IPEX 2010: Fujifilm's Xerox Color 1000 press will be showcased...

The Xerox Color 1000 press is the big brother to the 800 and can produce 100 pages per minute and uses Xerox's low-melt, EA (emulsion aggregation) "Dry Ink." Unlike the iGen units, these new models use polymerized toner using the emulsion aggregation method so they do not use a fuser oil.

Fuser oil has been used for a long time to allow for proper fusing at speed, the newer presses that are worth considering do not use the "fuser oil" and give the user more post process options. Fuser oil can be very undesirable. From making it hard to get a print laminated to the application of coatings there are a lot of variables to take into consideration when you work with prints from a device that utilizes the fuser oil technology. Typically it is undesirable especially since there are devices that do not use an oil in the fusing process.

The Xerox 1000 is claimed to print on substrates from 55 gsm to 350 gsm without slowing down like the Canon imagePRESS (will only allow up to 300 gsm) and the Konica Minolta Bizhub PRESS C8000 which will also go all the way to 350 gsm . The press has the ability to print a clear toner as part of its fifth print unit like the Canon imagePRESS C1 plus.

Xerox will also be showing the Xerox 700 and Docucolor 7002 presses, XMF Workflow and Web2print systems in an integrated production area designed to showcase digital print systems.

The Color 1000 press is claimed to print at 2,400 x 2,400dpi, but it is not true 8 bits per pixel as the Xerox calculation just takes a pixel from a 600 dpi data stream and divides it into 4 quadrants to get to 2400dpi. The "Dry Ink" EA Toner is claimed to provide an offset-like finish like the Canon imagePRESS or Konica Minolta Bizhub PRESS C8000. There are very few manufacturers that use a true 8 bit color depth in their digital presses. Konica Minolta and Kodak both use a true 8 bit per pixel depth which is why you see their prints with a richer more well rounded gamut than the competition. Some manufacturers use as low as 2 bits per pixel which typically offers a much smaller gamut and a much lower image quality.

The press has a lot of finishing options from a GBC advanced punch, high-capacity stacker (single or dual) with removable carts, Xerox standard finisher with optional C-Z folder or booklet maker finisher and Squarefold trimmer. Xerox has just launched the Color Press 800 and 1000 so there are still options that will be available in the future but are not currently ready to deliver like the Xerox tape binder, GBC Ebinder 200 and Plockmatic Pro 30 professional booklet maker.

The Xerox Color Press 800/1000 will print onto sheet sizes up to 13 x 19.2in (33 x 48.8cm). This size format is very common among digital presses that use electrostatic toner technology. It is becoming a very common term to call toner "Dry Ink" Kodak and Xerox refer to their toner as a dry ink to further close the gap with commercial printers by using their lingo.

It will be interesting to see how consistent the color is on these new devices.

IPEX claims to be the second largest print show on the planet with an attendance of well over 100,000 visitors. The show only comes around every 4 years. This year the show will cover over 100,000 square meters and have over 1000 vendors.

Here a press there a press; the competition narrows…

Now that On Demand is behind us we can get back to work. With the economy coming around and companies looking at capital improvements again the rush is on to put more toys in front of owners. With the digital production competition narrowing the choices are getting easier to make.

The field is down to about 4 key players; Konica Minolta, Xerox, Canon and Ricoh. With the new introductions by Xerox and Konica Minolta you can be assured that there are launches in progress or planned for this year!

The color production systems that are now for consumption are the:

    Konica Minolta
                bizhub PRO 5501/6501
                bizhub PRO 65hc
                bizhub PRESS C8000
    Xerox
                Xerox 700
                DocuColor 5000AP
                DocuColor 7002/8002
                Xerox Color Press 800/1000
                iGen3
                iGen4
    Canon     
                imageRUNNER ADVANCE C9065 PRO/C9065 PRO
                imagePRESS C1
                imagePRESS C6000
                imagePRESS C6000VP
                imagePRESS C7000VP
    Ricoh
                Ricoh Pro C550/C700 also known as the MPC 6000/7500
                (office grade color copier)

                Ricoh Pro C720/C900


The quality and consistency of these devices gets better with each generation. So far this year a number of new devices have been introduced raising the bar for the introductions that are slated for the end of the year. It has been interesting to watch the operations from inside several of these companies. Sometimes the success of a device has nothing to do with how good it is but by the hearts of those that sell it. That I have witnessed firsthand. As I get ready to get back into the workforce I am hoping for a full recovery of the economy and look forward to swinging the battle axe once more.


