From the press release -Danka Business Systems PLC Signs Agreement With Konica Minolta to Sell U.S. Business Operations
Published by Webmaster at 9:48 pm under Konica Minolta, News
Business Systems Office Imaging Company ("ST. PETERSBURG, FL, Apr 08, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX News Network) — DankaPLC (Danka) (OTCBB: DANKY) (LSE: DNK.L), a leading supplier of office imaging equipment and support services in the United States, today announced it has signed a definitive agreement with Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. ("Konica Minolta"), to acquire the company’s wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary, DankaDOIC"), through which Danka conducts its business operations.
"In addition to continuing support for the entire Danka customer base with a complete range of products and service capabilities," said A.D. Frazier, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Danka, "I am pleased to say the new organization will also provide the added benefit of direct access to Konica Minolta’s world-class technology, distinctive product offerings and financial strength. Customer relationships will grow ever stronger as a result."
Frazier credits Danka employees for accomplishing a remarkable competitive transformation. "They redefined the manner in which document workflow solutions are managed and serviced in small-to-medium sized enterprises and in the extremely competitive high volume production print marketplace. Their success, achieved against a backdrop of having to overcome the company’s daunting corporate legacy issues, translates to new relevancy and value for the Danka approach."
Frazier added, "Nevertheless, the costs associated with trying to remain an independent player in an extremely competitive industry are imposing. This transaction represents, by far, the best outcome for Danka’s organization and staff. It preserves the DOIC organization, allowing us to serve our loyal customers while addressing the holding company’s burdensome financial obligations. We are confident that Konica Minolta’s stated desire to invest in, and grow, DOIC’s business will be rewarded in the customer marketplace."
The acquisition by Konica Minolta is designed to build and expand upon the foundation established by DOIC. "Konica Minolta’s acquisition of DOIC will further enhance our leadership in the color and high volume production print markets while complementing our overall growth strategy with our independent dealers and branch network," said Jun Haraguchi, President and CEO of Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. "We’re excited about the prospects that this strategic acquisition will create, and believe the combined strength of the new organization will be beneficial to our customers, the DOIC customer base and the DOIC employee family."...
Edgeline -
When Xerox bought Global, it didn't take long for both Canon and Ricoh to pull out of the Global channel, leaving lots of locations with no support.
Canon, Kodak, Toshiba and Edgeline all appear on the front of the Danka equipment page. I would imagine that HP would love to remain on that page. Will Konica continue the relationship?
Konica Minolta's color Biz-Hubs are in the same space as the 8050/60 - we are replacing Xerox and K/M with Edgeline's all the time.
I wonder how the sales staff at the "new" Danka will respond. Everyone knows sales people are lazy and take the path of least resistance. (I sell for a living) And if presented with prospect interested in 50ppm color, will it not be easier to direct that interest into a Konica sale over the "new and unproven" Edgeline?
Or how about learning a completely new technology to sell AND support vs selling the "zero-graphic" process as "proven" and "reliable"?
No matter what the corporate line may be, this does not bode well for the only national distribution channel for Edgeline. Danka presented little value in the first place and now that value has been reduced even more.
But wait, maybe it is good for Edgeline - Perhaps a headline like,
"Konica Minolta buys DANKA for $240 Million - Adds Edgeline to Product Mix"
"In a stunning move, Konica Minolta and HP and announced a "partnership in understanding" opening all of Konica Minolta's existing and newer dealers access to the new CM8050/60 with Edgline technology..."
Very interesting times.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Ok, I was wrong...again....
In one of my prior posts, I mentioned some ways of increasing the speed existing Edgeline platform
Some of this conjecture was incorrect. Changing the orientation of the page as it enters the printing engine was, in theory, allowing one more page to be printed during each printing cycle.
After further research, this will not work.
In the present configuration of the Edgeline the print heads cover only 8.5 inches. When an 11x17 copy or print is generated, the page needs to be passed under the heads twice, decreasing the throughput speed very significantly. So, if paper is injected in a portrait orientation, the page would need to pass under the heads twice.
Some of this conjecture was incorrect. Changing the orientation of the page as it enters the printing engine was, in theory, allowing one more page to be printed during each printing cycle.
After further research, this will not work.
In the present configuration of the Edgeline the print heads cover only 8.5 inches. When an 11x17 copy or print is generated, the page needs to be passed under the heads twice, decreasing the throughput speed very significantly. So, if paper is injected in a portrait orientation, the page would need to pass under the heads twice.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
It's True, I was Wrong
Konica buys DANKA I am feeling a little Deja Vu, as far as HP is concerned, "Danka Named First National Distributor of HP Edgeline Color Printers". I am thinking of the HP/Global acquisition that Xerox swooped in on.
