Digital Press Certifications; Konica Minolta, Xerox, Canon - Interesting Developments...

Now here we are a month and a half later and we find that the Konica Minolta is not the only Digital Press that is certified by IDEAlliance. Even thought Konica Minolta was the first to be certified.

Konica Minolta’s Flagship Color Digital Press becomes First in the Industry to Meet Production Requirements of GRACoL Color Specifications

The press release was issued August 15th, which was about 2 weeks behind the official date that IDEAlliance issued the actual certification. IDEAlliance issued Konica Minolta's Digital Press Certification on August 1st, 2011.

Digital Press Certification Results Sheet

The Digital Press Certification program is broken into two parts: Part 1 is for Commercial Production (xerographic & ink jet) Devices. Part 2 is for Wide Format and Grand Format Ink Jet Devices. The program consists of testing and certification in areas of color, press sheet properties and print production.

In the certification process, a series of test forms are provided, suppliers print these forms according to a given criteria, the forms are sent to the IDEAlliance designated Evaluation Contractor where they are measured and compared against pre-determined tolerances. Systems that pass all tests are awarded certification, the supplier system details are published on an IDEAlliance web site and the supplier is able to display the certification logo on their product collateral.

This is great news for potential digital press buyers as they will be able to immediately recognize the logo and know that they are considering a product that is already certified. There has been a lot of press surrounding these certifications. The framework for the digital press certification is based on upcoming international standards ISO 12647-8, 15311, and 15339.

Now customers have a way to find their way through an always growing field of Digital Press Products. As of 9/15/2011 The following presses have been certified under the following conditions.

8/1/2011 Konica Minolta Business Solutions got the Bizhub PRESS C8000 with the Creo IC-307/Version 1.0 using the GRACol Print Condition on Sterling Ultra Digital 80# Gloss Cover
 
8/26/2011 EFI got the Canon imagePRESS C7010VP/C6010VP/C6010 with the Fiery A1200/A2200/A3200 using the GRACol Print Condition on EFI Laser Proof XF130 Semi matt 130 gsm
 
9/1/2011 Xerox got the iGen4 Matte Dry Ink Press with the FreeFlow Print Server V8 using the GRACol Print Condition on Xerox Digital Color Elite Silk 140gsm
 
9/6/2011 EFI got the Konica Minolta bizhub PRESS C8000 with the Fiery IC-306/IC-3600 using the GRACol Print Condition on EFI Laser Proof Paper XF130 Semi matt 130gsm
 
Konica Minolta not only has their equipment being certified a quick look at IDEAlliance's website and you will find that 17 Konica Minolta employees are now certified G7 Experts!
 
Konica Minolta has put a tremendous effort in not only producing top of the line affordable digital presses but also in investing in having color experts to help commercial printers and in plant printing operations get their shop certified as a G7 Master Printer using the G7 methodology. Originally when I looked Xerox had like 8 and Kodak had like 7 G7 Experts worldwide. HP did not have 1 certified G7 Expert and neither did Canon, IKON or Ricoh. I have been informed that the first batch of RiKON professionals have now been certified.
 
It is not enough to just make good equipment, but to have the support structure to enable those that purchase the equipment to be successful. The race is on!
 
Pirate Mike
 
For those that would like to keep up with the lastest certifications go to IDEAlliance's Website!

Exit Stage Left... Elvis has left the building and the sinking ship....

I thought that this was already old news but people seem to keep asking about it so here it is:

From: M.Espe

Sent: Friday, June 25, 2010 7:21 AM
To: DL-All US Users
Subject: Thank you


It is with mixed emotions that I am announcing my departure from Ricoh. It was an extremely difficult decision for many reasons, particularly because of all the momentum we have built and the strong opportunities in front of us. Most of all, I am going to miss the dedicated and energized employees that make up our great team. I have forged many close working and personal relationships with many of you over the years, and I will always look back fondly at the time I have spent at IKON and Ricoh. I am very grateful for all that you have done to position Ricoh as a leader, and the work I know that you will continue to do in the future to create an even stronger organization.


The opportunity to take on the CEO role at Armstrong, a publicly traded NYSE company headquartered in Pennsylvania, was a great fit for me both personally and professionally, and one that I could not ignore. Knowing that we have a strong leadership team in place with Kevin Togashi and the Ricoh Americas staff, and that our leaders in Ricoh U.S. now have the vision, strategies and support to carry our integration planning in the U.S. forward, made the decision easier. I leave knowing that you have a strong leadership team, the best employees in the industry, and by far the strongest portfolio of technology and solutions to offer our customers and dealer partners.


You should all be proud of the work you are doing and the company that you all help shape. The past eight years at IKON and more recently as part of Ricoh have been extremely satisfying for me, and I remain energized by your commitment to Ricoh’s continued success and the opportunities you have to create something great. I know you will build on the foundation you have to strengthen the company, grow revenue and increase market share. Most of all, I know that you will continue your intense focus on the customer and dedication to Ricoh’s success.

I want to thank all of you for your support over the years, and for the privilege of working with this great team. I wish you all the best in the future and know that Ricoh’s best days are ahead.


Thanks,


Matt Espe

So really what does this mean? Why would Matt leave a pretty solid position with Ricoh Americas to move along to well I had never heard of Armstrong so I have no idea what his motivation is. What I will say is that quite a few of Ricoh's leadership have popped up at places that I have been and they were all pretty tight lipped but have all left the building. Matt on the other hand has left the building and the industry. Probably a good move. I have no other qualifications but to stay and wait for the next round of acquisitions and mergers.
 
So what is going on out there? Things have gotten very quite about Canon and the Oce... Not much on the home front as I still am struggling to get my arms around my next steps. What I can say is that I have gone from Champagne to a glass of water with lemon please...
 
So tell me what is a pirate without his ship?

Just when you thought you were safe! Ricoh America’s is Closing down their Irving Texas Location!

New fiscal year starts and you are scared for your job, things are not right but then April 1st comes and goes and you go Whew! Thank god you still have a job! Then you cautiously wait for the compensation plans to come out and Whew no big deal.

Then just when you thought it was safe to get out of the closet - Wham Unemployed! I have predicting this for months and now it is a reality.

When everyone thought I was crazy here are the facts:

"Ricoh Americas Corp., which sells and provides services for imaging equipment such as printers and copiers, plans to close an Irving location, according to a filing with the Texas Workforce Commission.
Some 53 people will be affected by the June 4 shutdown, according to the April 2 letter to the agency.
The letter did not disclose a reason for the closure of the office. Comment wasn't immediately available Wednesday from the West Caldwell, N.J. unit of Japan's Ricoh Co.
According to the corporate data service Hoover's, Ricoh Co. had a total of 110,000 employees and $21.5 billion in revenue last year."
Read more: Ricoh Americas Corp. to close Irving shop; 53 employees affected - Dallas Business Journal:

Well there it is the I's have it! And I don't mean Ayes I mean I's IKON has survived the first round it will be interesting to see how long it will take to get all of the extra real estate dealt with!

