president of research & development, Toshiaki Ikoma, was interviewed recently and made following comments:
- Will gradually shift from make-everything-in-house approach to open style I which Canon purchases and licenses technologies from other firms
- “I will primarily focus on deepening and broadening the company’s technology base. Specifically, precision,
optic, large-scale integrations, designing, imaging, and materials technologies, among some other, compose Canon’s technology base.”
- I look to increase the depth and breadth of these base technologies. By making the most of this technological foundation, the company will create cutting-edge camera, ink jet and
other technologies.”
- “To this end, the company has setup up the base-technology development department to ensure the new
technologies will spring up”.
- “Today, however, companies advocating open innovation – assembling products by using the cheapest but excellent technologies developed by other firms around the world – are proving winners, as has been the case for Apple Corp., with the iPod and for Nintendo Co. with the Wii video console.”
- “Apple has brought out new products on after another through the open approach. Still, it remains well ahead of competitors because it outstrips rivals in its ability to come up with new product concepts.”
- “What makes the difference is not elemental technologies but conceptual power and marketing skill. Marketing knowledge is gaining importance in R&D as well.”
Fuji of Japan announced that it now has moved 80% of all manufacturing for copier/printers to China to reduce costs:
- Mie Prefecture of China make functional components such as printheads and circuit boards
- Niigata of China make printers and supplies
More info on the new color MFPs from Xerox, the WorkCentre 7400 series:
- Model 7425 offers 25ppm b/w and 20ppm color for $10,799 base MSRP
- Model 7428 offers 28ppm b/w or color for $11,899 base MSRP
- Model 7435 offers 35ppm b/w or color for $13,799 base MSRP
- Maximum monthly duty cycles of 60K, 80K & 105K respectively
- Print-only version called Phaser 7500, and offers 35ppm b/w or color for $2999 base MSRP
- Use a color LED engine instead of laser
- LED print head has 1200 diodes per inch for a total of 14,592 diodes across the array
- 4 tandem OPC drum design with polymerized toner
- Advertised as offering 1200x1200dpi print resolution (but does not offer true 8 bits per pixel)
- 600x600dpi copy resolution
- Comes standard with 120 sheet stack bypass and 500 sheet paper drawer
- Optional document feeder holds up to 75 originals
- Up to 12”x18” paper handing
- Standard print/scan controller
- 667MHz processor
- 1.5GB RAM
- 40GB hard drive
- PCL, XPS & PostScript print drivers standard
- 8.5” color LCD touch screen control panel
- Optional fax board
- Black toner yield of 26,000 pages (based on 5% coverage per page)
- Color toners yield of 15,000 pages each
- Optional finishing including stapling, booklet-making, hole-punching, v-folding
- Optional EFI Fiery for $4195
- Suggested cost per page is 1 cent for b/w and 7-8 cents for color clicks
Xerox now shipping a new desktop color laser MFP, the WorkCentre 6400 series:
- Apparently it is actually made by Konica Minolta (Konica Minolta has provided product for Xerox previously)
- A4 size, meaning letter and legal size paper maximum
- 37ppm b/w and 32ppm full color
- Maximum paper supply of 1,600 sheets
- 8” full color LCD control panel
- Has Xerox EIP, meaning is capable of embedded software applications
- Base MSRP of $4299
- Maximum monthly duty cycle of 120,000
- 600x600dpi (2400dpi with interpolation)
- Document feeder holds up to 50 originals
- Built-in print/scan controller
- USB & 10/100/1000BaseT ports
- 800MHz processor
- 1GB RAM and 80GB hard drive
- PCL & PostScript print drivers
- Black toner yield of 12,000 pages (based on 5% coverage per page)
- Color toners yield of 8,000 pages
- Drum yields of 30,000 pages
- Optional stapling finisher
Xerox’s VP of North American Resellers, stated that its printer/MFP sales through computer dealers are down 19%.
Fuji of Japan announced it started its own channel on YouTube to advertise its copiers and MFPs.
Xerox is advertising that it won several “Editor’s Choice” awards from Better Buys for Business magazine. Models that received the award were:
- DocuColor 242, 252 & 260
- 700 Digital Color Press
- Nuvera 100, 120 & 144 EA
- Nuvera 200 & 288 EA
- 4127
In Japan, Ricoh announced it will move its 1500 engineers into a new division so it can expand information services.
Ricoh announced it will soon offer a new option for the C900 production color system, the Creo print controller. (Canon made a similar announcement recently)
Ricoh has decided to call its managed print services program in Europe; “Ricoh Click”.
Ricoh is now a reseller for Objectif Lune’s PlanetPress and PrintShop Mail variable data software packages.