So far the timeline goes like this:
1. HP and IKON team up to put the Hawks(9055, 9065) in the field.
- HP and IKON split.
2. HP looks to work with Global.
- Global is purchased by Xerox.
3. HP signs DANKA as a national re-seller.
- Konica Minolta buys DANKA.
...you can't make this stuff up...
And for a TimeLine on DANKA, check this.
And a very good article by Chris Hundley of the St. Petersburg Times about the difference in companies, and the subsequent acquisition of both check this out.
How this will effect the Edgeline one can only guess.
So far the timeline goes like this:
1. HP and IKON team up to put the Hawks(9055, 9065) in the field.
- HP and IKON split.
2. HP looks to work with Global.
- Global is purchased by Xerox.
3. HP signs DANKA as a national re-seller.
- Konica Minolta buys DANKA.
...you can't make this stuff up...
And for a TimeLine on DANKA, check this.
And a very good article by Chris Hundley of the St. Petersburg Times about the difference in companies, and the subsequent acquisition of both check this out.
How this will effect the Edgeline one can only guess.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Simple Tips for Your Printing
PurchasEdge
Think of it like earning "miles"
One of my pet-peeves is not using devices or programs to their full capacity - like when end users print a large document out on a laser and walk it over to a connected copier and make 12 copies. Instead of printing directly to the device.
This is why I bring this little program up and encourage every HP customer to check into it.
One of my pet-peeves is not using devices or programs to their full capacity - like when end users print a large document out on a laser and walk it over to a connected copier and make 12 copies. Instead of printing directly to the device.
This is why I bring this little program up and encourage every HP customer to check into it.
New Print Devices and Services from HP
HP Unveils Imaging and Printing Devices, Solutions and Services for Enterprises
A quick press release about new HP offerings.
Check the starting price for the Edgeline.
Rumor of "more aggressive" supply pricing structure - but nothing published.
A quick press release about new HP offerings.
Check the starting price for the Edgeline.
Rumor of "more aggressive" supply pricing structure - but nothing published.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Edgeline at 300 Page Per Minute
HP has purchased - Exstream, check out this blog entry for a quick primer. And word has it HP spent $915 million...I read this off of this a blog post, by Andrew Tribute at the Print CEO Blog:
"I have analyzed in depth all the HP white papers on Edgeline and from this have worked out that HP could easily make a 20 inch width color data center printer that could operate at a speed slightly in excess of 300 pages/min.
I know this is not as fast as the new range of high-speed color printers from Agfa, IBM, Kodak, Océ, Screen and Xerox, but Edgeline technology would allow HP to sell this 300 plus page/minute printer at a fraction of the price all of these new printers are selling for. Not everyone in the corporate data center market wants to run 1,000 pages/minute, and many would want to have multiple slower printers rather that relying on one super-fast device."
Perhaps the announcement of the planned acquisition of Exstream is also a pre-announcement of the HP Color Data Center Printing System. It will be interesting to see how this news develops in the coming months."
This is very interesting, no? See this post of mine and try to read "through" it - and see how HP "expands"into new market niches? See this post.300 ppm!!? wha, wha, whaaaaaaat?
Friday, March 21, 2008
...Ramblings, without a Cause...
Anything you read in this post is rumor, innuendo..."I can neither confirm or deny, although I know the answer..." - Ronald Reagan, maybe.
Big meeting - lots of high-end HP dealers to review and share challenges and successes with HP directly. And a chance for HP to present future plans, programs and support for those VARs worthy. See "Loyalties".
- The take-away? HP responds instantly (See this) and dealers whine about cost per copy.
A dozen Edgeline systems with meter reads at 6 million, and still printing...
- The take-away? I have seen many machines with 1 million or more; at the end of life.
Current engines easily getting to 94 ppm.
- The take-away? See it when I believe it.
Some VARs see current engines running at 125,000 color/month with no problems.
- The take-way? Some VARs employee "puffery" when discussing their successes.
Hole punch unit, RIP coming. The RIP, heavily disguised with duct tape, but still rumored to look like EFI.
Ramblings and talking about 225ppm for everyday business units; color.
Strap on your Goggles
...This changes everything...
Big meeting - lots of high-end HP dealers to review and share challenges and successes with HP directly. And a chance for HP to present future plans, programs and support for those VARs worthy. See "Loyalties".
- The take-away? HP responds instantly (See this) and dealers whine about cost per copy.