The carnage is about to begin! Even thought I didn't want to be unemployed myself it is probably the best thing that could have ever happened to me! I was not happy selling their equipment and had no successful installations of their color equipment. I was probably on track to ruin my reputation as a consultant if I continued on.

We will see what happens in the coming months but it cannot be good for anyone that stayed there. Compensation plans didn't change that radically, with the exception that they are trying to make it very hard to afford to be under plan.

I don't blame them on that one. They had tons of people making rent at 36% and they still kept them! Everyone that I know that was at or over 100% has left with a few rare exceptions at least locally.
Happy Sale'ing

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...

There’s a new Sheriff in town; RiKON the saga continues…

Well right in time for the new fiscal year. Instead of trying to put together an article on the subject I will point you to someone that has done a very good job presenting the information for you.

 To get the scoop on RiKON the next generation and see who the new sheriff is go to...

Strategy Development's blog here:

Imaging Industry Information

IKON Executives Assume Responsibility for Ricoh Americas

You can also participate in the forum thread at the:

Print 4 Pay Hotel.

Now it will be interesting to see how quickly Rikon can connect the dots.

Pirate Mike

RiKON; the end is near repent!

Ricoh merges its print businesses

 Barney Cox, printweek.com, 26 March 2010

 Ricoh has consolidated its UK production print sales organization in a bid to grow its presence in the commercial print market.

 Under the new structure, all of Ricoh's print business, aside from IBM joint venture Infoprint Solutions, will be integrated and headed up by Stephen Palmer in the new role of  Ricoh UK production print director.

Palmer said: "Historically, commercial print represented 10% of our production print sales and is the biggest area for growth.

 "Over the next three to four years, we plan to grow that to 50%. There's no reason why we can't grow very rapidly, we have the service and the infrastructure."

He added that 25%-30% of orders for the C900, Ricoh's first cut-sheet colour press, had come from the commercial print market.

In his new role, Palmer, who was previously Info-Tec UK managing director, will manage a 40-strong sales team combining staff from Ricoh, Info-Tec and Ikon.

According to Infosource figures, Ricoh was second to Xerox in colour digital press installations in 2009.
Funny enough some of my Anonymous comments have been spot on! Which is the only reason why I allow them. It seems that many were very well connected as they predicted this announcement weeks in advance!

Well IKON it is time to repent for the end is near!Good luck to all my old comrades!

Pirate Mike

11 days till… David meets Goliath; a fight that may define the end of IKON OFFICE SOLUTIONS

In 11 days I will get tons of calls and emails from around the country on what new changes are being made inside of the Ricoh / IKON group. I have been listening to both sides of the house and have been hearing similar stories.


Unfortunately for those employees that still work there they do not sound good.


There have been rumors of huge layoffs and mass firings in store. It appears that these decisions are being looked at on an area by area basis. IKON has not been keeping up with the "Welch Way" of differentiation so there is bound to be more firings than layoffs. 

From what I'm being told there have already been some location closings/mergings in certain areas where it made sense. Some branch locations have scaled back or quit seeking new people all together. These have been kept very quiet as the worst has yet to come.

So what do we know so far of the story as it is unraveling? We know that there have been many "engagement issues" in which Ricoh sided with "Cain" We also know that the April 1st deadline (fiscal year) is coming upon us soon and Ricoh will not wait to "kill" IKON like they did with Lanier.

This is not a 5 year process!

The process is to merge the top level execs (already done and it appears that many of them came from IKON) and then to merge the back end processes (done) then to merge the sales forces and remove the chaff. (Starting to happen!)

What will we see?

Meetings with sales managers and local leadership on a market by market basis (Already Done) I am sure that they will dress it up as a "let's meet our neighbors" visit. I am sure that it will be very cordial. But what it really will be is a public display much like a title fight between heavyweight contenders! They will weigh in face each other and pose for a picture before the real Day of Atonement. I am sure they will make their merge decisions on an area by area basis.

There is a lot that is unknown, Ricoh has a lot of "purchased entities" in their back pocket and a lot of "intellectual property" that it has yet to release. One thing we know for sure is that they (Ricoh) has yet to make a unified group out of their acquired companies and has yet to create a soup to nuts product portfolio out of them. So anything can happen; so everything that we talk about here is just speculation.

In the end their can only be 1 Ricoh and 1 Ricoh Business Solutions and IKON which now is more of a RiKON than what people remember as IKON will soon be no more! Eventually Cain will kill Abel as he did more than 2000 years ago and the story will relive itself again.

I was miss-quoted the other day so I am making a re-post so that there is no misunderstanding.


If you look at my blog post which was posted at 9:05pm 01-13-2010 it clearly indicates that I am "on the market looking for a job." That blog can be found here: Pirate for hire! 


I am no longer in any way associated with IKON/Ricoh group.

If you are a shop owner or production manager and are seriously interested in the limitations that I ran into while placing this equipment I would be glad to answer your questions.

There are many successful C900 installations and soon to be C720 installations as well. But there are some limitations that need to be understood or your experience with this gear like all gear could become a nightmare.

There are many variables to consider when getting a production copier or digital press and I think I will dedicate an article specifically to that end.

This industry is where I make my living so I will keep some of my personal feelings to myself.


Pirate Mike

Ricoh – IKON; Canon – Oce; Konica Minolta – Danka; Xerox – Global Imaging; Can You Say “World of Uncertainty?”

In an industry that is collapsing into a few very powerful mega manufactures it leaves an uneasy feeling in the minds of many salespeople that call this business their own. With the Canon-Oce purchase moving forward this brings some "heavy iron" that Canon desperately needs in its arsenal. The Kodak relationship with Canon surely is being undermined by the Ricoh – IKON acquisition. IKON was 60% of Canon's distribution network and placed most of the KODAK "heavy iron" and has been able to keep that piece of the business intact. Kodak at least locally has let go almost all of their sales force. In a market segment that is not conducive to "over the phone" selling; Kodak doesn't have the bandwidth to really market their big iron Digimasters/NexPresses. I think it is hard to believe that with such a coverage model that they can be successful. It almost appears that they are hoping that the Ricoh – IKON relationship will move the hardware for them.

I could see in the very near future Kodak divesting from their Digimaster and NexPress technology and selling that portion of the business to Ricoh. Canon will soon move away from their platform as they develop their own hardware that meets the higher end of the spectrum anyway. Now with the Oce B/W heavy iron they will no longer need the Digimaster technology in their portfolio. This will leave KODAK very vulnerable and weak with no way to move their hardware. What makes sense is that KODAK deal with the software and solutions end (which is the most profitable) and leave the hardware up to Ricoh they have a distribution network for their products that they cannot afford to create themselves. I think KODAK will retain the patents and continue to manufacture the hardware but I do not think they are being very successful moving it. Or maybe they sell off the entire division to Ricoh. Ricoh has deep enough pockets to take it over and the economy of scale to actually make money with the science. They will revamp the lines and come up with a new pricing structure that will give the NexPress some teeth.

