A look at the forces driving a dynamic and compelling industry in the coming year.
Don’t you just love the imaging industry? It’s always evolving, always innovating, and from time to time, does a nice job of shaking up the status quo. Going forward, we predict there’s going to be a whole lot more shaking of the status quo going on. We submit as evidence the trends, companies, people, and products to watch in 2019. Admittedly, much of what we’re watching might not necessarily be set to disrupt the status quo in the short term, but some of the trends we identify will likely do so in a big way over time.
Trends to Watch
3D Printing ““ Just as we were going to cross this off our list as a trend, HP announced the Metal Jet 3D printer, indicating its seriousness about the segment. To HP, we say good luck, but if the company decides to bring this product to the dealer channel, let’s hope HP has done its homework and discovered it is a rare breed of dealer that has found success selling 3D printers. The key is support, and if HP can provide dealers with the necessary support to sell and service this technology, it might not run up against the problems encountered by dealers that have been selling 3D devices from other 3D printer manufacturers.
Acquisitions ““ Who bought whom today? Acquisitions are taking place weekly, some publicized and some not. But, one thing is for sure, the money flowing into this industry from private equity and venture capital firms has made this the era of let’s make a deal! That won’t change in 2019.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) ““ All you need to look at is the popularity of the Amazon Echo and GPS technology to see how the public has embraced artificial intelligence, even if most people aren’t thinking “artificial intelligence” when asking Alexa questions or heading toward their next destination. During our May trip to Japan, AI was a frequent discussion point with most of the Big Six OEMs. Going forward, AI will be incorporated into more products, offering benefits in the workplace such as ease of use and enhanced productivity. It will soon be considered an essential feature of most devices or products, with the AI component becoming even more transparent as we further embrace this technological evolution.
Augmented Reality Adds Value to Print ““ Our visit to Print 18 in September included demonstrations of augmented reality from Konica Minolta, Ricoh, and Xerox. One might call augmented reality in a printed piece interactive print. It’s far from print as we used to know it, even though it’s been around for a few years. Here, QR codes allow users to hover their mobile phone over a printed page, and that page comes to life via a video, for example, that in some instances address the user directly.
The Cloud ““ It’s almost time to delete the cloud from our list of trends, as it has become ubiquitous within the computing and technology realm. However, we still consider it a trend worth watching, primarily because there’s still an opportunity for the dealer channel to leverage and profit from all the benefits the cloud offers. One doesn’t have to look far to find references to the cloud in some of this past year’s production announcements. Consider Lexmark’s emphasis on cloud services as one example.
Data Revolution ““ During our visit to Japan this past May, Konica Minolta told us it considers itself a “data company” more so than a copier company. No matter which of the Big Six OEMs we visited with in Japan, the emphasis was on data and dealing with it in its many shape and forms, even if one of the conduits for dealing with that data is still the MFP. Forget imaging, data is the new buzz word, and if data is the lifeblood of most every organization, there’s huge opportunities for OEMs, solutions providers, and services providers when it comes to managing that data.
Device-as-a-Service (DaaS) ““ Don’t look now, but this could be the model of the future for hardware placements, especially with HP touting it. (Read our interview with HP’s Grad Rosenbaum in this month’s issue.) DaaS has the potential to be a game changer in the dealer channel. Think of it as a subscription-based model. DaaS combines hardware leasing and end-to-end lifecycle services into a single, per-device, monthly contract. It includes full asset management, managed services, and technology updates. Based on that definition, it isn’t a completely radical change from what dealers are familiar with today and very well may become one of the ways technology is marketed in the future.
Diversification ““ Dealers and the OEMs can’t afford to live off the status quo if they want to be a relevant force in the future. We’re only scratching the surface on how this industry will diversify beyond traditional imaging hardware in the future. We’ve seen digital signage, production and industrial print, industrial print, managed IT, and security and cybersecurity, but there’s the potential as well for other opportunities driven by robotics, data, and artificial intelligence that will eventually be added to a dealer’s menu of services.