A dozen Edgeline systems with meter reads at 6 million, and still printing...
- The take-away? I have seen many machines with 1 million or more; at the end of life.
Current engines easily getting to 94 ppm.
- The take-away? See it when I believe it.
Some VARs see current engines running at 125,000 color/month with no problems.
- The take-way? Some VARs employee "puffery" when discussing their successes.
Hole punch unit, RIP coming. The RIP, heavily disguised with duct tape, but still rumored to look like EFI.
Ramblings and talking about 225ppm for everyday business units; color.
Strap on your Goggles
...This changes everything...
Thursday, March 20, 2008
...This Changes Everything...
"How much difference would it make if the paper went in portrait instead of landscape?"
I was showing a client the CM8060 with Edgeline technology, I had them put on their safety goggles, and started a copy job. As they watched the print nozzle array move, the drum begin to spin and paper flowing through the system - my client, who is very smart asked, "How many pages does the drum hold?". "Three.", I replied.
"And the paper passes under the nozzles twice, right?"Another highly observant question. Now she has me interested, "Yes," my response, "Why do you ask?"
"I also noticed the paper is on the drum, length-wise, correct?"
Now I am getting really concerned, where is she going with this? "Yes, and what is your impression?"
"Well," she says, "if you change the orientation, you can get one additional page through the machine, increasing the speed by 33%- and if you could get the ink to be applied in one pass, won't that increase the speed as well?"
--- HOLY CRAP! ---
"er...yeah, I guess..." my very intelligent response, "what are you getting at?"
I know the internal drum speed is 142 pages per minute(hence burst speed on current CM8060 is 71ppm) - and I instantly recognize that if the unit could apply and dry in one pass, that would mean an output speed of 142ppm!
"you know, it would be nice if HP used these bottom two trays as one - maybe they could increase the internal paper source to 2,000 sheets and reduce the overall footprint on the machine...and Greg, I noticed that to service or remove a jam from the finisher, it needs to be slid out about 2- 3 feet..." she says.
"I see", I say, "and?"
"well, maybe they could put the finisher on a rotating platform so instead of sliding out a yard, it just moves half a foot or so and the rotates. This would allow me to free a jam and reduce the 12' foot print closer to 6 feet."
My response, "interesting...and, does your Konica Minolta do this now? How about the Canon you saw last week in Irvine?"
"No." she replies.
This changes everything.
I was showing a client the CM8060 with Edgeline technology, I had them put on their safety goggles, and started a copy job. As they watched the print nozzle array move, the drum begin to spin and paper flowing through the system - my client, who is very smart asked, "How many pages does the drum hold?". "Three.", I replied.
"And the paper passes under the nozzles twice, right?"Another highly observant question. Now she has me interested, "Yes," my response, "Why do you ask?"
"I also noticed the paper is on the drum, length-wise, correct?"
Now I am getting really concerned, where is she going with this? "Yes, and what is your impression?"
"Well," she says, "if you change the orientation, you can get one additional page through the machine, increasing the speed by 33%- and if you could get the ink to be applied in one pass, won't that increase the speed as well?"
--- HOLY CRAP! ---
"er...yeah, I guess..." my very intelligent response, "what are you getting at?"
I know the internal drum speed is 142 pages per minute(hence burst speed on current CM8060 is 71ppm) - and I instantly recognize that if the unit could apply and dry in one pass, that would mean an output speed of 142ppm!
"you know, it would be nice if HP used these bottom two trays as one - maybe they could increase the internal paper source to 2,000 sheets and reduce the overall footprint on the machine...and Greg, I noticed that to service or remove a jam from the finisher, it needs to be slid out about 2- 3 feet..." she says.
"I see", I say, "and?"
"well, maybe they could put the finisher on a rotating platform so instead of sliding out a yard, it just moves half a foot or so and the rotates. This would allow me to free a jam and reduce the 12' foot print closer to 6 feet."
My response, "interesting...and, does your Konica Minolta do this now? How about the Canon you saw last week in Irvine?"
"No." she replies.
This changes everything.
Friday, March 14, 2008
If you Guarantee it, they will buy..
HP is standing behind their HP Edgeline Access VAR's and the CM8060/50 with one big stick.
"Overview
HP Products are designed and manufactured to meet both our customer's and our partner's performance expectations. If after working with HP Edgeline Support, an Edgeline Access partner is unable to bring an HP CM8060/CM8050 Color MFP's performance in line with specifications, HP will contact the partner within one business day to arranged for an HP representative to visit the customer site, schedule delivery of a replacement unit or initiate a refund of the unit price."