With Black and White volumes decreasing the need for Digimaster type products is declining as the fast plastic gets more reliable and "self serviceable. " Xerox and Ricoh have perfected the art of getting the user to replace the majority of the simple parts. Digimaster type products require very skilled and expensive technicians. The Digimaster may go away completely not handing the substrates that are required today and never developing their image quality over 600 x 600 dpi. It will be interesting to see if Ricoh just takes the NexPress and leaves the Digimaster to die a slow death as they have some high speed black and white technology that will handle these volumes. Surely it will save them money if they can just purchase the piece that they need (high end color) and leave the black and white to their developers/engineers as they already own some of the technology to do datacenter printing. Konica Minolta is quickly developing their own "Black and White Big Iron" as they have no choice.

Xerox is the only manufacture that has the whole thing covered soup to nuts. Canon & Konica Minolta will come in second place with a close fit for most applications. Ricoh still has some terrible gaps in the mid and production color. With the C900 being only 2 bit color and the fact that many stocks won't even allow the toner to fuse to the paper it just isn't a very good option for anyone that wants better than mediocre business color at high speeds. IKON has done a great job trying to convince people that it is "ok" to be average. Talk tracks of close registration (which it will do) and productivity (only if you can get the toner to stick) are their battle cries. Now with a Creo controller and a robust Fiery Q-Series server only adds to the anguish of how much can you do with so little? I do believe that the kinks will be worked out in the second round of the machine which promises to be built around a new engine that will not use pulverized toner and fuser oil as its base technology but come up to this century with an engine that can use a polymerized toner like its slower office counterparts.

Once the Mega-Manufacturers settle down the rest of the Sharps, Toshibas etc will either go away mad or just go away! I do not think that they have the ability to rush into the market with robust product lines. Maybe I'm wrong and there will be a place for the Kyocera fleet machines. I just see leaving the production equipment an opportunity to lose the fleet. I was once told "own the head and the body will follow." If you have a Kyocera or Sharp fleet but use Canon in the marketing department and in the print shop and probably in billing and statements or the datacenter how long will it take for them to undermine your position in the fleet? More than likely not long…

Now that we have the newest "Gold Rush;" MPS is providing dealers and manufacturers alike a new toy to play with for a while until it becomes the next new commodity on the block. I am interested to see how this all pans out. Everyone is in turmoil. Xerox is trying to figure out how to "eat the elephant" that they bought both in ACS and Global, while Ricoh takes their medicine trying to keep down the sour grapes that they got with Ikon. Konica Minolta has survived the arsenic that they consumed with their acquisition of Danka, and we have yet to see how Canon will do trying to control the mad house that is Oce/Imagistics.

Wow a 4 ring circus now all we need is a master of ceremonies or a ring leader! What fun it is to be a big iron salesman these days!

Pirate Mike

Pirate for hire!

Pirate Mike no longer works for the one world leader! Expect more commentary from the rouge one!

IKON Delivers Ricoh Pro C900 Digital Color Printer For Grover Printing, A Consolidated Graphics Company

IKON Office Solutions, Inc., a Ricoh company, today announced that Grover Printing, a Consolidated Graphics company, has installed a RICOH Pro C900 digital color printer, giving them greater versatility and enhanced capabilities to better meet their customers’ wide range of printing needs.

Based in Houston, Grover Printing is a one-stop shop for all their customers’ printing needs. They also provide state-of-the-art online solutions and variable data printing, enabling customers to order customized marketing communication materials.

Grover Printing is a Consolidated Graphics (CGX) company – one of North America’s leading general commercial printing companies. With 70 printing companies strategically located across 27 states, in Canada, and in Prague, the Czech Republic, CGX offers an unmatched geographic footprint with extensive capabilities supported by an unparalleled level of convenience, efficiency and service.

“CGX has the largest and most technologically advanced printing capabilities in North America,” explains Ric Davis, Executive Vice President of Operations for CGX. “Our companies are very diverse and offer a full range of capabilities. CGX has the ability to respond to all printing-related needs no matter how large, small, specialized or complex.”

Grover Printing recently decided to make the move into digital printing, and felt the RICOH Pro C900 was a good fit for their needs, giving them more versatility, with faster speeds and excellent print quality. Davis stated, “My team investigated several different digital presses, and the RICOH Pro C900 stood out for several reasons. It produces great quality, giving Grover Printing the ability to offer more robust graphic design and customized collateral via variable data technology. The RICOH Pro C900 also features an attractive price point, from the initial purchase to the consumables.”

Engineered to meet the demanding needs of the production print environment, the RICOH Pro C900 represents an advancement in efficiency and productivity, combining consistent 1200 dpi output with 90 pages-per-minute speed. It utilizes Ricoh’s new image processing technology for unsurpassed quality and fast turnaround times, and can handle a wide range of media, including weight ranges up to 110 lb. cover. Its modular design enables a number of input and output configurations, and offers many production tools for advanced page programming requirements like tabs, inserts, covers and chapter breaks.

The RICOH Pro C900 is designed to have extremely low maintenance requirements, and is backed by IKON’s team of locally based service and support professionals, along with a team of color and production specialists. IKON has many years of experience in meeting and exceeding the demands of corporate print centers and commercial print businesses.

In addition, IKON customers can maximize their color solutions by engaging with IKON’s color and production specialists, and its Professional Services team, who can provide customers with a suite of services and application development, including variable data integration for marketing and personalized communications, advanced color management, forms design, data steam conversion and custom workflow solutions to help improve productivity, reduce turnaround time, and increase effectiveness.

It is IKON’s experience that led CGX to purchase their RICOH Pro C900 through IKON. “Our strong relationship with IKON was key in the decision to purchase the RICOH Pro C900,” says Davis. “We have worked with IKON for several years, and can trust them to come up with innovative ways to meet our needs.”

“The RICOH Pro C900 provides customers with exceptional color quality, extensive finishing options, and complete end-to-end workflow solutions,” says Spencer Adamson, Vice President, Production Solutions and Commercial Print, IKON Office Solutions. “In addition, through IKON’s experience in digital printing, we can help printers like Grover Printing expand their digital printing business and assist them in using technology and advanced solutions to develop and grow their business and offerings, leading to increased profitability. We are proud to partner with CGX and Grover Printing.”

About Consolidated Graphics
Consolidated Graphics, Inc. (CGX), headquartered in Houston, Texas, is one of North America’s leading general commercial printing companies. With 70 printing business strategically located across 27 states, Canada and in Prague, the Czech Republic, we offer an unmatched geographic footprint, unsurpassed capabilities, and unparalleled levels of convenience, efficiency and service. With locations in or near virtually every major U.S. market, CGX provides the service and responsiveness of a local printer enhanced by the economic, geographic and technological advantages of a large national organization.

Consolidated Graphics’ vast and technologically advanced sheetfed and web printing capabilities are complemented by the largest integrated digital footprint of any commercial printer in the U.S. By coupling North America’s most comprehensive printing capabilities with strategically located fulfillment centers and industry –leading technology, CGX delivers solutions that create a spectrum of value for customers. CGX offers the unique ability to respond to all printing-related needs no matter how large, small, specialized or complex. For more information, visit www.cgx.com.