The Economy ““ The economy is in good shape as we write this. Unemployment was down in October to 3.7%, the lowest unemployment rate since 1969, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, even if wages aren’t necessarily keeping up with that growth. Similarly, a Manpower Employment Outlook Survey found that 93% of 11,500 U.S.-based companies plan to increase or maintain staffing levels in the fourth quarter. If that trend continues, then that growth could spell additional good news for the imaging industry in terms of new hardware sales and service offerings. But the looming concern is what impact the current administration’s trade tariffs will have on the technology and consumables that are the lifeblood of the dealer channel and much of which are sourced from China. Those tariffs could negatively impact certain segments of our industry and the economy in 2019.
Inkjet Looming ““ Toner-based devices still have their place and will for some time, but inkjet is knocking on the door. With companies like Canon, Epson, HP, and RISO offering inkjet devices that fit squarely into the office, as well as devices for production printing, it’s time to take inkjet much more seriously. Don’t be surprised if Brother moves upstream into the office space with its inkjet machines. After announcing its first inkjet production device earlier this year, Kyocera is making no secret about its intentions to eventually scale this technology down to its office products.
More Managed IT ““ Why not? With dealers and even entities such as Visual Edge buying Managed IT companies, and All Covered, Continuum, and GreatAmerica’s Collabrance assisting dealers in growing within this space, as well as the OEMs ramping up in this segment, we expect to see Managed IT expand even more across the dealer channel in 2019.
Mobility ““ Here’s another trend that has become less of a trend and more a way of life as workers and the technology they use become more mobile. Mobility is now a huge driver behind many companies’ R&D efforts, and it’s only a matter of time before it becomes a given and not a function, feature, or element of a product, solution, or service.
Will Online Ordering Shake Up the Supplies Space? ““ According to the market research firm Actionable Intelligence, the office supplies channel””think Staples, even though it still does a significant amount of business online””has lost considerable share to online merchants, and it’s likely to get worse now that Amazon has entered the fray and is selling consumables. So far, it’s been more of a consumer or home office phenomenon, and it’s unclear how much penetration Amazon has made into the SMB space, or if there’s an infrastructure in place to service large accounts as the dealer channel does. Marketing consumables online has the potential to change the way supplies flow to SMBs, and Amazon could be a force to be reckoned with.
Page Yields on the Rise ““ More has become more as inkjet and toner cartridges with high yields and lower cost per copy (CPC) reshape the value proposition of printers and MFPs targeting the SOHO and SMB markets. Epson is one of the manufacturers leading the way in improving the toner yields and CPC in the inkjet space, while HP is making similar inroads in the toner world.
Production and Industrial Print Still Looming as an Opportunity ““ This may not be a turn-on for a lot of dealers, but when one looks at the wealth of products aimed at production and industrial print applications from the likes of Canon, EFI, HP, Konica Minolta, Kyocera, Ricoh, RISO, Xerox, and others, how can a dealer not take these product categories seriously? Bigger may not necessarily always be better, but a dealer concerned about declining clicks in the office might want to take a closer look at devices that open new doors and provide additional clicks beyond the office.
Reign of Tariffs ““ There’s concern across the imaging industry about the impact the various tariffs the current administration has imposed, particularly on goods coming from China. With so many products manufactured in China, there’s a lot of concern and still a lot of unknowns as to how those tariffs are going to impact the cost of hardware and consumables such as ink and toner. If and when those increases occur, how will it impact manufacturers, dealers and end users? Somebody will have to pay for those increases unless manufacturers seek a one-year exclusion from products subject to tariffs, which could delay the impact, as those exemptions would likely apply to similar types of products, regardless of manufacturer.
The Reman versus New Build Debate ““ Any business in the imaging industry can’t ignore the debate going on over the merits of remanufactured cartridges versus new-build cartridges. This was the topic of a panel at the RemaxWorld Summit 2018, in Zhuhai, China, featuring six experts in the printing consumables industry who offered their views on which aftermarket cartridge model they believe will survive. Spoiler alert, the debate rages on. Meanwhile, market research firm Actionable Intelligence reports new-build cartridge makers are taking share from remanufacturers and will further shake things up with what they describe as “Premium” new builds, which offer higher quality performance at a price lower than remanufactured cartridges. Manufacturers of these cartridges are claiming those products don’t infringe on the OEMs’ original designs. Still, something tells us we’ll still be hearing the OEMs say, “See you in court.”