Ricoh is conducting open houses at its factory direct branches across the country, with the theme “Ricoh Royale” featuring:
- Solution vendors on hand include eCopy, OmTool, Stria
- Prizes, games and giveaways with casino theme
- Presentations on use of green technology, managed print services
- Guest speakers
Ricoh launched new desktop color inkjet printers, the Aficio GX e3300N/GX and e3350N. Both use the Gel ink technology. Pricing ranges form $179 to $249, and offers up to 29ppm top speed.
IKON, a division of Ricoh, announced a new solution for the legal industry, called Litovation. This new service offers Data Forensics, Electronic Discovery, Document Imaging, Document Coding and Hosting/Review.
IKON also is center of controversy with the Town of North Greenbush, NY. The town council is upset with supervisor, Mark Evers, over why he signed a lease with IKON for new copiers, when the town was looking to reduce expenses. The council claims that he did not have the authority to sign the contract. Council member Al Spain stated; “A ratio of three employees per copier is outrageous in any setting!.”
Ricoh is now shipping the Aficio PRO C550EX and C700EX. As discussed in previous edition of this newsletter, while these are being advertised by Ricoh as production color systems, they are merely rebadged existing workgroup color models, rather than a new engine design.
More details on the new high speed b/w laser MFPs from Ricoh, the Aficio MP6001, 7001, 8001 & 9001:
- All based on same console engine
- 60ppm, 70ppm, 80ppm & 90ppm
- 8.5” full color LCD touch screen
- First copy out time as low as 3.3 seconds
- Warmup time as slow as 300 seconds (on 9001)
- 1200x1200dpi resolution
- Comes standard with 3100 sheet letter-size only drawer and two 550 sheet ledger size drawers
- 100 sheet stack bypass standard
- Up to 13”x19” paper size
- Thick stock in the bypass only, up to 110lb. index only
- Optional 4000 sheet paper deck
- Optional fax board
- Optional print/scan controller
- Actual maker unknown
- 1GHz processor
- 512MB RAM (can upgrade to 1GB RAM)
- PCL print driver standard
- Optional PostScript print driver
- 10/100BaseT & USB ports
- Optional 1000BaseT and wireless ports
- USB & SD ports on front of copier to print from or scan to memory sticks
- 120V/20amp power required
- Document feeder holds up to 150 originals, up to 34lb. bond only
- Can scan color at 55opm, or b/w at 80opm
- Can scan both sides of originals at same time, but slows down to 65opm to do so
- Finishing options include:
- 9 bin mail box
- Post process cover inserter with two trays
- Multi-folder
- Booklet making up to 15 sheets only
- Stapling up to 100 sheets
- Hole-punching
- GBS StreamPunch III
In South Africa, Konica Minolta launched a managed print services program, and named it “bizhub quantum”.
Oce’ detailed its new cost cutting plans:
- will fire 800 employees to save $91 million in costs through 2010
- during last fiscal year, the company cut 1,250 employees
- by end of 2010, will have cut a total of 8% of its workforce
- agreed to an amendment in its loan covenants, which provide increased flexibility for the
necessary restructuring costs
- under previous loan covenants, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) was not adjusted for extraordinary items
- under new covenants, EBITDA is adjusted for restructuring charges, exceeding a threshold of $3.6 million per quarter, for book profits for the sale of real estate and/or business, and cumulative
translation adjustments
- the company will use the proceeds of any business or real estate disposal to reduce debt
Muratec now relabels DocuLex document management software, and calls it “ScanTab”
Sharp now shipping new b/w MFPs, the MX-M503, MX-M453 & MX-M363 offering:
- 50ppm, 45ppm & 36ppm top speeds respectively
- 1100 sheet standard paper supply
- Maximum of paper supply of 5600 sheets
- Maximum paper size of 11”x17”
- Black toner yield of 40,000 pages
- Drum and developer yield of 200,000 pages
- “N” versions offer:
- Base MSRPs of $9990, $11,390 & $13,990
- 8.5” color LCD touch screen control panel
- Sharp OSA standard (can have embedded applications)
- Print/scan controller standard
- 800MHz processor
- 320MB RAM (can expand to 640MB)
- 80GB hard drive
- USB & 10/100/1000BaseT ports
- PCL print driver standard
- XPS & PostScript print drivers optional
- Color scanning
- Top scan speed of 70opm
- Optional document feeder holds up to 100 originals
- Retractable keyboard for data entry
- 1200x1200dpi
- “U” models feature:
- Base MSRPs of $7990, $9390 & $11,990
- 600x600dpi
- 8.1” monochrome LCD
- Optional print/scan controller
- b/w scanning only
- top scan speed of 50opm
- optional finishing includes stapling, booklet-making, hole-punch
Notable Solutions Inc. is launching a new scan/retrieve solution, called AutoStore Express featuring:
- Plans to offer this as an optional embedded application for a variety of MFP manufacturers
- Users can scan and send to a folder, by browsing for the folder on the network using copier control panel
- Can also search for folder using LDAP
- User can authenticate and document routed to end user PC