Ed Avella is my counterpart in Houston and is quite a rock star down south. Ed and I were the 2 GAR's for Texas until North Texas gave up waiting for the program to work and moved me over to a specialist position. East Texas/Louisiana was patient enough to wait till he got the program ramped up.

Congratulations to Ed! Your doing a great job!

Happy Hunting,

Pirate Mike

Scary Times – Ricoh the one world leader succumbs to bad economy and is vulnerable like everyone else…

Now this is just hearsay, but I was just told that Ricoh is making employees take a week furlough without pay and has started lying off employees. This is a very similar situation that I am seeing across the boat I mean board with companies in our industry. From Konica Minolta's huge layoffs right after Xerox and Kodak cut roughly 20% of their global workforce. I'm sure it is not a shock to see HP step back and act cautious in new hires and expansion. Now with Canon in complete desperation to see them partner up with HP is almost funny. These types of partnerships are not uncommon in our industry, good bedfellows they make as they both struggle to assert their once top tier status. With Oce bleeding profusely to now even Ricoh showing their humanity we see salary's decreasing, employee benefits being cut or disappearing all together to sheer headcount reductions in almost every company.

IKON has even make changes and cutbacks in our company 401K matching program. The one thing I will say is that we are still expanding headcount and retooling our demo facilities and go to market strategy. We have not given up that we can be successful in such trying economic times. "Be Bullish In Production" our RVP says religiously. IKON is very bullish in times when even the greats are cowering. In fact we seem to have put on the war paint and run into the streets to meet our enemy head on. We continue the fight regardless of the naysayers.

I am getting nervous to see our "big brother" have such 'noise' coming from their employees. I knew many that went from Konica Minolta and others to over to RBS when they were the best looking for longevity; now what were long term stable employees they too are making the great pilgrimage to look for "gainful employment."

With everyone having such a knee jerk reaction it makes me wonder what is coming next. From everything I am seeing it appears that IKON is coming out on top and in a strong position to negotiate with the Ricoh first born. It would not surprise me to find that IKON becomes the "chosen one" and the pony picked to win this next horse race. I look forward to hearing the stories from my readers as I'm sure that many will find even uttering such a thing blasphemous.

If you have a Ricoh layoff story or more "inside information" I would love to hear. As for Pirate Mike I think we will see the true colors of Ricoh's intentions by April 1^st 2010! Maybe I'm wrong but hide and watch as Ricoh retools their organization to come out fighting strong in the next fiscal.

Also be looking for the new Ricoh Pro C901 ( or whatever they will call it ) This new machine of destruction will be a great advancement of the C900 of today with no fuser oil, basing its strengths on a newly formulated polymerized toner? that will bring digital quality to new heights. If I had to guess with the speed at which they are developing products I would guess mid spring or early summer. With all of the great advancements of the Aegis product you can be sure that Ricoh is looking to show the world that "Ricoh knows production." Or at least the new horse they ride IKON>

What Ricoh knows is how to buy the best technology and engineers and then follow that up with a great distribution model which they did too buy. The IKON acquisition will show that their multibillion dollar purchase was not in vain but truly put them on the map in a way that they never could have done before the acquisition.

Ricoh is slowly learning the power of the weapon that she bought. But being able to wield this new weapon of destruction is yet another story. IKON is not an easy horse to ride, and this ride is surely to get very edgy in the short term as things build and the economy continues to falter. This is an "E" Ticket for sure!

As we get into 2010 I'm sure there are more cuts, layoffs, and changes to come. All we can ask is in the end that we are paid to the champions of the day. I for one cannot complain too bad as I have had record months and a record year! I am sitting somewhere around 120% of my budget with almost 400% of my yearly units. The Ricoh Pro 550EX, 700EX and the infamous C900 have taken me to the Promised Land!

Even in bad times the pirate of Lewisville Lake is showing that it can be done with no food or water and just on new business acquisition alone!

Happy Hunting,

RiKON, IKON’s struggle for the right to exist…

Ok, October 1^st 2008 has come and gone. And so have the IKON fiscal year, and our Pantone 185 Red. Now we are the step child to the one world leader in business technologies and equipment manufacturing. Xerox's Anne Mulcahy mentions IKON/Ricoh as the new threat to Xerox's supremacy in one of her last talks to the corporate shareholders. So now that we are donning a new Red in our logo (Pantone 186) and have a new phase tagline on our business cards "IKON a Ricoh Company" what does the future hold for us?

I can still remember the year prior to the acquisition and the marching orders that we had. Looking back I can see the signs that should have signaled the takeover. Looking forward I am seeking the signs that will indicate my future. Now after a complete quarter in the new Ricoh fiscal year the signs that I see are not as descriptive as I would like them to be. The mantra of protect the base and explore the new world are really just warmed up battle cries from previous generation. What I do see is a lot of shuffling, maneuvering, positioning, and jockeying for the privileged positions in the new one world leader's house. As the days of IKON come to a end, so will the legacy of the world's largest independent distributer of end to end business technologies.

I see leadership poised to make quick and many times knee jerk reactions to the ever flowing economic hard times ahead. One thing that I have noticed about IKON is that they are not scared to make a quick decision. They will uproot you in a second. One day covering one account and another day another, in some senses this ability to move quickly has brought them to a position of greatness. But in another sense it is why no one seems to have any ownership of their own success. They are only successful in the task of the day not in the overall success of their position. Maybe I have a very narrow view coming from just one IKON marketplace. Now almost 2 years into this adventure I am one of the sales survivors. I am now a tenured veteran walking the hallowed halls quietly for fear that I might awaken the sleeping giant.

Now a Ricoh company we see that our chest beating over the Canon product was just another marketing ploy that we used on our clients and eventually came to believe. It is funny to spread a lie what is even funnier is when you actually believe it. What we have learned is that people really bought from us and not a product name? So what Ricoh really purchased was a network of people and relationships strategically located in 400 unique locations around the world. I was on an international conference call with the IKON of the UK and found that they too are just like us and are engaged in the fight for world dominance just like we are. They ask the same questions and provide the same solutions to their clients as we do.

Amazing how we all are fighting the same battles, with a lesser or greater degree of success. We are now learning to sell a new product (or at least new to us) this new world of Ricoh innovations. What I am finding just like I did selling Konica Minolta or Canon is that Ricoh has products that when placed in the right environment with the right enablers they do wonderfully (even in the print for pay market.) There I said it Ricoh products can be used in production environments, did you disbelieve? Did you really think that Xerox and the others we all have come to know and love were the only ones privileged enough to make good production equipment?

Watch the evolution of the engineering as the new 7 series comes out. Hide and watch as the group formerly known as IKON comes to market unified under the RiKON banner. Many rats have scurried and left what they thought was a sinking ship only to have their A*s' handed to them by what they said would be an inferior product. What I say is it must be embarrassing to those reps that fled to Canon to only be beaten like a red headed step child by the product that they swore could never grace the floor space in tandem with other greats like Xerox and Canon; only to find out that their new MIF is slowing going away to these new raiders of the lost copy machine.

