Printing Innovation Asia Issue 2 2021
4
SPONSOR CONTENT
WITH A NEW NAME,
FUJI XEROX TAKES ON
H
aving been at the forefront of business innovation for nearly six decades, Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. is also reinventing itself. On April 1, 2021, Fuji Xerox will change its name to FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp. The new name represents not only a renewed emphasis on creative new products and services that will make work easier and more efficient, but a move into a wide range of business areas and the forging of synergies with other businesses under the Fujifilm Group. A TRACK RECORD OF SUCCESS “We decided to take this new step forward because of a greater need for agility and a desire to collaborate further with Fujifilm,” says Kouichi Tamai, Fuji Xerox president and representative director. “Under the new company name, I want to emphasize that we will continue to deliver our robust products developed in-house to customers and partners including Xerox, with whom we enjoy a good business relationship.” The launch of the new name marks the end of one of the longest and most successful Japanese-American joint ventures in history.
As economies around the world look to ramp up activity in the new year, many companies are rethinking how they do business. On top of advances in technological trends including deep learning, artificial intelligence and Internet of Things, corporations are dealing with work-lifestyle changes stemming from the coronavirus pandemic such as working from home. Established in 1962, the venture between FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation (then Fuji Photo Film) and Xerox Corporation (then Rank Xerox) was founded to empower businesses and consumers across Asia Pacific with photocopiers and related products and services. For nearly 60 years, Fuji Xerox provided document services and products that supported countless organizations in the region, including large corporations and governments, and saw its revenue top 1 trillion yen ($9 billion). In 2019, FUJIFILM Holdings acquired Xerox’s 25% stake in Fuji Xerox, making it a wholly owned subsidiary. The following year, Fuji Xerox decided to end its Technology Agreement with Xerox, which provided for technology/brand licenses and sales territories applicable to each company, on March 31, 2021. Regardless of this change, however, Tamai stresses that one aspect of Fuji Xerox’s business that will not change with the new corporate identity is its commitment to R&D, which has resulted in numerous successful products and services under the Fuji Xerox brand. Quality, too, will remain a hallmark of the company’s approach. This dedication was recently seen in Fuji Xerox’s color multifunction printer*1 being
recognized as the first digital multifunction printer to be selected as a “Green Design Product” for its energy-saving and environmental protection performances by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China. RESILIENCE AMID DISRUPTION The coronavirus pandemic didn’t stop Fuji Xerox from innovating: it continued to introduce new products and services in 2020. For instance, Fuji Xerox Asia Pacific launched 19 printer models in the acclaimed ApeosPort and DocuPrint series. These products support digital transformation with features such as end-to-end automated workflow, cloud connectivity and 360°data security, all presented in a user-friendly format. Though offices reduced their use of printers and other products as staff worked from home, the number of Fuji Xerox’s multifunction printers sold in the first half of fiscal 2020 was higher than the previous year, maintaining the company’s top market share in Japan and Asia-Pacific. “Remote work requires a ‘hub’ that can handle data securely, and the robustness of our
