WEEKEND MFP INDUSTRY NOTES
3-9-08
The following is a quick review of copier/MFP industry news from industry publications.
- Canon announced that Gartner Dataquest concluded that more Canon copiers were sold in the U.S. in 2007 than any other brand. This includes everything from desktop units sold in superstores, to production print devices, and is a measure of units only.
- Canon announced that its imagePRESS C7000VP production color system will work with Screen Corp.’s TrueFlow SE workflow software for print shops.
- Canon announced that Kazuto Ogawa was named President and CEO Canon Canada.
- Canon announced a new option for its imageRUNNERS that are equipped with MEAP (multifunction embedded application protocol where software can be accessed from copier control panel):
o “Authorized Send” allows end users to scan documents, after authenticating themselves
o $1100.00 MSRP for one device, $10,500 for ten devices and $105,000 for 100 devices
- Canon announced a perfect binder option for its imagePRESS C7000VP production color system, pricing not known. Other options launched:
o imageWARE Prepress Manager Version 1.2 for $9140.00 MSRP
o imageWARE Enterprise Management Console Version 2.0 (no charge)
o imageWARE Accounting Manager Version 5.1 for $4000.00 MSRP
- Canon announced pricing for the new, slower, less sophisticated versions of the imagePRESS C7000VP production color system:
o Both are 60ppm top speed
o 1200x1200dpi (not true 8 bits per pixel)
o Canon imagePRESS C6000VP for $155,000.00 base MSRP
Like the C7000VP, has two fusers sections so it can run thick stock at 60ppm
o Canon imagePRESS C6000 for $99,800.00 base MSRP
Unlike the C7000VP, only has one fuser, so it slows down to half speed when running thick stocks
- Canon announced several new EFI Fiery print servers:
o Canon imagePRESS Server A3100 (relabeled external EFI Fiery) for imagePRESS C7000VP, imagePRESS C6000VP and imagePRESS C6000 models.
For complex VDP jobs
EFI Compose standard
EFI Impose standard
EFI Graphic Arts Package standard
Optional hard drive removal kit
o Canon imagePRESS Server A2100 (relabeled external EFI Fiery) for imagePRESS C7000VP, imagePRESS C6000VP and imagePRESS C6000 models.
o Canon imagePRESS Server A1100 (relabeled embedded EFI Fiery) is less expensive, but only works with imagePRESS C6000 model
- Canon announced that IKON sold a Canon imagePRESS C7000VP production color system (70ppm for $200K+) to Superior Copies, a printshop in Roselle, IL. The system also included an IKON Business Booster Pack, which is a set of tools and training to educate the print shop on how to market and sell digital color with VDP.
- Canon announced that IKON sold a Canon imagePRESS C7000VP (with IKON Business Booster Pack) to Andrew Associates Communications Group, a print shop in Connecticut.
- Canon announced that IKON sold an imagePRESS C7000VP to ADG Printing of Lynnwood, WA and Sir Speedy Printing of Tacoma, WA.
- Canon announced a new Canon-made production b/w system, the imageRUNNER 7135, offering 135ppm, and is a faster version of the existing 7105 model (105ppm). Canon will also continue to relabel Kodak made machines, like the Kodak DigiMaster 9138, which Canon calls the imageRUNNER PRO 138, and runs at 138ppm.
- Panasonic has developed software that allows end user to automatically scan a file right into Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF or text. It is called PaperToOffice Pro, and sells for $1500.00 MSRP. Canon has already announced that it will relabel this product as an option for its imageRUNNER MFPs. Unknown if any other vendors plan on relabeling this software. (Nuance Unity Suite w/Omni Page Pro has similar feature)
- Hewlett Packard announced several new desktop color laser printers:
o Actually made by Canon
o Color LaserJet CP1215 with MSRP of $299.00
Single OPC drum
8ppm color, 12ppm b/w
One paper tray
o Color LaserJet CP1515n
Same as CP1215, but has two paper trays
o Color LaserJet CP1518ni
o HP claims that the cost per page for black toner on these units is the same as HP b/w laser printers
o All offer optional extended warranties that do NOT include supplies
- Hewlett Packard announced the Color LaserJet CM1312 MFP featuring:
o Scan/copy/print fax
o 8ppm color, 12ppm b/w
o Optional extended warranties do NOT include supplies
o $699.99 possible MSRP
- Hewlett Packard announced it is offering an free option called “In-House Marketing Starter Kit” which includes:
o Sampling of paper types (photo, gloss, matte, etc.)
o CD-ROM with templates, images and coupons
o Provides jumpstart for end users in creating marketing collateral.
- Hewlett Packard claims that it ships 45 million desktop printers per year worldwide.