- Users can see emailed document sent from the MFP in the Sent folder of Microsoft Outlook
- Can scan to email as a link, so bandwidth is decrease, as the person receiving the email accesses document via the link
- Generates encrypted PDFs
- Barcodes can be used for indexing
- Offers zone OCR, from a defined place on documents
- Automatically removes blank pages from documents
- Cropping feature to remove white space around small original
- hole-punch mark removal
- deskew/despeckle
- Can remove backgrounds and colors
- Pricing and ship date not yet announced
In a survey conducted by the Association of National Advertisers of marketing executives, the following was found:
- 56% will cut back on their media budgets this year
- 50% will cut back on production budgets
- 41% will cut back on sponsorships/event activities
- 41% will increase pricing dealers
- 26% will increase social networking/word-of-mouth activities
Toshiba’s new CRO, Norio Sasaki, was interviewed recently:
- company reported a $3.61 billion loss for last fiscal
- recently raised $5 billion in capital through debt and new stock shares
- plans to boost company’s shareholder-equity ratio to 30% from current 19%
- stated that he would consider having Toshiba exiting unprofitable businesses
- would overhaul its computer chip operations
- expects to lose 50 billion yen this fiscal year
- will cut fixed costs by 330 billion this fiscal
- expects significant growth in the nuclear power plant division
- forecasts building 39 nuclear power plants by end of 2015
Hewlett Packard announced a new product that it claims will revolutionize the printer industry. The new HP Photosmart Premium with TouchSmart Web. Details:
- MSRP of $399
- Full color inkjet MFP
- Features direct web access from a color LCD control panel, allowing end users to print right from a website
- Will be able to print coupons from coupons.com, fandango.com, google.com and nickelodeon.com
Kyocera announced it has partnered with IDC to add cpc data on its competitors to the Kyocera TCO Tracker website. The purpose is to show end users the apparent savings when using Kyocera’s amorphous silicon ceramic drum based desktop printers.
Kyocera is being sued by WIAV Networks, of Reston, VA, over alleged patent infringement. The suit was filed in Texas, over wireless router technology.
Kodak announced it will cease production of Kodakchrome film, after being used in cameras since 1935. The popularity of digital cameras caused its demise.
Equitrac, maker of MFP/printer accounting and cost recovery solutions, announced more executives hired:
- Joe Hartnett was hired as VP of North American Sales, who was formerly Director of Sales for EFI.
- Kimberly Meyers was hired as Senior Director of Marketing, and is formerly from XMPie.
Riso claims is has sold 1,800 of the ComColor HC5500 series of high speed color inkjet printers worldwide.
SageWorks listed the 10 most bankruptcy prone companies:
- auto dealers
- motor vehicle dealers
- nursing care facilities
- hotels
- sporting goods and hobby stores
- land development companies
- investigation and security providers
- residential building companies
- motor vehicle parts makers
- print for pay companies
- It also listed the most financially healthy companies:
- IT consulting
- Systems design firms
- Accounting & bookkeeping firms
- Health practitioners (chiropractors, physical therapists, etc.)
- Electricals/electronics wholesalers
- Technical/trade schools
Two people were arrested in Seagoville, Texas for using a color copier to make fake $100 bills. One worked as a cashier at the local Walmart, and her partner came in to the store to buy gift certificates from her with the fake cash.
Gerald Lynn McIntire, 41, of Oklahoma City, OK was ordered to pay $2300 in restitution to businesses and banks in three states after he plead guilty to making fake $100 bills on a color copier.
Heidelberg announced it is set to receive 865 million Euros in government loan assistance. Its major competitors, KBA and Manroland, voiced concern against competing against a government subsidized entity.
California’s governor, Arnold Schwarzeneggar, announced an initiative to replace all paper textbooks in public schools with digital textbooks. No details given on the cost, and what devices will be used to view the books. Local book printers were very concerned with the news.
Oce’ announced that it will relabel the Konica Minolta bizhub 601 and 751, and call them the VarioLink 6022 and 7522.
Some investors and analysts said that the Obama administration’s proposed restructuring of the financial regulatory system would force General Electric to divest itself of its GE Capital Leasing division. GE’s CEO, Jeffrey Inmelt is opposed, saying; “We are certainly opposed to it, since this issue had nothing to do with the financial crisis.” Inmelt is already trying to scale back GE Capital , which accounted for half of the conglomerate’s profit in 2007. The goal is that the company would only rely on it for just 30% of earnings.
eCopy won an award from BERTL as the “Best Enterprise Document Imaging”.
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