The copier industry is constantly evolving, and staying up-to-date with the latest news and information can be crucial for businesses and professionals who rely on these machines for their daily operations. Here are the latest headlines from the Copier Industry:


Fujifilm reports last fiscal year earnings

  • Total revenue up 13.2% to 2,859 billion yen ($21 billion)
  • Operating income up 18.9% to 273 billion yen
  • Net income up 3.9% to 219 billion yen
  • Business Innovation division (copiers, printers, PPS, etc.)
    • Revenue up 10.3% to 828.1 billion yen ($6.23 billion)
    • Operating income up 20% to 69.5 billion yen ($517 million)
    • Office Solutions (MFPs, printers, supplies) revenue up 11.2% to 555.5 billion yen ($4.13 billion)
    • Business Solutions (solution software) revenue up 8.5% to $2.13 billion
  • Total debt of 376.2 billion yen
  • Announced it has acquired electronic chemicals division of Entegris Inc. of Billerica, Massachusetts for $700 million
    • Supplier to semiconductor manufacturing industry

Toshiba wins BLI award

  • Keypoint Intelligence announced it gave out BLI Gold Rating to Toshiba’s eBRIDGE Global Print software, a cloud-based solution for secure print release print management
  • For its security, tracking, productivity and cost saving elements

Russians and Iranians hacking into Papercut

  • Microsoft published warning that Iranian state-sponsored, and Russian state-sponsored group have adopted exploits targeting Papercut server vulnerability
  • C10p, FIN11 and TA505 are Russian groups involved
  • Mint Sandstorm and Mango Sandstorm are Iranian groups involved
  • (apparently only impacts Papercut servers that are not behind firewalls, and for some reason did not have latest patches)

Canon wins production print contracts

  • Award from Image Direct Group of Frederick, Maryland
    • Installed new ColorStream 3900 production color inkjets system
    • Will be used to produce 10-12 million direct mail pieces per month
  • Award from Option Print of Mumbai, India
    • Installed new imagePRESS C10010VP production color laser system
  • Award from Hunter Engineering Company of Bridgeton, Missouri
    • Installed two new Canon imagePRESS V1000 production color laser systems
    • Both included in-line Plockmatic finishing systems
    • Used primarily to produce sales brochures/booklets

Canon adds new features to uniFLOW sysHUB

  • New print job management capabilities to Operator UI
  • Move print jobs between queues and multi job selection
  • Enhanced job view for large jobs
  • Web-based Workflow designer for custom form creation
  • PDL conversion process
  • Integration with Azure, AWS and Kafka cloud messaging services
  • Custom forms and menus
  • Central dashboard to manage devices and print  jobs

Sharp has huge loss, and now may be sold?

  • Foxconn (aka Hon Hai Precision of Taiwan) announced that its Sharp division is expecting an operating loss for its last fiscal year, according to article in Nikkei Asia News
    • (Hon Hai Precision/Foxconn acquired controlling interest in Sharp in August of 2016)
  • Told investors that it was taking a 219.9 billion yen ($1.7 billion) “impairment charge”
    • Part of loss was from the 8K Ecosystem division (TVs, MFPs, PPS, printers, etc.) for $28.1 million
  • Net sales up 2.1% to 2,548,117 million yen ($19.2 billion)
  • Operating profit is loss of 25,719 million yen
  • Operating profit margin of -1.0%
  • 8K Ecosystem division (TVs, MFPs, printers, PPS, etc.)
    • Net sales up 4.3% to 591,832 million yen ($4.36 billion)
    • Operating profit down 46.2% to 13,421 million yen ($99 million)
    • Operating profit margin of 2.3% down from 4.4% YoY
  • Reuters News Service is reporting that some analysts in Japan believe Foxconn may sell off Sharp
    • “It is not that Foxconn lost interest in Sharp, it is more that current Foxconn leadership, with its focus on EVs and semiconductors, never had any
    • raises questions of whether Foxconn remains interested in fully rehabilitating Sharp, as the  Taiwanese electronics maker’s focus increasingly shifts to electric vehicles”

“Foxconn said it would ask affiliate Sharp to adjust its management team if the Japanese tech company failed to improve its operations after reporting a significant net loss and impairment”

Signs of recession?