- Hewlett Packard announced it has sold 6 of its Indigo w3250 production color systems to Oniya Shapira, a large print shop in Asseret, Israel.
- Ricoh launched a new variable data/transpromo software package, called Dataworks3, with three different versions “DM”, “SMB” and “PRO”, featuring:
o DM is template driven VDP for marketing
o SMB automates transactional documents (invoices, checks, account statements)
o PRO for complex, high-volume workflows
o Pricing not released
- Ricoh announced a new option for its production print b/w system, the RB5000 finisher offering:
o fully automated in-line ring binding system
o creates finished ring bound books
o collates, punches and binds up to 100 pages
o pricing not released
- Ricoh announced it has purchased Carbon Model Studio software to assist its R&D department in designing new products.
- Ricoh’s InfoPrint division announced it will offer “TransPromo Consulting Package”, and will be an option for those that acquire production print devices. It will offer tools and training to teach users how to create and market the VDP output.
- Ricoh announced it has signed up a distributor to assist the company is using computer/VAR dealers in the U.S. to sell production print engines, PEAK Resources, Inc.
o HQ in Denver
o Offices in Dallas, Indiana and Ohio
o Sells to VARs across the country
o President is Vince DeRose
- Ricoh announced that the street pricing for the new Aficio PRO C900, 90ppm (regardless of paper weight up to 300gsm) production color system will be around $100K-$135K (faster than Canon C7000VP, but half the price). The company hopes to start shipping on 11/1/2008. It will also be sold under the InfoPrint name as well.
- Ricoh announced that it too will offer eCopy as an option for its Aficio workgroup MFPs.
- Ricoh, through its InfoPrint division, announced that the InfoPrint 5000, which is a relabeled Screen production color inkjet system, now supports printing from IBM mainframes via AFP.
- Kodak announced it has placed a DigiMaster production b/w system in the print center of University of Victoria in Canada.
- Kodak announced it has purchased Design2Launch (D2L) of Stamford, CT, which makes workflow software for print shops.
- Kodak claims that in 2007 it sold 520,000 desktop color inkjet printers.
- Samsung of Korea launched the CLX-3170, a small desktop color laser MFP. Optional extended warranties do NOT include supplies. Unlike other models, it is encased in black plastic, offers a single OPC drum, and top speed full color of only 4ppm.
- IKON may not complete the plan to buy back $500 million of the company stock.
o Only $340 million has been bought back so far.
o IKON was forced into agreeing to buy $500 million of stock due to pressure from one of its largest shareholders, Steel Partners IILP, run by Warren Lichtenstein. This request was made to boost the share price, which has been under $7.00 per share. The plan did not work, as stock is at $6.93 per share.
o IKON also agreed in 10/07 to provide Steel Partners with confidential information in exchange for Steel Partners agreeing to not try to take over IKON or its board of directors for 6 months.
o If the buyback plan is not completed, then its agreement with Steel Partners would most likely expire at the end of the March, 2008.
o In possible preparation, Mr. Lichtenstein resigned from the board of SL Industries Inc., which was a company that he took control of in 2002,
o Standard & Poors reduced IKON’s credit rating to “BB-“
- Xerox won a bid to provide MFPs for the 12 England offices of Reuters news Service under a facilities management contract, that also includes 1,400 printers.
- Xerox won a bid for the Wilkes-Barre School District in Pennsylvania.
- Xerox claims that it now has 126 different customers that are running more than 1 million color pages per month on their Xerox iGen3 production color systems, and that the average placement has 500,000 per month in average volume. Total installed base worldwide is 2,000 units, many of which are in FM sites.
- According to a reporter, during a press conference to boost awareness of Xerox’s Phaser color wax printers, an engineer ate one of the color wax sticks to prove it was environmentally friendly.
- Xerox announced new options for its iGen3 production color systems:
o International Color Consortium (ICC) DeviceLink Profiling, for customer RGB and CMYK profile creation using spectrophotometer.
o C.P. Bourg Bleed Crease Module for clean, tight paper folds, as well as full-bleed trim and crease for $47,000
o C. P. Bourg Document Finisher for saddle-stitch booklets
- The Xerox branch in Beckly, WV suffered damage due to a fire in apartments above the first floor office.
- Xerox announced it won a bid to supply MFPs and DocuShare solution software to the 13th Judicial Circuit Court System in Florida.
- Xerox announced a new optional variable data software package as an option for its DocuColor and iGen3 production color system customers, called “Xerox VIPP Pro Publisher” featuring:
o Base MSRP of $2500.00
o Is a plug-in for Adobe InDesign (so customer must own full version of this software)
o Xerox offers a free, no obligation, 30 day trial of this software
o Uses Xerox’s proprietary VIPP format (as opposed to industry standard PPML format)
- In a speech to 160 employees, Xerox’s Sophie Vandebroek, CTO of the Xerox PARC research center, asked for everyone to raise their hands if they used the new Xerox Second Life site for their work. Only three people raised their hands, much to Ms. Vandebroek’s dismay.