So is it the product? Is it the people? Is it the process? Well I will let you figure that out. What I am interested in is what to expect in the next generation of RiKON. They are taking over our internal processes, Shipping etc. So how will this all shake out? What is to become of the IKON of old? How will the sales territories be realigned and divided up amongst the corporate raiders? Will IKON's leadership be incorporated into the Ricoh world or will they just cut the head off of the monster to let it die a quick death?

Watching the slaughter going on at Konica Minolta now that they have cannibalized the Danka people puts me in a bit of distress. They (Konica Minolta) have shown their Minolta roots. Minolta was a strong down the street company. They did not need fancy analysts and strategy sessions. What they needed was feet on the street and quick turn business. They were not interested in anything that couldn't be closed inside of 30 days. Really 21 if you expected it to get delivered in the same month. Konica's deep thinkers have all but been sacrificed and it looks as if they will do the same to Danka's people. If you do not have Minolta blue running through your veins your chance of survival in that pit of vipers is not very good, so be forewarned.

Now so how does that relate to IKON and Ricoh will PMS185 or PMS186 prevail? Will the darker red over take the pirates of IKON? One thing is for sure there are a lot of similarities in the Konica – Minolta merge and the IKON – Ricoh acquisition. Both engagements have a strong hunter and farmer component; although financially different Konica – Minolta was a merger, do not forget that IKON – Ricoh is an acquisition. We are an owned piece of property. So will the same be true here that IKON pirates will slaughter the pleasant farmers of Ricoh or will they show their teeth and push back the boarding marauders?

What I have witnessed is that everyone is scared for their job. No question that every employee has thought once or twice what they will do if their job becomes disposable. As we all are very well aware we all can be replaced in a second and without much thought. One thing I will say is that many have come to grips that this is the new program and they are executing. As we push forward we see how well this new equipment is holding up and that people really don't care whether or not they have a ball an X or red words written on their equipment. What they care about is when they call will anyone answer? And if someone answers will they be able to fix the problems that come us as they most certainly will (it is just a machine).

Before we were searching for the ultimate top line, now again we are concerned again with the bottom line, and soon we all will be walking the line as Ricoh puts the firing squad out to lean down into the fighting machine they will have to be to survive this economic holocaust. So are people still buying; of course they are, in upturns and downturns this business continues to provide alternative solutions to cost savings and automation with ultimately provides for real top line and bottom line revenues as productivity goes up and we learn to do more with less.

As for me I am glad to have a job that provides for me and allows me to continue the battle. Tomorrow again I will pick up the battle axe and let out a cry this time the name is different the red is darker but the result is the same; Victory! Stop at nothing less.

Just a bit of inspiration from the RiKON ship of warriors; from the man known all around the world as Pirate Mike…

Happy Hunting…

Ricoh expands its managed print services, is nothing sacred?

Everyone is in the managed print services gig, from all of the manufactures to dealers and specialty boutique offerings from consulting agencies. Ricoh announced April 27^th that it is expanding its offerings to "initiate savings up to 30% plus additional timely benefits and improvements into the future." Well sounds like a better mouse trap to me. Although Ricoh is not new to managed print services it is obvious that the way that the industry is leaning it is part of the future growth of the company. Process improvement and a comprehensive approach to the entire document life cycle will bring Ricoh to the next level in competing with other major players that are already very strong in this arena.

From consulting engagements, to the effective analysis and deployment of hardware, software, maintenance, printer fleet management, facility management, professional services in the areas of office solutions and document imaging, archiving and disaster recovery Ricoh intends to become a dominant world leader in the last frontier of an already intensely commoditized industry. Leaning on its new found step-son, IKON to be part of the tool box that will bring this to fruition. Ricoh will continue its march for world dominance.

I am interested to watch this area of the business grow and expand as companies start to look at managed print services as the preferred approach. People, processes and technology, what a great mix to spice up an already stagnant marketplace and bring something fresh to the table. Managed print services will take office equipment manufacturers and their servants to the next level. Is there room in this brave new world for an old pirate? Only time will tell…

Pirate Mike…

Eastman Kodak, another one bites the dust…

Ok this is purely conjecture but I am starting to hear about push back when proposing Kodak products to high level clients. My local superiors are saying the typical, "business as usual." But we know what that means, "They dont know and they want us to keep marching without missing a step."

The rumors are that at the higher levels they are being told not to go forward with Digimaster and NexPRESS products as they will be going away soon. So I am putting my feelers out to get more feedback from YOU. Many times you know what is happening before the news hits the street. I had heard months ago that Ricoh was looking at Kodak for the high end production black and white and color and so they would not have to develop a strong workflow product.

I was recently in a position to be aware of a huge Federal deal that would involve thousands of machines, the word from the silver hair and black tie side of the business is a "no go" on the Kodak products the word coming down from their superiors in the fancy building with the pearly gates is that HP is making a play for Kodak and that that product line is going away anyway!

Going away anyway? What do you mean says the innocent pirate who sells the big iron? Yes going away says the silver haired man in his late 60's. Could it be that Ricoh the 'new' one world leader is coming forth with its own product to replace it. Replace it wow; that sounds well wow…

Could it be that the great minds that gave us the engine for the IBM infoPRINT have stepped down to create for us "the ants of the 'new' one world leader" a great and ultimately powerful multi-function of destruction?

The great destroyer of all that is Docutech, Varioprint and Digimaster? Wow, (for those of you that don't know better don't hold your breath.) I am very interested to see what we are going to replace these MaMaMaMillions of clicks a month Machines.

What could this new Multi-Function of Destruction look like? What will be its call to arms. Will it cost those that wield it their souls? Will it be like a cyborg and run itself? How far into the future do we have to look to get a small glimpse of what is coming down the pike from our engineering friends across the great oceans from our 'new' one world leader?

I do not know of what could be motivating people to NOT sell the Digimaster products especially since we have always been the largest channel for these products anyway I would rather us buy them than another competitor especially like an HP that already is whooping up on us with their Indigo sheetfed and web products I really do not need them coming down into my small shops and taking away all that which Ricoh has giveneth.

One thing that is very apparent is that Kodak is a bit vulnerable at the moment. After posting a “preliminary Net Loss of $137 million, or $.51 per share.” For the 4th Quarter of 2008 and watching their stock dwindle from a close on April 28th 2008 of $17.89 to $3.95 April 28th 2009 they have seen better days. Watching a company prepare to lay off 4500 people or almost 18% of their workforce could start a few rumors all by itself.

Hey if you have the inside track please feel free to enlighten me as this has become the great soap opera for all things pirate-like.

Pirate Mike…

So who do we blame for this?

After another tough week scrapping it out in the Dallas marketplace I thought to myself, "So who do I blame for this?" I find myself writing late and night and doing research at odd hours just to wake up at 6:00am to begin the war all over again. The battles rage on as the economy hits all time lows, and unemployment skyrockets. With the financial climate so hostile it is amazing that anyone is thinking about anything other than packing up and heading for the hills. Instead I look for the "new angle" on positioning people, processes and technology to help my prospects make more money! In the heat of the battle we cannot forget to continue to make and spend our money it is our duty. So who was it that stayed up long hours and late nights so that I could have something to write about?