Robotics ““ The robots are coming! The robots are coming! Canon, Konica Minolta, Ricoh, Sharp, and other manufacturers are the most prominent companies in the imaging industry that have exhibited robotic technology at their dealer meetings or in conversation. Drop into the Ricoh showroom in New York City, and you’re greeted by a robot. Sharp has developed a robotic security vehicle for exterior security. Konica Minolta has shown its robotic technology at its dealer meetings, and Canon is investing in this technology as well. It seems there might not be a lot of pushback from the general population as robots descend on the office. In a survey conducted by Y Soft Corporation, an enterprise office solutions provider that assessed employees’ attitudes of working alongside robots, robots would be welcomed in the workplace by most workers if they added value and were used for repetitive and menial tasks.
Rolling with the Workflow ““ If the imaging industry is transforming into a data-oriented industry, understanding, analyzing, and managing workflow will become even more important for marketing products and solutions. Manufacturers and software developers are thinking about workflow around their product offerings, and it is only natural the dealer channel should be paying closer attention to their customers’ workflows in the coming year if they aren’t doing so already.
Security Alert! ““ With an increasing number of cyberthreats as well as physical threats within the workplace and in public places, security is a hot topic these days. No one in the imaging industry is taking security lightly, and that’s a key element of most new product introductions and a focus of many companies’ R&D efforts. HP has done an excellent job of drawing attention to cybersecurity threats with its “Wolf” videos, while other vendors such as Canon and Xerox have also placed security front and center. We’ve seen that at Canon’s service road shows and at Xerox’s analyst briefing this past fall in New York City. For dealers, this is a trend that spells opportunity, even though the challenge, as one dealer told us, is trying to figure out a recurring revenue stream around security offerings.
Smart Conferences, Smart Meetings, and Smart Offices ““ Yes, this is all about making people and meetings and the workplace more efficient. With companies such as Konica Minolta, Ricoh, and Sharp leading the way, we’ll be seeing more offerings that revolutionize how meetings are conducted. Sharp is betting on its Smart Office Suite, Ricoh has its intelligent conference room, and Konica Minolta is playing up the Smart Office concept. We’ve seen demos of some of these products and concepts and have been impressed by what we’ve seen. That said, we expect the dealer channel to walk, not run, to these new opportunities initially. But once the OEMs provide them with the scripts to be successful, it’s only a matter of time before these products are embraced by the dealer channel.
Social Marketing Kicks into High Gear ““ Social marketing may not be new, but for much of the dealer channel, it is. Dealerships such as Impact Networking and Marco set the gold standard for social marketing in the dealer channel, and Clover Imaging Group with its Amplify Program is taking that social marketing message down the street and helping dealers amp up their social marketing efforts. From what we understand, Clover’s program continues to attract new dealer clients, but most importantly, that program and others like it, as well as presentations at dealer groups by The Cannata Report’s own CJ Cannata on branding and marketing, are raising awareness of social marketing in the channel to new heights.
Standalone Scanning Strives for Respect ““ If you listen to scanner manufacturers such as Panasonic, companies that do huge volumes of scans would be better served by a standalone scanner designed to handle large volumes compared to the scanner on an MFP which is not built for high-volume scanning. It’s a message with merit, but one that scanner manufacturers will readily admit is not easily embraced by the dealer channel. Should dealers buy into this message, this is a product category that could gain some traction, particularly as more businesses look to digitize years and years of paper documents.
Third-Party Supplies Industry Consolidates ““ According to the latest research from Actionable Intelligence, less than one-tenth of the number of North American remanufacturers remain in business compared to the year 2000. Of those that do remain in business, a significant portion outsource some percentage of their production. What Actionable Intelligence is seeing is an industry that is becoming more international and one where foreign firms””the majority from China””are making investments. The acquisition of Lexmark by NineStar and acquisition of Katun by General Plastic Industrial are two examples of those investments.