  • Epoch Times published research:
    • 20% of baby boomers are nearing retirement with no retirement savings according to U.S. Census data
    • “You think everyone works for a Fortune 500 company, and everybody has a pension plan, but that is not the reality”; stated Craig Martin of J.D. Power
    • Average monthly Social Security check to retired work = $1800
    • Average household run by over 65 year old American = $4000/month
    • Average retirement account holds just over $100,000 at end of 2022
    • Average savings account for retiree = $171,000
    • 37% of retirees have no savings
    • 57 million Americans have no option to save for retirement at work
  • Reuters News Service report on layoffs;
    • 191,416 tech employees have lost their jobs so far in 2023
    • “We still forecast a recession to start in 2023 as the Fed continues to raise its target interest rate to bring inflation under control.”; stated Selcuk Eren, senior economist of The Conference Board
    • Shopify eCommerce announced it is cutting 20% of its employees
    • DropBox announced it will cut 16% of its employees
    • 3M Corp. announced it will dump 6,000 employees
    • Lyft announced it will layoff 1,072 employees
    • Red Hat (a division of IBM) announced it will cut 760 employees
    • Amazon announced it will increase layoffs
      • “Given the uncertain economy in which we reside, and the uncertainty that exists in the near future, we have chosen to be more streamlined in our costs and headcount.”; stated CEO Andy Jassy
    • Accenture announced it will lay off 19,000 workers
    • SiriusXM announced it will cut 475 jobs
    • Dell Technologies announced it will layoff 6,650 workers
    • Match Group announced it will cut 200 employees
    • Rivian Electric Vehicles announced it will cut 6% of workforce
    • Zoom announced it will layoff 1,300 employees
    • Boeing Corp. announced it will cut 2,000 employees
    • Dow Chemical will lay off 2,000 workers
    • LinkedIn announced it will cut 700 employees
  • Daily Mail News reported on retail store closures announced in 2023:
    • Hardees restaurants announced that one of its largest franchisees, Summit Restaurant Holdings, has filed for bankruptcy, and may close 108 locations in the U.S.
    • Burger King announced it will close 400 locations by end of year
    • Foot Locker = 545 stores
    • Best Buy = 30 stores
    • Walmart = 15 stores
    • Target = 4 stores
    • Bed, Bath & Beyond = 236 stores
    • Tuesday Morning = 265 stores
    • Bath & Body Works = 50 stores
    • Big Lots = 7 stores
    • Party City = 50 stores
  • Microsoft Corp., which in January announced it would shed 10,000 employees, is now reportedly also going to skip raises for full time employees this year
    • May also cut amount it provides for bonuses and stock awards
    • Initiating a “lease consolidation” to reduce office space
  • Bloomberg News reports that profits of S&P 500 companies are estimated to have dropped 3.7% on average, compared to year ago
    • Second straight quarter of earnings decline
    • “implies a longer profit recession than during the pandemic”
    • The 4 biggest US banks saw bad consumer loan write-offs rise 73% YoY
      • Americans owe $1.52 trillion in auto loan debt, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, which accounts for 9.2% of American consumer debt.
      • Subprime auto repossessions are up 11% from 2020.
  • The New York Federal Reserve Bank stated that the odds that the U.S. will fall into a recession at some point over the next 12 months have risen to a 40 year high, according to a probability model
    • Chance of a recession has risen to 68.2%
    • Now greater than it was in November of 2007, before the subprime crisis
    • “chances are probably about 70%”; stated former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers
    • “even more convinced that the economy will fall into recession this year”; according to report from Capital Economics

Copier service data software company acquired

  • Nexera, formerly known as BEI Services, has been acquired by Valsoft Corp of Montreal, Canada
  • Also acquired MPS Monitor
  • No purchase price announced