Ok, before you start picking the above apart (because one could) stand back and think about this, especially if you are in the copier industry - if you're a dealer, say...I dunno, let's just call you ICON - how easy is it to get a replacement unit out to your customer? Can you show your customer Canon's documented, replacement policy? How about K/M or how about Ricoh?
Sure you can get a like-for-like, meaning some old, returned, used but "functional" unit, pulled out of the service inventory.
And if you think even deeper - about a refund - who offers refunds on copiers?
There will be dealers out there who see this as a negative - who pays for pick up, how does this work with a lease, do I get a service credit from HP for all the time my tech spends trying to fix, and how come the service rates are so high - blah, blah, blah...as one of my characterized role models said, "I find your lack of faith...disturbing."
On the other side, there is a risk of dealers trying to "fit a square peg in a round hole" by using this as a closing tool - short sighted simpletons who will lead with this guarantee - they just don't get it. Indeed, the biggest risk to HP is in what the VAR channel does with this - but all things will be revealed.
The single most important aspect of this move is HP's apparent feeling that they have a super-duper, grand slam, slam dunk product; a Tiger By The Tail - a true "Copier Killer"
And they do.
And this is just the beginning - I can "Bear"-ly stand it!
Much more to come -
"Overview
HP Products are designed and manufactured to meet both our customer's and our partner's performance expectations. If after working with HP Edgeline Support, an Edgeline Access partner is unable to bring an HP CM8060/CM8050 Color MFP's performance in line with specifications, HP will contact the partner within one business day to arranged for an HP representative to visit the customer site, schedule delivery of a replacement unit or initiate a refund of the unit price."
Ok, before you start picking the above apart (because one could) stand back and think about this, especially if you are in the copier industry - if you're a dealer, say...I dunno, let's just call you ICON - how easy is it to get a replacement unit out to your customer? Can you show your customer Canon's documented, replacement policy? How about K/M or how about Ricoh?
Sure you can get a like-for-like, meaning some old, returned, used but "functional" unit, pulled out of the service inventory.
And if you think even deeper - about a refund - who offers refunds on copiers?
There will be dealers out there who see this as a negative - who pays for pick up, how does this work with a lease, do I get a service credit from HP for all the time my tech spends trying to fix, and how come the service rates are so high - blah, blah, blah...as one of my characterized role models said, "I find your lack of faith...disturbing."
On the other side, there is a risk of dealers trying to "fit a square peg in a round hole" by using this as a closing tool - short sighted simpletons who will lead with this guarantee - they just don't get it. Indeed, the biggest risk to HP is in what the VAR channel does with this - but all things will be revealed.
The single most important aspect of this move is HP's apparent feeling that they have a super-duper, grand slam, slam dunk product; a Tiger By The Tail - a true "Copier Killer"
And they do.
And this is just the beginning - I can "Bear"-ly stand it!
Much more to come -
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
HP looking to be a big commercial printer....Part Duex
This twin-engine duplex printing engine press runs at a speed of 122 meters/minute (400 ft/min) and this equates to 2,600 Letter or A4 pages/minute.
HP’s new Inkjet Web Press is built around HP’s Edgeline scaleable printing architecture.
The press has a 30-inch (762 mm) web width compared with all the competitions’ 20-inch web widths. This twin-engine duplex printing engine press runs at a speed of 122 meters/minute (400 ft/min) and this equates to 2,600 Letter or A4 pages/minute. This press is expected to sell for around $2.5 million.
HP says that a color page with 30% coverage will cost $0.01 and a monochrome page $0.0015. You can check out a really good article on this unit here.
HP’s new Inkjet Web Press is built around HP’s Edgeline scaleable printing architecture.
The press has a 30-inch (762 mm) web width compared with all the competitions’ 20-inch web widths. This twin-engine duplex printing engine press runs at a speed of 122 meters/minute (400 ft/min) and this equates to 2,600 Letter or A4 pages/minute. This press is expected to sell for around $2.5 million.
HP says that a color page with 30% coverage will cost $0.01 and a monochrome page $0.0015. You can check out a really good article on this unit here.
Monday, March 10, 2008
HP looking to be a big commercial printer
Vyomesh Joshi, executive vice president of HP's imaging and printing group, said
"the move to digital printing is more environmentally friendly because it gives distributors the ability to print on-demand. He said, for example, 40 percent of books that are printed today are never read."
Another angle on Green. Full article.
"the move to digital printing is more environmentally friendly because it gives distributors the ability to print on-demand. He said, for example, 40 percent of books that are printed today are never read."
Another angle on Green. Full article.
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