Companies to Watch
ACDI ““ There’s a reason ACDI has been selected the best software company in our annual Survey for the past three years, even though this company is a distributor rather than a developer. Consider the company’s success in bringing PaperCut to the channel. ACDI has since expanded its offerings with the addition of PSIGEN. We’ll be watching to see if ACDI can replicate what it has achieved with PaperCut with PSIGEN.
Brother International Corp. ““ The announcement that the company was partnering with Toshiba to provide it with A4 MFPs was a big win for Brother. Considering Toshiba already had a relationship for A4 products with Lexmark, one might ask why, but from what we hear, it’s an opportunity for Toshiba to provide some of its smaller dealers who don’t have agreements with Lexmark because certain regions are already covered by other Lexmark dealers with access to an A4 line. The company is also looking to move upstream with its inkjet MFPs, which is another reason to monitor what Brother is doing.
Canon U.S.A. ““ Never count Canon out, and in 2018, we expect to see the company expand its A4 product line. Canon remains one of the top-tier players in the production and wide-format space and we didn’t see or hear anything during our visit with Canon at Print 18 this fall to make us think that’s going to change anytime soon. And with security such a hot topic in the imaging industry, we expect Canon will be one of the companies leading the way with some serious security initiatives in 2019.
Clover Imaging Group ““ The company remains a global consumables powerhouse despite its falling revenues. Moody’s Investor Services reported that Clover’s parent company, 4L Technologies, carries $825 million in debit, including a $760 million term loan and a $65 million revolver. There’s still chatter that Golden Gate Capital, the venture capital firm that acquired Clover 10 years ago, is looking to sell. That’s been the case since 2016, and with revenues down 30% since then, there’s probably more reason than ever to cut the losses and sell. Whatever happens, we don’t expect Clover to go away, especially since the company has shown that it is not banking exclusively on consumables. For example, it is actively promoting its Amplify social-marketing service to the dealer community, which is a completely different type of business for this or any other consumables company to delve into.
DocuWare ““ If it weren’t for the change in leadership announced on October 19, 2018, this document management company might not have earned a place on this list. But with the announcement that Co-Presidents Jà¼rgen Biffar and Thomas Schneck would be transitioning their leadership positions as of January 1, 2019, to Dr. Michael Berger, currently the company’s chief technology officer, and Max Ertl, currently the company’s chief revenue officer, we are watching to see what’s next for DocuWare.
ECi Software Solutions ““ The software giant keeps acquiring with the purchases of FMAudit, Print Audit, and Vineyardsoft, a maker of business activity monitory software in 2018. Those acquisitions add to the largest number of software solutions under one roof in the industry. ECi also has one of the more notable love-hate relationships with the dealer channel as a significant number of dealers can’t live with the company, and can’t live without it. With a relationship like that, how could we not continue to watch this company in 2019?
EFI ““ Now that Guy Gecht has stepped down after 17 years leading the company as its CEO, what’s next? We’re about to find out and should have a good indication when we attend EFI’s annual Connect conference the end of January.
Epson ““ Here’s another company with a strong line of inkjet products looking to secure a niche in the dealer channel. It has a compelling message built around long-life consumables that registers with SMBs, but if our annual Survey is any indication, we’re still not seeing dealers flock to Epson. Maybe this year will be different.
FlexPrint/Oval Partners ““ The name of the game for the investment group Oval Partners and Flexprint LLC CEO Frank Gaspari is bigger is better. Although the company didn’t make many acquisitions in 2018, you can’t count this company out as FlexPrint, thanks to Oval Partners, has the resources, a unique acquisitions model, and a prudent approach to acquisitions whereby quality, not quantity, rules.
Global Imaging Systems ““ There’s something happening here. What it is isn’t exactly clear, or is it? Ever since Carl Icahn and his partners pulled off their coupe at Xerox, there’s been plenty of speculation as to what’s next for Xerox. We still believe Icahn will be parsing out portions of Xerox until nothing is left. One of the most profitable segments of the company is Global Imaging, which might be the first to go.
