January 4, 2016

Toshiba to sell copier division?

– Article in recent “The Recycler” magazine discussed the topic

– Reorganization caused by company inflating its profits, and the scandal “cost Toshiba around $738 million in the first half of the financial year”

– Toshiba Tec (subsidiary which focuses on office equipment) was “among the units to be axed, as by selling its majority stake in the company”

o Employs around 20,000, including TABS (Toshiba America Business Solutions)

o Incurred “a net loss of $61.1 million)

– Toshiba would then supposedly focus on its mainstay businesses including nuclear power and semiconductors.

– Toshiba’s President Masashi Muromachi stated that he “will proceed with restructuring without limits”

– Another division apparently for sale is the Medical Systems division, which has annual sales of $3.27 billion. The division makes MRI (magnetic resonance imaging systems) and diagnostic imaging systems.

– Moody’s Credit Service announced it has cut Toshiba’s credit rating to junk status. “The announcement indicated that earnings and cash flow generation will be significantly below our previous expectations.”

 

Sharp’s financial issues continue

– Company is still trying to turn around its business despite a $1.7 billion bailout in May

– Taiwan’s Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. (aka Foxconn) has proposed buying Sharp Corp. for around 500 billion yen ($4.1 billion) on the condition that the struggling Japanese electronics maker’s top management be revamped, as reported by The Japan Times newspaper.

– Under the proposal, Hon Hai, the world’s largest contract supplier of electronics products, is calling for Sharp’s management team, including President Kozo Takahashi, to step down, and for Sharp’s new leader to be someone from Hon Hai

– The proposed amount represents an approximate 50% percent premium to Sharp’s current market value.

– Hon Hai is seen as filling to shoulder Sharp’s interest-bearing debt of around 760 billion yen as of the end of September, according to the sources.

– Hon Hai is not the only potential suitor seeking to acquire Sharp, the report went on, adding that the Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ), which is sponsored by the Japanese government, is studying a deal to buy Sharp.

 

HP Inc. to offer new solution for its MFPs

– Announced that Print Audit now offers an embedded solution option for HP LaserJet MFP that features the OXP (open extensibility platform) in their touchscreen LCD control panels

– The Print Audit Embedded solution offers:

o Document tracking

o Charge back

o Secure release

o Pull printing

o Supports optional swipe and proximity card authentication

o Integrates with desktop versions of Print Audit 6 and Print Audit Secure software

– Pricing not announced

 

MPSA updates MPS definition

– The Managed Print Services Association announced an update to its definition of managed print services

– New definition is “the active management and optimization of business processes related to documents and information, including input and output devices”

– The change was to add the words; “information” and “input”

 

Stratasys details new 3D printer strategy

– New strategy needed based on 2015 results, where stock price started year at $81.05 per share and dropped to $24.90 per share

– During first 9 months of year, had $522.6 million of revenue down from $533 million in 2014

– New slogan is “We shape lives by revolutionizing the way things are made”

– “Stratasys will be shifting its go-to-market strategy from an evangelistic focus on how 3D printing enable prototyping as well as creating the tools, jigs, and fixtures that are used in production to a practical, solutions-oriented focus on the manufacturing of finished goods”

– “The company will enable this as well as collaboration with educators, researchers, customers and partners”

– Stratasys will “cultivate a high touch sales team to introduce 3D print solutions”

– Gartner’s Pete Basiliere stated that it would help Stratasys if “prospective customers get to grips with the Peak of Inflated Expectations”

 

Adobe Software reports its financials

– Announced its fiscal 4th quarter of 2014 earnings

– Total revenue of $1.3 billion, up 22%

– The contribution of subscriptions toward overall revenue up to 67%

– Document Cloud revenue up to $397 million in 2015

 

EFI hires new CIO

– Electronics for Imaging Corp announced it has hired Ms. Sheri Rhodes as its new Chief Information Officer

– Will report to Senior VP, Toby Weis

– Previously was VP of Global Applications for Symantec

 

Brother offers new solution option

– Announced partnership with Papercut, maker of cost recovery solution software

– Papercut competes with Nuance Output Manager, Equitrac, Pharos, Prism PrintPath, Y Soft, LRS, etc.

– Work with Brothers MFPs that are equipped with BSI (allows integrated applications from color LCD touchscreen display)

– Features include:

o Monitor, control and charge printing, copying and scanning

o Load balancing, alerts and toner monitoring

o Charge by user, departments, cost centers and projects

o Release print jobs from a secure queue

o Supports single sign-on

o Optional card authentication at device

– Pricing not announced

 

Kyocera launches new solution option

– Launched PinPoint Scan

– Allows scanning to PC or Mac from a network connected Kyocera MFP

– Allows user to create and manage a pincode without support of IT department

– When user enters PIN on the PinPoint Scan enabled Kyocera MFP on the network, the MFP will search the network, find user’s desktop computer and scan directly to it

– Scan is encrypted

– Can also use optional card authentication

– Pricing not announced

 

Man arrested for stealing printer cartridges

– Police from Washington Township, New Jersey, arrested Christopher Stupor of Chester, NJ

– He allegedly went into local Target store, and stole printer cartridges.

– He then went back into the store, and attempted to return the cartridges for gift cards.

 

Ricoh wins production print contract

– Award from CFI Technologies of England

o Installed a Ricoh Pro VC60000 production color inkjet system

– Award from TCG Legacy, a commercial printer in Garner, North Carolina

o Installed a Heidelberg Linoprint CP, which is a relabeled Ricoh Pro C9110 production color system

o Reasons given for choosing the device include:

  • Media up to 13”x27.5”
  • Handles up to 18 point thickness of media
  • Wide range of synthetics supported

– Award from Zebrahouse, a commercial printer in England

o Installed a Heidelberg Linoprint CV, which is a relabeled Ricoh Pro C7110X production color system with 5th toner station

 

InfoTrends publishes results of survey

– When commercial printers were asked what the fastest growing parts of their business were:

o 62.3% = digital printing

o 39% = wide format printing

o 26% = offset printing

o 19.5% = online services

o 19.5% = creative services

o 11.7% = marketing services

o 11.7%= packaging/label printing

o 11.7% = fulfillment/warehousing services

o 11.7% = finishing services

– When CRDs were asked what the fastest growing parts of their business were:

o 65.1% = digital printing

o 39.5% = wide format printing

o 14% = offset printing

o 7% = online services

o 18.6% = creative services

o 4.7% = marketing services

o 4.7%= packaging/label printing

o 7% = fulfillment/warehousing services

o 18.6% = finishing services

 

Canon wins production print contract

– Award from Latent Light, a commercial printer in Bristol, England

– Installed a Canon imagePRESS C10000VP production color toner system

– Will be sued to produce photobooks

 

Xerox wins production print contract

– Award from Bucknell University’s CRD of Lewisburg, PA

– Installed a Xerox Color 1000i production color system equipped with the EFI Fiery EXP print server

– Included the optional gold metallic toner system

– Reason given to choose the system was the Xerox Full Width Array color measurement device. “The Full Width Array on this is definitely a benefit for our production staff.”; stated Dean Fisher, manager.

 

Kodak wins production print contract

– Award from the University of California-Davis’s CRD, located in California

– Installed a Kodak Digimaster HD300, which is a dual engine production b/w system with top speed of 300ipm.

 

Former printshop owner arrested

– Victor Robertson of Glasgow, England, was arrested and convicted of being involved in a counterfeit operation.

– According to police, Mr. Robertson had turned a room in his home into an operation that produced fake notes equivalent 20 English pounds each
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