Epson opens new U.S. headquarters

  • Grand opening held for new facility in Los Alamitos, CA
  • 80% of employees in facility are part of hybrid program (6 days per month in office)
  • 150,000 square feet

HP top executive resigns

  • Ron Guerrier, CIO of HP Inc., announced he has left the firm
  • Originally appointed to role in 2020
  • Was also a proponent of DEI programs at company
  • (in 11/2022, the company announced it would cut 6,000 workers by end of 2025)

HP launches new PPS

  • During the “dscoop Edge St. Louis 2023” event, gave demos on new Indigo 200K production color system
  • Aimed at flexible packaging market
  • “printing pouches in day, not weeks”

HP wins production print contract

  • Award from Bob Jones University Press of Greenville, South Carolina
  • Installed new T485 PageWide production color inkjet system
  • “can produce a 700 page textbook in 10 seconds”

Ricoh reports last fiscal year earnings

  • Net sales up 21.4% to $15.78 billion
  • Operating profit up 96.6% to $583.12 million
  • Net profit up 79% to $402.21 million

Hyland Software (OnBase) to reduce real estate

  • Announced it will close its employee child care facility in Westlake, OH, at its headquarters
  • Cost cutting move as it “evaluates its real estate portfolio”
  • Recently laid off 1,000 employees

Square9 Softworks adds new feature

  • Headquartered in New Haven, CT, provides ECM and document capture solutions
  • Announced that its TransformAI capture solution, now offers line item data extraction
  • Designed for accounts payable
  • Allows users to perform line item general ledger coding and matching with purchase orders or delivery receipts

Kodak to stop making laser PPS?

  • Reported last quarter sales down 4% to $278 million
  • Net income was $33 million
  • Announced it will suspend manufacturing and sales of its EPS (electrophotographic systems) printer line due to increased cost and supply chain issues
  • Will continue to service all existing EPS presses (most likely the NexPress and Nexfinity cut sheet toner presses)
  • Focus will be on PROSPER production color inkjet systems

Document management solutions growth

  • Report published by Emergen Research
  • Market system to reach $14.16 billion by 2030
  • CAGR (cumulative annual growth rate) of 11.2%

Brother reports last fiscal year earnings

  • Total revenue up 14.7% to $6.04 billion
  • Operating profit down 35.2% to $410.77 million
  • Net income down 36% to $289.8 million
  • Printing & Solutions division (printers & MFPs) revenue up 14.6% to $3.68 billion
    • Operating profit down 38.55% to $2.7 million

Kyocera to launch new printer

  • Kyoto Ceramic Company of Japan (aka Kyocera) announced it will launch an new production color inkjet textile printing system
  • Will start shipping in the fall of 2023
  • Hopes to reach $74 million per year in unit sales by 2026

Mimaki partners with EFI Fiery

  • Mimaki announced it will now offer optional EFI Fiery print servers
  • Will be offered with the Mimaki TxF150-75 direct-to-film printers

Toshiba Tec post last fiscal year earnings

  • Net sales up 14.7% to 510,767 million yen ($3.8 billion)
  • Operating profit up 39% to 16,078 million yen ($121 million)
  • Operating profit margin of 3.1%
  • Recorded a $121 million loss due to “loss on litigation” related to a patent dispute
  • Workplace Solutions (printers, MFPs, etc.) division
    • Net sales up 19.5% to 217,672 million yen ($1.6 billion)
    • Operating profit of 6,882 million yen ($50 million)
    • Operating profit margin of 3.2%

Commercial printer market growth

  • Research published by Future Market Insights
  • Sales will reach $987.9 million by 2032
  • CAGR of 2.3%

Xerox wins production print contract

  • Award from Almats Branding Solutions of Mumbai, India
  • Installed new Versant 280 production color laser system

Hard drives to become extinct?