HP, Inc. ““ The company has been diligently making inroads in the A3 space, slowly but surely signing up U.S. dealers while enjoying even greater success adding dealers in other regions such as Europe and Asia. More significantly, we’ve been keeping a close eye on HP ever since it acquired Apogee, a large U.K.-based dealer. We wouldn’t be surprised to see a similar acquisition happen here in the U.S., especially after the August analyst briefing where HP executives noted the company is looking at acquisition opportunities in various global markets. (Ahem, did somebody say Global?) What we learned during a press briefing after the Apogee acquisition is that there are no plans currently to disrupt the product mix offered by that company, which means it will continue to sell other brands besides HP. We’ll be curious to see if further acquisitions ensue and how that model might evolve.
Kofax ““ Private equity money struck again in November with the announcement that Kofax, which was acquired from Lexmark in 2017 by the private equity firm Thoma Bravo, was acquiring Nuance Document Imaging. This was a huge acquisition and positions Kofax as one of the world’s largest providers of capture and print management solutions. This acquisition now begs the question, who else might Kofax and Thoma Bravo have their sights set on?
Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. ““ Two reasons to watch Konica Minolta in 2019″”Workplace Hub (More on that in the Products to Watch section of this article.) and what’s next after the MWA acquisition, one of the most notable acquisitions of the year. With the MWA acquisition, Konica Minolta has entered the ERP business, and is now marketing MWA’s FORZA powered by SAP through All Covered. Can Konica Minolta dealers sell Workplace Hub and can the resources provided by All Covered help MWA scale and grow FORZA placements? Those questions will be answered in 2019.
LD Products ““ The company is still looking to secure a toehold in the dealer channel with its new-build products, which is, by and large, uncharted territory for a consumables supplier. Even though a couple of companies have done this, it is still not standard operating procedure in this segment. The company is heavily touting its Gold Line of OEM quality cartridges engineered for MPS applications, which they claim offer OEM quality for 20% less cost than remanufactured cartridges. Also, keep in mind, this is a company with a legacy in online marketing, which has only recently put together a direct sales force to pursue the office technology dealer channel.
LMI Solutions ““ After a wealth of rumors circulating about LMI’s future due to a host of financial issues, the company announced in August that it had been acquired by venture capital firm Turnspire Capital Partners. It still remains to be seen if LMI is in a better position than it had been for well over a year as a supplier of consumables, parts, MPS, and reconditioned printers, but the feeling within the company is positive””at least for those who haven’t been laid off as cost-cutting measures continue.
Lexmark International ““ This is a company that does an excellent job of engaging with its dealers, and dealers continue to think highly of Lexmark as a result. There’s still a lot of gray area in what the new owners (Ninestar Technologies) are bringing to the party well over a year after the acquisition, but we’ll be watching to see if there will be any radical changes or if it will remain business as usual. Considering the wealth of new product announcements Lexmark has made this year, most notably the enhancements to its A4 offerings and its cloud-services offering, its product line is stronger than ever. Cause for concern at press time was the resignation of Rich Geruson, president & CEO, for personal reasons, marking the second consecutive year a Lexmark president & CEO has departed for that reason.
Marco ““ This is one of the three largest dealerships in the country (Pacific Office Automation and DEX are the others) depending on what day we’re looking at the revenues. At press time, we suspect Marco is the largest dealership in the country in terms of revenue if we factor in the Phillips Office Solutions acquisition that extends Marco’s reach into Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Washington D.C. The company’s revenues are on a pace to exceed $400 million in 2019, which would firmly position Marco as the largest dealership in the U.S.
PSIGEN ““ As a document management company, and a valued supporter of The Cannata Report, PSIGEN has only been a blip on dealer’s radar when we look at the results of the software providers meeting the needs of the channel in our annual Survey. The new distribution agreement with ACDI could change all that. Consider the impact ACDI has had with PaperCut. Lightening could indeed strike twice and if it does, expect to see PSIGEN benefit.