Chester Carlson of course! Now you may be asking yourself who is Chester Carlson? Why he is the inventor of Xerography. If it weren't for his desire to copy patent papers quicker by having a piece of equipment that could make "instant copies" we would not have the luxury of selling imaging equipment. And what is interesting is how his patent ended up in the hands of a small company then known as Haloid. Haloid started in April of 1906 to manufacture and sell photographic paper. Now of course this small company is known as Xerox the grandfather of copiers.

So for those of you that didn't know or realize that you cared, In 1959 the Xerox 914 was introduced based on the innovations that were discovered by Chester. Fifty years later 2009, Pirate Mike tries to figure out how did I get here and whom can I blame for it? Well it is Chester's fault for sure. In a world that is accelerating and producing new ideas and technology faster than any other time in history I chose to get involved with the printing industry at the beginning of the personal computer boom. What is funny is that my grandmother felt so strongly about computers and my need to learn them that I can for as long as I can remember had a computer of my own. I have had every game console and personal computer as soon as they became available. From the Commodore 64 to the Coleco Adam computer I was prepared for the "Desktop Publishing Revolution" and the advent of digital printing technologies. So why you ask?

Why do I care? Well the interesting thing is that since I sell the big iron, I have always had a bit of disdain for Xerox, they after all were my primary competition and in fact many times the incumbent and the overall winner of many of the deals that I was in at the beginning of my career. I also was never really impressed with the docucolor 5000AP or its predecessor the docucolor 5000 they seemed clunky very inconsistent for color critical jobs and had an odd "image appearance" as Xerox calls it. I come from high end offset printing and no one wants the "greasy glossy" look or the "3d or layered look" and that is the sure signs you're looking at a CLC or docucolor print. The 5000, 7000 and 8000 do not seem to have much differences other than speed so if you are having issues with your 5000 at a particular volume then you don't have much choice but to look beyond the docucolor series and Xerox doesn't have a step between mid level production systems and their very high end the iGen.

I was just in a deal where the customer had a Xerox 5000 doing about 150k and were having lots of service issues, team Xerox rolled in and pitched an iGen. Now I'm sure the ones of you that know are laughing. You really cannot justify an iGen till you get over 250k and really it doesn't make good sense till 400k. Now this particular customer was a national account for both IKON and Xerox so we are obviously both supposed to be on our best behavior. So to be honest I was quite surprised that they went to the iGen at all. I think it was bad strategy as I of course came out with the Ricoh Pro C900 which can take them to 400k a month without any increase on capital investment. The 5000 maybe is 25 ppm on the thicker stocks and I am still at rated speed 90 ppm I can using 80# Cover settings duplex 100 and 110# Cover without loss of productivity in the turn like the Xerox. Plus really the docucolor is terrible both in color consistency, accuracy and in front to back registration. Those are not my issues at all. I do have a smaller color gamut, the C900 is almost exactly the same gamut as SWOP but if you're an offset house SWOP is good enough.

Also I had to fight the "image appearance" as my image is not the "greasy glossy" look but my sheet can be UV or Aqueous coated so you can still have the look and the abrasion resistance. So over the last couple years I got very comfortable beating Xerox with both the Konica Minolta in the light production (Although the doc 250 series is much tougher competition in my opinion) and then in the mid range beating Xerox with the imagePRESS and now the Ricoh Pro C900. So as I think about them I just don't get the feeling that I am dealing with a deadly foe. In fact if I didn't know the men that I compete against and have great respect for them I would really think they are clowns.

So where does that bring me? It brings me to the other day when I read about Xerox's 600 new patents (1000 in all if you add Fuji Xerox) and the feeling that they will not live long enough to see their new inventions come to fruition. And the thought that came to me about who is to blame for this. Then I start to do a deep dive into the history of my product and the legacy that Xerox has had over the last 50 years. Which in all honesty after learning about Xerox's past successes just makes me sad. How can a company with so much fail so miserably? Where do they go from here? All I can say is please do not unleash any of those new patents any time soon, as I am enjoying giving you the whooping that I am with my Ricoh Pro C900 and on the high end the Kodak NexPRESS. Please leave my real battles with HP's Indigo and beating the Kodak rep to the account first, that way I don't have to worry about what Xerox is going to do. Right now Konica Minolta cannot play in my realm and they are very late to market with their 90 ppm color system. By the time they bring theirs to market Ricoh will have released Version 2 of the C900 which will use a new toner system (Polymerized Toner) without fuser oil and will have the 120 ppm version using this new toner as well. (shhh its about a year away now)

In all seriousness, if you are reading this blog then you are "in the biz" and I hope that you take a moment whether you are brand new or a seasoned vet to look back and learn the history of our industry and how your company fits into it. We are all a part of making the digital printing revolution what it is and with all of its advances and trials we are in the midst of history in the making. I for one love it and hope that I can live long enough to see Xerox rise again and come to market with something that they can be proud of. Because I know they do not like losing to Canon and I KNOW they hate losing to me!

Happy Selling,

Pirate Mike…

Activity begets opportunity and opportunity begets success! Having a great product only makes it easier… - Pirate Mike…

Konica Minolta Imaging the end of the Danka Legacy

After receiving about 15 calls from fellow Konica Minolta-ians and Danka-ites it became evident that a mass slaughter had occurred just a few weeks ago on a Friday at 4pm about 500 people from sales and service were walked to the door and said "don't let the door hit you …" Konica Minolta service managers with 15-20 years of tenure and all of the Konica Minolta National Account Sales Managers, "You job has been eliminated." Thank you for your service but we don't need you anymore. You will get a severance package "if I fill out the paperwork properly" have a nice day!

This is part of the bloodletting that I referred to in a blog or two ago. We are at the beginning of a new age. Konica Minolta has shown that due to the inflation of the Yen that they are 50% or worse off from last year. Yasuo Matsumoto the Chief Executive Officer reported in the 3 Quarter Earnings report that their net income was done over the last nine months by -51%. That is a substantial amount for a company that had a very aggressive go to market strategy. But even Konica Minolta was not unscathed by the Ricoh acquisition of IKON. The new RiKON accounted for 100 million dollars of high end Konica Minolta production gear per year. That was more than all their other channels together including their Konica Minolta Business Solutions. Now that IKON has a full on Rioch and Kodak strategy Konica Minolta will have to rely on their direct and dealer channels to push the gear.

Now the new group minus the chaff that they separated from the wheat just a short time ago is now the go forward group that still has very little direction. Local reps are not 100% of their roles and even where to show up for work. What is in store for the band of merry men? They seem to have divided the responsibility of the high end production to Danka folk and have let the down the street business to the Minolta folk sorry Konica Minolta folk. Does that give my heritage away? Well what I can say is that a lot of really very dedicated and very talented service professionals were sacrificed the other day and to what end? What can be gained by separating the worker bees from the hive?

