WEEKEND MFP INDUSTRY NOTES
8-3-08
The following is a quick review of copier/MFP industry news from industry publications.
- Kia Silverbrook of Australia, who announced a revolutionary inkjet technology in March of 2007, announced when he hopes to launch actual printers that use the high speed color inkjet design:
o Will not actually make the printers, but will outsource his printhead to major printer makers
o Technology called “MemJet”
o An A4 (letter size paper only) will ship by end of year, and be launched by an un-named vendor as a desktop model in late 2009 and will sell for $199 (possible 60ppm)
o A3 model to launch in 2009, and sell for $4999 (60ppm)(to compete against HP Edgeline)
o Print head uses inkjet nozzles made from semiconductor chips, 20 millimeters across
o Each print head has 6400 nozzles or 70,400 nozzles per printer for A4 model
o Unlike most current inkjet printers, the inkjet head will not move back and forth, so the stationary print head will be supposedly as fast as a color laser printer
- Canon announced it has hired former Johnson & Johnson global marketing director, Ms. Clare Want, as Marketing Director of Canon Business Solutions Europe. She will report to Andy Vickers.
- Canon announced it has signed an agreement with the prison in Auckland, New Zealand to refurbish copiers for resale in Europe.
- Oce’ announced it has sold two JetStream 1500 production color inkjet systems to Cromwell, a print shop in Slovakia. This is the first sale of this new product in Europe.
- Oce’ announced it won an FM (facilities management) bid for Hertz Rental Car Corp. in New York, NY.
- Oce’ announced it will relabel more Konica Minolta bizhub products. The bizhub 361 will be called the VarioLink 3622, the bizhub 421 will be the VarioLink 4222, and the bizhub 501 will be the VarioLink 5022.
- A company that specializes in selling print management services continues to grow, Mark Crosby, founder of Printelligent, has hired Rob Wellman as the new CEO:
o company started in Salt City, UT
o sells and services Hewlett Packard printers and MFPs
o markets a cost per click program that includes hardware, service and supplies for HP products for one low cost per page
o now also offers the HP Edgeline MFP product, with color cost per page as low as 5 cents per page for service/supplies
o offers remote monitoring of printer fleet
o provides detailed quarterly invoices, showing uses of each printer
o now has offices in Atlanta, Chicago and Los Angeles
- Kodak announced its last quarter’s financials:
o Profit fell 14%
o Revenue up 1%
o Digital printing business up 10%
o Will invest another $125 million to promote its new desktop color inkjet printers
- Sharp announced that its profit fell 13.8% and revenue was down 6% worldwide during last quarter.
- Sharp won the “BERTL Best” award for its MFP product line for 2008 based on features and testing by the BERTL (Business Equipment Research & Testing Labs)
- Kyocera announced that its profit dropped 12% in the last quarter. Its total revenue was up 5%, but this was due to increasing sales of its cell phones, as its printer and MFP sales were down worldwide.
- Kyocera announced it has promoted Ms. Akisa Matsuda to Director of Solution Software.
- Konica Minolta in Europe launched a new website to promote its magicolor color laser printer offerings. Visit www.mastersofcolor.com
- Toshiba showed off its new color laser MFPs at the EFI Connect trade show in Las Vegas this past week. The new high speed models are eSTUDIO 5520C, 6520C and 6530C offering:
o 45ppm to 65ppm in color print speeds
o Optional Toshiba eBRIDGE print/scan controller (actual maker unknown)
o Optional EFI Fiery print controller
o 10.4” full color LCD touch screen control panel
o Uses a two-part developer delivery system that automatically replenishes developer into the system as new toner is added, supposedly eliminating the need to maintain developer for the lift of the MFP
o Supports banner printing
o Hopes these new models will allow it to discontinue relabeling Ricoh made 45 & 55ppm color models, however, it may relabel the new 90ppm Ricoh C900.
- EFI announced it has spent $21 million to buy Pace Systems Group of Jacksonville, FL, maker of software that it used to manage the business of a print shop.
- EFI announced that during last quarter, its total revenues declined from $162 million to $143 million, and reported a loss of $5.3 million.
- Three companies have unveiled paper made from rocks. TerraSkin, ViaStone and Paperocks have introduced sheets of paper made from crushed limestone that when combined with resin, form a white, rip-proof sheet. The companies claim that using their products will save trees.
- Xerox announced it has sold an iGen3 production color system with XMPie variable data software to Redi-Mail, a print mailhouse in Fairfield, NJ.
- InfoUSA, which sells mailing lists, announced it will now offer printing and mailing services as well. On its website, it will offer the ability to order a postcard mailing, using its databases. The company will address, print and mail, all for one low price. Unknown whose production print equipment will be used.
- Zoran Corp., maker of generic print controllers, reported that its revenues declined last quarter, due to slow sales of MFPs and printers. The company claims it makes products for:
o Hewlett Packard MFPs and LaserJets
o Canon imageRUNNERs
o Ricoh MFPs and printers
o Xerox Phaser printers
o Lexmark laser printers and MFPs
- IKON reported details of its last financial quarter:
o Worldwide revenue up 6%, (primarily due to its European operations growing by 12%)
o Total equipment revenue was down 1% (Europe was up 22%)
o Color revenue up 12%
o Color hardware placements up 7%
o Color production placements declined 8%
o Sold 39 each of the Canon imagePRESS C7000VP, and 33 of the C6000 model
o Black/white revenue down 11%
o Black/white hardware placements down 13%
o Black/white production revenue up 3% (primarily due to sales of Canon imageRUNNER Pro, which is relabeled Kodak DigiMaster product)
o Black/white production placement up 13% (primarily Ricoh Aficio 90/110/135ppm systems)
o Total MIF in the U.S. increased 2% (from growth in FM sites)
- A dealer goes out of business. Executive Imaging, of Cherry Hills, NJ, a one-time Toshiba and Kyocera dealer, apparently has shut its doors. At one time, this dealer was one of the largest independently owned Toshiba dealers in the U.S.
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