Ricoh Americas Corporation ““ Ricoh experienced some unfortunate financial struggles in 2017, but all signs indicate there will be some improvement financially in 2018, despite a decline in A3 and printer shipments. After our visit to Japan in May and the unveiling of its “Resurgent Plan” and new go-to-market strategies, as well as some compelling new products, we believe Ricoh is taking the necessary strides to ensure future profitability. Let’s not overlook the positive impact moving a significant portion of its MIF here in the U.S. has had to not only the dealers who acquired that MIF, but also to those dealers that are no longer competing with Ricoh direct. After some initial concern in the channel, optimism seems to have returned, optimism which was on vivid display in the comments of Ricoh dealers in our annual Survey.
RISO ““ This is a company that deserves a lot more respect than it has received to date because of its inkjet product line, particularly for the office. The company has no illusions about where it fits into the office and views its products as complements to toner-based devices. If it can successfully relay that message to more dealers, the company should gain even more traction in making its message a reality in 2019.
Sharp Imaging and Information Systems of America ““ Considering how highly dealers rated Sharp in our 33rd Annual Survey, there’s plenty of good reasons to watch the company in 2019. Last year, Sharp secured a place on our “Companies to Watch” list because there was still a lot of uncertainty after the Foxconn acquisition and dealers weren’t shy about expressing their concern. Even with the departures of Doug Albregts and Laura Blackmer, the company is well positioned to move forward under Mike Marusic and leverage the technology, R&D, and other benefits that Foxconn provides. In the meantime, we’ll be watching to see what’s happening in Japan as Foxconn has already shifted some manufacturing jobs from Japan to Taiwan.
Toshiba America Business Solutions ““ Compared to past years, 2018 has been a quiet year for Toshiba with all the financial maneuverings taking place in Japan with its parent company. Now that the turmoil seems to have settled down, TABS CEO Scott Maccabe and the rest of his executive team have hopefully returned to focusing on business as usual. Now, we’ll see if that continues in 2019. One trend that we expect to see continue is Toshiba’s investment in its A4 line. Lexmark, which already provides the company with A4 product, is now supplying engines to Toshiba’s A4 mono and color laser MFPs such as the eSTUDIO 389Cx and eSTUDIO 479c. And once again, we must mention the partnership with Brother, which will provide Toshiba dealers with access to the company’s Workhorse series A4 line.
Visual Edge ““ Meet the organization that keeps on buying. Visual Edge is like the Will Rogers of acquisitions in that it has never met a company it didn’t want to buy. Admittedly, that’s an exaggeration, and Visual Edge has a vetting process and not every dealer looking to sell or who it approaches is a good fit. With acquisitions in the double digits in 2018, there’s no reason to believe we won’t see Visual Edge on a similar acquisitions pace in 2019. We’ve also seen the company on a hiring spree of late, adding personnel at its North Canton, Ohio headquarters, which is the sign of a thriving organization.
Xerox ““ Will Carl Icahn and his gang of investors dismantle Xerox in the coming year? It’s not beyond the realm of possibility. Xerox has some solid technology, talented people in the organization, world-class R&D at PARC, its Palo Alto research center, and a strong dealer channel with Global Imaging. Even though it seems that Fujifilm is down and out of the equation, as we saw throughout the first half of 2018, it isn’t over until it’s over with anything related to Xerox, so even with all the acrimony between the two companies, that acquisition could still happen. In the meantime, news of layoffs in Rochester continues.
People to Watch
Anybody at Xerox ““ If things get shaken, not stirred, at Xerox in 2019, there should be some serious talent available. There have been quite a few layoffs at Xerox this past year, although we haven’t seen the departure of any senior executives that we deal with daily. Since most have significant tenure with the company, it will take a super-sweet deal elsewhere for them to leave on their own accords. With all the uncertainty surrounding the company, there could be some big changes brewing. On the other hand, for the sake of many of our close contacts at the company and those who still remain loyal to Xerox, we hope not.