I am always curious to watch and see what Konica Minolta does. Rumors had it that they were buying Oce. But that now doesn't seem to be much of a reality. What does seem to be happening is that they have taken all that was left of Konica and put them on the front lines as "down the street" salesman even if they were major account or national account reps. Equalizing everyone to the same task, "transactional business." Konica Minolta, both sides and the new company was never good at project management and large deals, and always reverted to transactional business as they cannot see past a 30 day or better yet a weekly forecast. They have little or no analyst support, no presales support and very little if any understanding of the "solution sale."

This has to be hurting them in a world that is very "solutions oriented." In a world that is looking for "turn key" solutions, and printer fleet management, and managed print services. The days of walking in and asking if they needed a fax machine or a copier are over and they have not quite adjusted to that yet.

Watch for some interesting turn abouts if they ever get their patented inkjet technology to work in mainstream production environments. After introducing a new textile inkjet printer look to see them get in with the craze of manufacturers that are working on high speed inkjet printers that had Drupa filled with new vendors and exhibits.

To all of you that were sacrificed I am sorry that you paid the ultimate price to help them make up for the appreciation of the Yen over the dollar and Euro which accounted for -31.8 Billion yen. We know that you are the reason that they were successful and hope that you find yourself a home in the companies that are expanding and increasing their market share like the new Rikon.

Pirate Mike

Let the games begin…

2000 years ago the way it was intended:

Psalm 23 (New International Version)

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

¹ The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not be in want.

² He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside quiet waters,

³ he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.

⁴ Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

⁶ Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.

The way it is now:

Pselling 23 (New Pirate Version)

A Psalm of Pirate Mike

¹ He (Ricoh) is my Manufacturer and Employer; I shall not want for a new Canon or Konica Minolta box.

² He makes me go into print shops without a mid production color machine,

He leadeth the PPBG right into my accounts and offers them my bread,

³ He continues to retrofit the C900.

He guides me in the way of business class color

For his reputation sake, and because he taketh away my Konica Minolta equipment.

⁴ Even though I cold call

Through the valley of the death of the copier,

I will fear no Xerox, Canon or Konica Minolta dealer or direct channel,

For you are with me in my RFP's with pricing support,

Your toner and drums,

They will offer us profitability and high yields.

⁵ You prepareth my compensation and high quotas as we approach a new fiscal year,

In the presence of my competition you give me a machine that useth fuser oil;

My oil applicator runeth over with that damn oil.

⁶ Surely you will offer me a promotion and company profit sharing,

All the days that I sell your product,

And I will dwell in the demo room, (at the direct request of my regional production director)

Forever. (Or until I can figure out to get a transfer to professional services, or managed print services)

Amen and Amen

Pirate Mike Commentary:

The bloodletting in this industry is just beginning. (Bloodletting is the withdrawal of often considerable quantities of blood from a patient in the belief that this would cure or prevent a great many illnesses and diseases - Wiki) Konica Minolta is finally merging Danka Imaging with Konica Minolta Business Solutions and going through reorganization. Maybe into a group named something like Konica Minolta Imaging? You can be sure there will be plenty of announcements short coming as they get ready to start a new fiscal year April 1^st. Expect to see them position the Danka group as their production experts as they try to hold onto their Canon base and high volume accounts. They leveraged a relationship with Oce and bought a Xerox dealer and pitch used docutechs and other odd equipment they couldn't market or support. I am sure that the "Danka" group will be how they try to reposition their production print business group as they move forward in the world of production printing. They have cut tons of positions sifting the wheat from the chaff or at least leaning down the talent that they feel is expendable. Their annual report is a good read but their Slides for 3Q / March 2009 Consolidated Financial Results are a bit grim. You can look at them yourself here. (Slides for 3Q/March 2009 Consolidated Financial Results)

Xerox has reduced their first quarter view by like 80 percent. You can read more about that in Business Week here. (Xerox cuts 1Q view nearly 80%) Canon is hell bent to replace IKON with its own direct organization while Oce just bleeds to death. All the meanwhile Toshiba and Kyocera keep plugging along hoping to challenge the big 4 while Xerox, Canon, Ricoh and HP figure out how to outlive the economy. Ricoh will do its own bloodletting soon as they look at their first born RBS and step son IKON get ready to battle it out. Be prepared to struggle to get first row seats as this bloody battle will be worth watching; as the IKON gladiators dismember RBS and their PPBG group. Soon the streets will be full of copier salesman that didn't see the writing on the wall. We are about to witness the death of the copier era, and then we will usher in a new era of managed print services and outsourcing like we have never seen before; as we all look for a new identity. Our jobs really don't end they just morph into new expectations and roles as we chameleon into what the industry and our customers dictate. As their needs change and evolve so do our products and offerings and the way that we offer them.

As the plot thickens watch for more takeovers and bold chess moves as companies start to gamble with everything they have to jockey into position to be around next year. It is anybodies game and no one can completely predict the outcome as the cast of characters thins down like a bad murder mystery. As the "who dunit" is still waiting to be unveiled to the unsuspecting witnesses. I wrote the above play on the Psalm that is well known as a parody to what is my life. As I look around for a solid indication that things are going to be ok what I do notice is more industry unrest.

This bloodletting that I am witnessing is getting more common and it is amazing how many people are showing up looking for jobs. All I can say is that it has been Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and was definitely worth the "E" ticket! I am excited (as I have no other choice) to watch the second round bouts between Gartner's Leading 4 and to see how the Challengers bring to bear their tactics and strategies to market. We are looking at gorilla warfare for sure as the pressure mounts so does the antics that go along with the business. I am interested to see how this affects the ancillary functions of our business like research, development and support, or if those areas go unscathed.

Wishing You Well in 2009

Pirate Mike

And they asked, “will this print envelopes?”

Over the years if I was given a penny for each time a new customer would ask, "will this print envelopes?" I would be a millionaire! The reality is even the few copier manuals that mention that they can print on an envelope like a number 10, you quickly find out that the service department that handles your account doesn't support it. Why not?

I mean come on, most fusing sections of a normal copier run from 160 degrees centigrade to 200 degrees! That is the perfect environment for a new feature called self sealing. That's right you just print your envelopes and they come out sealed for you! Not to mention that they come out very friendly, as they will come out looking like they are waving at you. As most of us in the business know it would be nice to have a real solution for envelopes!

Now there is Riso and offset duplicators which will do multi color envelopes but even a seasoned pressman hates envelopes. Now once you get to full color envelopes you start running out of options.

Sure there are specialty presses for high speed envelopes and you can always print flat and convert but wouldn't it be nice to have a full color digital envelope press? Can you imagine maybe even complex variable images along with your address information? A short run solution with the capability to run all day, and maybe for as little as 2, 10 50 envelopes?

Well there is an answer; let Pirate Mike introduce you to PSI!

Yes PSI has developed a digital envelope press that slightly resembles a copier with an AB Dick Envelope Feeder on the front with a conveyor belt delivery on the back! Print up to 55 #10 envelopes per minute in "one pass" as the website says.