- The Business Technology Association (BTA) for independent U.S. copier dealers, gave its Superior Performance Award for Channel Choice to Toshiba.
- In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Toshiba’s worldwide CEO, Atsutoshi Nishida, detailed the company’s plans:
o Was trained in Iran
o was forced to shut down the HD DVD program, as it lost out to Sony’s BluRay
o company now has 44 different business units (the copier group is one, and the HD DVD group was the 45th)
o spent $4.5 billion to purchase the nuclear reactor division of Westinghouse Electric Co.
- XMPie, maker of VDP software, announced it now is offering to its customers a website, called XMPie Marketplace, where they can purchase & download templates for VDP campaigns.
- EFI announced that is web2print applications, DigitalStoreFront, will work with PrintSmith Print MIS System, which claims to be installed in 8,000 print shops worldwide.
- Gordon Flesch Co., Inc., one of the largest independently owned dealers in the U.S., has added an office in Indianapolis, IN. The company currently has 19 offices covering Wisconsin and Illinois, selling Sharp & Canon.
- Christopher Via of Waynesboro, WV was arrested for using a color MFP to create fake $10 bills, and tried to buy pizza from Domino’s.
- Hitachi & Sharp are being investigated by the Japanese government for alleged price fixing for color LCD displays.
- Sharp has filed suit claiming that Samsung color LCD panels infringe on a Sharp patent.
- Sharp announced that it supports 12 different solutions to be controlled from its MFP’s LCD control panel using Sharp OSA technology:
o Castelle FaxPress
o docSTAR
o DocuLex
o DPD GoldFax
o Equitrac
o FaxCore
o InfoDynamics (Intact SMART, inPOINT)
o Liberty Information Management LibertyNET
o Omtool AccuRoute
o MWA Intelligence
o Drivve
o Prism Software
o Objectif Lune
- Sharp also announced it will offer the following solutions as options for its production print systems:
o Rochester Software Associates products
o EFI Fiery controllers
o GBC SmartPunch, an on-line system for punching holes in documents so that off-line GBC binding systems can be used
- Business is booming for a company headquartered in Wisconsin that makes generic toner cartridges and parts for desktop printers:
o Parts Now, Inc. of Middleton, WI was founded in a one car garage by David Reinke in 1989
o Now has annual revenues of $97.8 million
o 270 employees, with branch offices in Florida, California and Canada
o CEO is now Bruce Hagan
o 13,000 different printer parts are marketed
- According to AIIM (The Association for Information and Information Management), the top 10 MFP industry trends are:
o entry of Microsoft SharePoint as a serious player in document storage software
o entry of alternative software providers for document management
o consolidation of software vendors
o collapsing price point for document management software
o expanding use of MFPs as entry points for document management software
o rise in importance of MFP vendors as solutions providers
o expanding need for best practices in implementing solutions
o blurring of distinction between MFPs, printers and scanners
o increasing tension between control of MFP and access to MFP
o need for employees and department to connect in new ways
- Suggested questions to ask when doing a walkthrough of a customers office (to sell MFPs and solutions):
o Do you have control of your costs on your printers/copiers/MFPs?
o If no control currently, how does these unpredictable costs affect your business?
o What are your objectives in upgrading your office technology?
o When making a decision, what is important to you? (price, reliability, print quality, service, etc.)
o With your current devices and software, what do you like most? What do you like least? How do the problems affect your business?
o Do you have control over your outsourcing expenditure?
o What do you expect from the vendor you choose?
o If you had a solution that met all these needs, and gave you control, how would this help your business?
- Apago Inc., of Georgia, announced a new product for print shops called “ONEticket 3.” Software:
o Device independent plug-ins for Adobe Acrobat
o Provides single interface that controls digital production print devices from various manufacturers
o Adds several customer requested features like “Tray Mapping”, allows print shop owner to define paper exceptions
o 2, 4 & 12 up imposition controls
o Stamp placement
o Ability to select a new page size, scale the contents of a single page, or all pages
o Select contents of page and shift to left or right for tab printing
o MSRP of $2395.00
- Objectif Lune Inc. announced version 6.2 of its PlanetPress transpromo variable data software, featuring:
o Can use graphs created by Microsoft Excel 2000
o Can eliminate backgrounds outside of clipping paths
o Includes Address Object which can include up to 8 address lines, and height will adjust automatically
o Postnet barcode can be snapped into a fixed location
o Works with Creo controllers
o Save data files in XML or CSV
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