Steve Bandrowczak ““ Appointed president and chief operating officer of Xerox in June, Bandrowczak is responsible for developing and executing the company’s global operations strategy in the company’s business support functions, including product and service delivery, customer billing, information technology, global procurement, and real estate, according to a Xerox press release. Since Bandrowczak was hand-picked by Xerox’s new board of directors, he seems to be in a good position to carry out the board’s directives and take Xerox to wherever it is destined to go next.
Michael Brigner ““ The senior vice president of mergers and acquisitions for Visual Edge has been an extremely busy man the past few years, acquiring companies at a rapid clip. He’s a familiar face at industry events, sometimes with his trusty sidekick David Ramos, browsing the merchandise or “just looking” for Visual Edge’s next acquisition candidate.
Sammy Kinlaw ““ Lexmark’s vice president, worldwide channel and OEM sales, Kinlaw joined the company’s executive team in February 2018. His past leadership roles at companies such as IBM and Lenovo where he interacted closely with enterprise end users and the commercial channel, is an asset for Lexmark. The company still has a talented executive team in place (Greg Chavers, Brock Saladin, Phil Boatman), even after the departures of key team members during the past 12 months, and we’ll be watching to see how Kinlaw and the rest of the Lexmark executive team get the company back on solid financial footing. The company has one of the strongest A4 product lines in the industry and with some of the other announcements this past year, including its recent emphasis on predictive analytics and cloud-based services, the company is in excellent shape from a product and services perspective.
Nancy Langdale ““ In our 33rd Annual Survey, Canon U.S.A. Vice President Nancy Langdale was one of our top vote getters when we asked dealers to identify a female executive of the year. Clearly, she has had a positive impact on Canon dealers, something that’s not easy to do. Because of her ranking in our Survey and the positive comments about her from Canon dealers, Langdale earns a spot on our people to watch list for 2019.
Scott Maccabe ““ He has been in the unenviable position the past few years of leading Toshiba America Business Solutions during tumultuous times, even though that tumult was across the Pacific in Japan. He wasn’t alone in the industry in having to deal with events beyond his control as we’ve seen at Sharp and even at Lexmark. The difference is, however, Maccabe is still standing, while others in his position have moved elsewhere or have been pushed out. We give him a lot of credit for persevering and continuing to ably lead TABS despite the distractions.
Bob Madaio ““ The new vice president of marketing for Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America (SIICA) is responsible for B2B marketing efforts across networked multifunctional printers and professional displays, as well as its smart office and IT solutions business. It will be interesting to see how his background in the IT world will translate to the dealer channel and what impact it will have in Sharp’s growing its presence in that space.
Mike Marusic ““ It’s Marusic’s turn as CEO to be on the hotseat at Sharp, and we hope he can successfully navigate the demands of Foxconn and the realities of the U.S. market, as he and his team reestablish the company as a viable player in the channel. Based on the results of our 33rd Annual Dealer Survey and comments from Sharp dealers, the Sharp dealer channel is more optimistic than ever. Now that that things seem to have stabilized with Sharp, hopefully with Marusic leading the company, that optimism can be maintained.
Bill Muir ““ The new CEO of EFI has the unenviable task of taking over for the charismatic Guy Gecht, who announced he was stepping down as EFI CEO in July of this year after 17 years in that position. Muir is an unknown entity in this channel, having previously served as COO of Jabil, a company that specializes in managing global manufacturing chains on behalf of a wide range of customers. That experience should prove valuable to EFI with its expanding global footprint.
Oscar Sanchez ““ His appointment in July as the new president and CEO of Kyocera Document Solutions Company came as a surprise. Sanchez has a successful track record with Kyocera, and we expect he will be instrumental in expanding the company’s solutions business and raising its profile in the production print space with its initial and future inkjet offerings. From what we hear, he is a no-nonsense, demanding leader, so let’s see how that goes.
Sam Yoshida ““ The new executive vice president and general manager of Canon’s Business Imaging Solutions Group (BISG) and vice chairman, Canon Solutions America, Inc. (CSA), is back in the U.S.A. after four years away. Yoshida succeeds the recently retired Toyo Kuwamura, who made some significant changes in Canon U.S.A.’s approach to dealers, and as a result, was highly respected by the dealer community. Kuwamura was also one of the drivers behind the One Canon strategy, and Yoshida told us he plans to continue that policy. Considering dealers already had a history with Yoshida during his previous tenure with Canon and is respected by the dealer community, he’s in an excellent position to succeed and further enhance Canon’s relationship with its dealer channel.