Pirate Mike

Winds of Change; Konica Minolta repositioning the troops for the next wave of the offensive...

The Morning with Michael:

I have been going to comment about this release since the day it came out but had a few other posts that were a priority. Now that the articles have served their purpose I will make my comments.

Konica Minolta positioning Jun Haraguchi Takes on Global Leadership Role for Konica Minolta Business Technologies in Japan; Nobuo (Ned) Umehara Takes Over as President and CEO of Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. on April 1

Ramsey, N.J. - March 25, 2010 - Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta), a leading provider of advanced imaging and networking technologies for the desktop to the print shop, today announced senior management changes.

Jun Haraguchi, President and Chief Executive Officer will return to Japan to become General Manager, Worldwide Sales and Marketing for Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc. In his new position he will be responsible for global sales operations and marketing strategy. Mr. Haraguchi has spent the last 13 years in positions of increasing responsibility within Konica Minolta, the last five years as President and CEO of Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. During his tenure he led the successful integration of Konica and Minolta, the integration of several acquisitions, most recently Danka Office Imaging, while improving market share and the overall operating performance of the company. He will remain on the board of directors of Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A.

Nobuo (Ned) Umehara has been named President and Chief Executive Officer of Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. effective April 1, 2010. Mr. Umehara, who until recently served as General Manager of OEM Sales for Konica Minolta Business Technologies, has been with Konica Minolta for 33 years. He has considerable experience in the U.S. market having worked here on two separate assignments in the past, once in the printer division and once within the MFP sales operation. Mr. Umehara will be leading an organization with strong brand awareness, award-winning product lines, and a solid infrastructure in place.

"It has been a privilege leading a dynamic organization such as Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A.," said Haraguchi. "Despite the tough economy over the past two years, our corporation has been able to grow market share and improve operating performance. Ned will be assuming responsibility for a company that is led by a strong senior management team and is well positioned for future success. I want to thank the entire Konica Minolta family for their unwavering support and dedication during my time here, and I look forward to their future success - both individually and as a group."

"I am honored to take on this important role at this time in our company's history," said Umehara. "Leveraging the strength of the operation, I envision continuing our strategies to expand our presence in commercial print, managed print services, and the solutions business while gaining share in the core MFP business. One thing is certain, and that is our business partners and end users will not be affected during this transition. My number one goal is to ensure them they can continue to count on Konica Minolta for industry-leading technologies and superior service."

There are lots of changes going on inside of the office equipment sector and more to come as everyone reposition themselves for the 2010 fiscal year. New product introduction are being prepared, new compensation plans are being presented and explained to the troops.

Some organizations had the setup that if you were at 60% of plan you were still making money, the new trend is to set those gates so that anyone under 80% is unhappy and people that over achieve are very happy. Oddly enough in the midst of the storm there has come upon the industry a "calm peace."

Now that Ricoh/IKON have made their first moves to consolidating the new world reps from RiKON seem to be ok with the changes. Their compensation plan has adopted the above strategy which is the kind that you would expect in a sales organization. No one should be happy at 60-80% of their budget.

Konica Minolta was not in such a place of upevil but more in a transition that will be marked by the normal marching orders. Repositioning the troops, working on the distribution model, fine tuning supply chain and cheering on the troops. They have a lot to be proud of coming out of a markedly tough 2009 with the loss of one of their lead distributors of production products and the loss of a key strategic partnership with Oce.

They are poised to make a remarkable comeback as the introduction of their new FLAGSHIP product the 8000! This new tool of destruction will be of the likes of the Canon imagePRESS, Xerox 8002, Ricoh Pro C900 ETC. That paired with their own "heavy iron" black and white offereing the 1200. They are ready to do battle with the likes of Xerox, HP and Kodak!

Being prominently displayed at the 2010 On Demand show it almost makes you want to buy a plane ticket just to see it. As Konica Minolta repositions itself within the Print Production as an "End to End" provider not just of hardware but also in the lines of solutions we will see a Gartner "Challenger" move toward Jun's original battle cry "We are on the road to Tier 1." This battle cry was introduced in Jun's road tour of the branches in North America.

I have met Jun personally several times and was always enamored with his charisma and ability to reach down to everyone and pull them up. It is a sad day to see him leave but I am sure that they have great plans for a warrior of his caliber. All in all the seas are calming down only to meet the currents that are bringing the next wave of economic changes to us.

That's it for Pirate Mike's observations of the day, I hope that your day is full of prospects and that your afternoon is absent of any excessive service call reports! The winds have been strong the last few days so I am about to head off and "go catch the wind."

Good Sale'ing...