• Wrinkle Free – High Impact
  
• Print color on difficult stocks
  
• Cost Efficient
  

For just pennies you two can print your own envelopes simply and efficiently! Ok am I starting to sound like an info-mercial I will stop! But it is still worthy of noting as this technology has taken so long to come to bear. I remember the first time that I had heard of PSI's new technology, it was from one of my clients a "Sir Speedy" franchise. They had seen this device at the national convention and were asking me if I could sell it. They know that I have a tendency to sell products that are not on the price list – IKON's or anyone else's for that matter. I sadly said "no" I don't think I have ever run into it! Till just a couple weeks ago when my bosses boss sent me a "demo video" of this new great product. It was the PSI envelope press. Ok you will find out that I call everything a "press", so don't get caught up in the minutia. I was ecstatic a new product! I love new products and am always looking for a way to offer something that I won't have 5 other bids for as we all know that copiers, printers, and digital presses are a dime a dozen. The only thing that sets us all apart is the quality of the local staff for a given vendor. Installation, implementation, training and support are what make you or break you in my opinion. The rest is history, customers are becoming very savvy and being taught by professional buyers and consultants on what they need.

It is hard for me to remember the last time I really sat down with a neophyte in the office equipment biz. Mostly I sit down with production managers, general managers, and C level operations and It professionals that can basically give you the part numbers for what they need. Now they may not know why or have been led down a particular path and need a bit of readjusting to their particular workflow or network typology but in general they have a pretty idea of what they want, who they want to buy it from and how much they are willing to pay for it. It is always amazing how still buyers will hold back information thinking that this is benefiting them. Only to find out that they omitted something that was critical for their own success or that was pertinent to the cost structure to make the project a winner. I never feel sorry for those types of buyers, I figure if you don't take advantage of my years of experience and use what has been paid for by my company, "my salary" to answer your questions and gather important data for you then "shame on you!"

Long term I do not know the robustness of these printers, the engine is made my Okidata and the service is completely seperate from whom you will buy this device from. I just was excited to see someone address an age old problem that now I can fix for a "nominal fee." I will let you beat that out of me! They say the monthly duty cycle on one of their engines is 150,000 per month. Now I am a bit skeptical of anyone's "maximum monthly duty cycle" as we all know that is in a white sterile lab for one month before the machine blows up, not for a typical 5 year lease. But at 55 pages per minute that gives us the potential to get 25,080 envelopes in an 8 hour day factoring in 95% uptime that is pretty interesting. Using the company's duty cycle that would average about 7,500 envelopes a day based on a 20 day work month. Not bad for the nemesis of the copier salesman.

We all hate envelopes so it is fitting that now we can make money on them, as at some point in our career a customer has hated us because our machine either wouldn't do envelopes or because it did do envelopes for a while then quit working all together after they glued everything on the inside together. Hurray for another thing to sell to fix a problem that is older than the copier itself.


Happy printing,

Pirate Mike

 

The sea of emotions

I have found the emotion of life is what fuels the heart, mind and soul. Without it we would not perceive our accomplishments or failures. Absent of the highest of highs and the lowest of lows we surely would take for granted our consciousness. It is to this end that we strive to feel and decipher the addiction that is our daily emotional fix. I have been “off the wagon” for some time now, and now in a weakened state I feel that it is time to check myself into rehab.

.. ..

It is now time to rehabilitate my heart, mind and soul from the daily bingeing that comes from a high pressure sales job selling capital goods for a global company. Just as coffee and cigarettes seem to be a prerequisite for a salesperson so to is his or her addiction to a high level of emotions a requirement. These emotions fuel us and drive us to our ultimate end. They are what makes us champions and like a lead weight takes us to our graves at the bottom of the ocean.

.. ..

Months after the initial shock that turned out to be a turning point in my mental career, I am still stunned. I wake up each day hoping the tidal surge will subside so that I can take residence back in my mind where my consciousness calls home. My heart is still heavy with the current that carries me along. Like the tides of the ocean, my soul is heavy from the flow of information that ebbs and floods from my mind to my heart and back. Waiting for a slack tide so that my heart can rest enough to pick back up when the information overload returns.

.. ..

Now a survivor of two corporate mergers I feel the pain of those whom have had to change their way of life over the greed of share holders and corporate executives. After watching first hand the inflation of egos and the supposition of truth for what surely was an advertisement of the worst kind. Mental marketing coming from all directions to sooth the savage salesperson and keep him or her at bay. Restricting the freedom of understanding and knowledge to minimize the impact of the truth was their only goal.

.. ..

Now I stand alone looking at the aftermath of their greed and manipulation wondering where this new direction will take me. I plot my course and compensate for the deviation that can be accounted for. With the hope that my calculations are correct I carefully proceed. With so many unforeseen reefs and barriers, I know that ultimately I am responsible for my destination and safety. With a heavy sigh I look to the North hoping the winds will subside. I too need a break like many of those that crew along side me. With the warmth that only a South wind can bring I look for a sunrise signifying that a new day has begun and again my opportunities are anew.

.. ..

I need to believe that my course is well thought out and that my helmsmanship is sure. We only get one chance to do this right and I do not want to wash up on a lea shore with no one to assist in my rescue. Even as a rudder can turn a massive ship, we as individuals have great influence on those around us and can take the team to new heights or destroy any good that is among the crew. With so many lives and families at stake I hope that those that are in power take into consideration their actions and direction.

.. ..

Bringing new blood onto the ship I see new deck hands daily. Shining their shoes and straightening their uniforms I see them proudly walk around in blissful ignorance. Ahh to be ignorant again and walk hand in hand with the honeymoon that only a newbie can embrace. For those that start up this adventure under the knowledge of the new owners it is a simple task. For those that started under the old captain a new charge could mean a rough trip for everyone.

.. ..

Just as we clean the decks and keep order of the lines we must tend to the corners of our minds. Holding to the truths that we know and leaving room for new understandings that will come from experience and the enlightenments of others. Consistent effort is the key to success and I too must manage the emotions that rule my head and heart. Just as adrenaline keeps us alert in the midst of a storm we must carefully watch ourselves as the storm subsides. Sleep comes to those that take refuge in the lull of action, only to be rudely awakened to dangerous seas as the storm’s anger builds anew.

.. ..

So to in our sales career we must maintain the pressure, even when the storm seems to subside. If we take the pressure off we will find ourselves in a dangerous position as our pipeline comes to an ugly end. We must be diligent and keep alert to the ever increasing dangers that lurk around every point. In this age of technology we are constantly being bombarded with information that can overload our emotions and carry us off like a tidal wave.

.. ..

As the immediate storm system subsides I wait to clearly take inventory during the daylight to reconcile the reports. I am also curious to see the changing of the watch that is to come so that I may know whom I will report to in the coming hours and days. What we do know is we have survived the first wave, but we do not know what is behind it. Only time will tell us what our true fate is to be. I for one am eager to meet my destiny.

.. ..

Pirate Mike