John Vavra ““ With his recent promotion from RISO’s vice president of dealer sales to vice president of sales, the industry veteran now oversees the company’s dealer operations, along with its direct and reseller divisions. If the company is going to make further headway with its inkjet products into the dealer channel, Vavra and Andre D’Urbano, RISO’s director of dealer sales and corporate marketing, are just the guys to do it.
Danielle Wolowitz ““ One of the few women in the industry that has a prominent presence at their respective company’s dealer meetings, Wolowitz has become the face and voice of Kyocera over the past few years. We don’t expect that to change much in 2019, but we also wouldn’t be surprised to see her role in the company expand well beyond where it is today. She remains the only person in the industry””male or female””to have been profiled in The Cannata Report as both a Young Influencer and a Woman Influencer””all within the space of three years. All things considered, how can we not continue watching Wolowitz?
Products to Watch
A3 Inkjet MFPs with Stationary Printheads ““ Inkjet MFPs from Canon, Epson, and HP represent the future of inkjet in the office. Whether it’s the soon to be released Canon WG7200 series, the Epson WorkForce Enterprise WF-C20590, or the HP PageWide P774x and P779x series, offering speeds of 80 to 100 ppm, we’re about to find out if inkjet will truly find a home in the office.
Konica Minolta’s Workplace Hub ““ It’s not easy being on the bleeding edge, and that’s where Konica Minolta is with its Workplace Hub. This central device will serve as a hub for all an organization’s technology and allow devices within that organization to communicate with each other. A handful of dealers seem excited about taking this technology to market, while others await more detailed direction from Konica Minolta in terms of what it is and what it does, as well as how they can make money from it. Now that it’s finally ready for prime time, much of the uncertainty surrounding the purpose of Workplace Hub should be answered in 2019.
Kyocera TASKalfa Pro 15000c – In April at Kyocera’s annual dealer meeting, we witnessed the rollout of Kyocera’s first high-speed cut-sheet inkjet production printer. Operating at 150 ppm in A4 (146 ppm, letter), regardless of media type, Kyocera is targeting print-service providers and customers interested in running medium- to large-volume jobs in-house. The device is expected to start reaching dealers in the first quarter of 2019, and although the company has not yet announced the price, we expect it will be highly competitive.
Ricoh Pro L5130/L5160 ““ These two new wide-format latex printers were announced at the SGIA show in October. These devices print at up to 473.6 feet per hour, with curing technology that Ricoh says leaves output ready for finishing as soon as it comes off the printer. These devices also represent the next-generation of Ricoh roll-to-roll latex printers, and leverage Ricoh’s GREENGUARD certified latex inks and printheads. As wide-format printers can be used for a broader range of business applications and in vertical markets, it will be interesting to see if Ricoh dealers will be able to successfully leverage those opportunities in the coming year.
RISO FW5000 ““ If RISO is going to crack the code that allows high-speed inkjet to secure a place in the office, this could be the device that does the trick. The 90-ppm FW5000 prints in letter size and offers color output at 2.5 cents per page, including ink and service. Priced between $25,000 to $45,000 as standalone devices, dealers that embrace RISO’s inkjet in the office may find the price is right to offer customers an inkjet alternative to toner.
Sharp’s Smart Office Suite ““ We’ve already referenced this product, and we know Sharp has been diligently putting together support materials to help its dealers sell this product. Now that Smart Office Suite is in the channel’s hands, we are looking forward to seeing just what kind of traction it gets.
Xerox’s Iridesse Production Press – This high speed, six-station color press, introduced this past spring, combines four-color printing with up to two specialty dry inks in one printing pass. It’s still the only digital press that can print metallic gold or silver dry ink, CMYK, and clear dry ink in a single pass. We understand it’s been selling well, and during our visit to Print 18, it was one of the most popular products on display at the Xerox booth.
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