  • “hard drives will no longer be sold after 2028” stated Shawn Roseman, VP of R&D of Pure Storage Corp.
  • Hard drives are mechanical, have moving parts, use a lot of electricity, generate heat, may have slow access times, and many times are not secure from data theft.
  • Instead, manufacturers are switching to use of solid state memory chips (aka SSD)
  • Pure Storage plans on introducing 300 terabyte models by 2026 and a 600 terabyte model by 2029
  • (the Konica Minolta bizhub i-Series MFPs are the first MFP line in industry to standardize on solid state memory chips, and customers should no longer consider MFPs with hard drives)
  • (in future, look for SSDs to replace HDDs in the production print servers)

CYBERSECURITY & HEALTHCARE VERTICAL NEWS


Premier GPO is for sale

  • Reported considering selling all or part of company
  • “Evolving market dynamics, coupled with an uncertain and challenging operating environment, compel us to take further action to adapt and help ensure Premier is best positioned for future success”; stated CEO Michael Alkire 

eClinicalWorks wins EHR contract

  • Award from Center for Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery of Conroe, Texas
  • Includes practice management solution

Oracle Health (fka Cerner) wins EHR contract

  • Award from Weirton Medical Center of West Virginia
  • Total cost of $65 million
  • (Konica Minolta is certified to work with Cerner)

MEDITECH wins EHR contract

  • Award from Harrison County Community Hospital of Missouri
  • Award from Pinckneyville Community Hospital
  • Implemented new Expanse system

Athenahealth wins EHR contract

  • Award from Community Health Access Network
  • Locations across New Hampshire, Vermont and Texas

HIPAA/cybersecurity breaches in the news

  • Blackberry Research report:
    • 12 malware attacks per minute
    • U.S. is most targeted of all countries
    • 60% of all attacks are finance/healthcare/grocery industries
    • Top malware attack on healthcare from:
      • Emotet, RedLine, BlackCat, Royal, Cobalt Strike and Mallox
  • Critical Insight research published:
    • PHI stolen up 35% 
    • 28 million patients impacted in last 6 months of 2022
  • Northwell Health of New York field a lawsuit against a former employee for illegally posting information on deceased patients.
  • Journal of American Medicine Association (JAMA) published report detailing how adjacent emergency departments had their service disrupted after Scripps Health of San Diego suffered cyber attack.
  • Unique Imaging Clinics of Florida notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI was exposed after ransomware attack.
  • University Urology Clinics of New York notified 58,816 patients that their PHI was exposed after  ransomware attack.
  • BakerHostetler report published on breaches:
    • 45% of incidents started with network intrusion
    • 17% of incidents involved insider-caused breaches
    • 11% caused by unpatched vulnerabilities
    • 28% of hacks ended with ransomware deployments
    • 24% of all breaches in healthcare vertical (#1 target)
    • 67 days = average amount of time from discovery to notification of breach
    • $90,355 = average cost to investigate network instruction
    • $600,688 = average ransom paid
      • $1,562,141 = average ransom paid by health system
    • 40% = of all vertical market organizations pay the ransom
  • NationsBenefits Insurance notified 3 million customers that their info was exposed after ransomware attack.
  • The federal Office for Civil Rights levied a $15,000 fine to Mente Psychotherapy Services of Pittsburgh, PA regarding HIPAA breach.
  • Socrates Academy Schools of Matthews, North Carolina notified an unknown number of students that  their info was exposed after FERPA breach.
  • Movement Schools of Charlotte, North Carolina notified an unknown number of students that  their info was exposed after FERPA breach.
  • Maxim HealthCare Services of California notified 28,425 patients that their PHI was exposed after breach.
  • SuperCare Health of California agreed to pay $2.25 million to settle lawsuit related to breach that exposed patients PHI.
  • Adna School District of Centralia, WA was defrauded $346,000 after an email phishing attack.
  • Joseph Sullivan, former CISO of Uber Corp. was sentenced to 3 years probation and $50,000 fine after a breach in 2022 exposed info on 57 million people.
  • Hillsborough County government offices in Florida notified an unknown number of citizens that their info may have been exposed after ransomware attack.
  • U.S. Department of Transportation is notifying 237,000 federal employees that their personal was exposed after cyber attack.
  • Toyota notified owners of 2 million of its cars that their info was exposed after cyber attack.

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