Imaging feb 2018 by IMAGING SOLUTION

CMYK

ISSUE 02 VOLUME 06 Monthly Magazine February 2018

40 Pages

www.imagingsolution.in THE BEST INFORMATION RESOURCE FOR IMAGING INDUSTRY IN INDIA

CMYK

CMYK CMYK

Editor’s Desk Dear Readers, As per latest IDC Asia Pacific Quarterly Hardcopy Peripherals Tracker, 2017Q4, in the wake of a stellar Q3, the Hardcopy Peripherals (HCP) market posted another strong quarter with 877,945 unit shipments in 2017Q4, a healthy year-on-year (YoY) growth of 19 percent. Japanese brands have strengthened their position in the Indian market. Three out of top five performers are Japanese companies, capturing almost half of the India market (48.6 Percent). US based brand(s), followed with 41.4 percent market share, a slight dip from 41.9 percent in 2017 Q3. Inkjet shipments grew by 19.3 percent YoY with overall shipment of 415,135 units while laser printers including copiers also had a similar YoY growth of 19 percent with overall shipments touching 408,891 units. India Laser market was the second-best market in the entire Asia Pacific region, unit wise. As per IDC India Monthly City-Level Printer Tracker, Laser HCP (Printer-based), demand from West Zone outpaced demand from East and South Zone. HP comfortably leads the way with 15.6 percent demand coming from West Zone. Delhi was second only to Maharashtra in terms of demand for Laser HCP (Printer-based) printers overtaking the likes of West Bengal, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu etc.

Swapan Roy Editor & Publisher

Publisher & Editor

Swapan Roy

Editor in Chief

Manoj Jha

Asst. Editor

S. Goswamy

Staﬀ Photographer

Ajay Kumar

Product Head

Anit Kumar

Layout Design

Gautam Midhya

Marke ng Manager

Tridip Dey

Marke ng Execu ve

Finance

Sandeep Sarkar

Circula on Head

Pratap Biswas

Circula on Asst.

Ashish Ghosh / Ashok Paul

System Manager

Vijay

ROY MEDIATIVE HEAD OFFICE: A-23 1ST FLOOR, Okhla Industrial Area Phase - 1, New Delhi-110020 (India) P: 91-11-41602841, 65683896, 40536384-87 M: 09810380882, 09811346846, 09910146340, 09350468790 REG. OFFICE: 38-B/56 Block, C. R. Park, New Delhi-110019 (India) SOUTH REPRESENTATIVE: Chennai: Mr. K. Ravichandran Mob: 9884196503, 8939904504 Kolkata: 105/19, Dum Dum Road, Sil Colony, Kolkata-700074 (India) Mob: 09891666264, 09330922965, 09903392620 Orissa: C/o Royal Communica on, Shree Complex Room No. #7, Louchapada, Road, Brahmapur-760001 (Orissa) (India) Jibananda Kar - 09439263711 E-mail : odisha.ncn@gmail.com, rajncn@gmail.com IMAGING SOLUTION Monthly News Paper, Printed, Published & Owned by Swapan Roy at 38-B / 56 Block, D.D.A. Flats, C. R. Park, New Delhi-110019 (India). Printed at B. B. Graphic Printer, E-48/4, Okhla Industrial Area-II, New Delhi-20. Retail selling price of News Paper Rs. 20. Annual subscrip on Rs. 240. EDITOR

Marke ng

Admin INFO Subscrip on

S. Du a, Raj Kumar Sujit Goswami

: manoj@imagingsolu on.in edit@imagingsolu on.in roy@imagingsolu on.in : tridip@imagingsolu on.in pratap@ imagingsolu on.in marke ng@imagingsolu on.in : admin@imagingsolu on.in : info@imagingsolu on.in : subscrip on@imagingsolu on.in

February 2018

IMAGING SOLUTION CMYK

CMYK

CMYK CMYK

CONTENTS

Q&A “ What you need to know instinctively is what the market needs ” Mr. Steve Weedon

Head Strategic Development, Utec

NEWS UPDATE

REGIONAL PLAYER JETFINE is driven by motto QUALITY, PASSION, INNOVATION

Mr. Amit Nahata

Director, Balaji Infotech

PRODUCT ROUNDUP

EXPANSION PLAN

“Japanio, besides high quality products, aims to offer high quality packaging”

TECH TALK Remanufacturing the HP LaserJet PRO M203 (CF232A) Drum Cartridge

Mr. Arhant Jain Director, Neminath

YOUNG LEADER

“ Tonerline subjects their products to stringent quality control to ensure optimum performance and reliability ”

Mr. Kartik Agarwal Tonerline Limited

February 2018

IMAGING SOLUTION CMYK

CMYK

CMYK CMYK

N E W S U P D AT E Grant Kirk Joins Static Control Sales Team Static Control is pleased to announce the addition of Grant Kirk to its North American sales team. Kirk will serve as a business development manager. Kirk comes to Static Control with more than 12 years of sales management experience, a decade of which was spent exclusively in the imaging industry. He has previously held positions at Nukote International and West Point Products in various sales roles, most recently senior account manager.“I’ve been impressed with the sales team that Static Control has been assembling, along with the history, reputation and the people of Static Control,” said Kirk. “To me, Static Control provides the best platform for success. I’m very fortunate for this opportunity and I look forward to helping to contribute to the overall success of the organization.”Static Control’s Vice President of North American Sales Bryan Bonacum is excited about the new addition. “Grant is an excellent sales leader who brings a lot to the table, especially in managing strategic accounts and executive level relationships. He will be a great asset to our team.”

New Home Media Partners with EFI for an Advanced MIS/ERP Workflow and VUTEK Inkjet Overhaul

New Home Media, a Lorton will reach a new level of efficiency, productivity and quality following its significant investment in new technology from Electronics For Imaging, Inc. New Home Media purchased EFI VUTEk LX3 Pro hybrid roll/flatbed and VUTEk 5r rollto-roll LED inkjet superwide-format printers, along with a complete EFI Midmarket Print Suite developed specifically for superwideformat inkjet business and production workflow management. EFI announced the purchase today during its Connect users’ conference in Las Vegas, which features an exhibit of EFI’s integrated portfolio including the Midmarket Print Suite and VUTEk LED hybrid and roll-to-roll LED inkjet printers. New Home Media has come a long way since owner and lead salesperson Chuck Smith transitioned from selling residential real estate to printing real estate signage with an old screen print press. The 28-year old business has a strong market presence and a growing digital production operation, serving Northern Virginia homebuilders. Smith and his team have a New Year’s resolution to become more efficient to better service existing customers and attract new ones. The technology partnership, where

EFI is supporting the company with end-toend production and workflow capabilities, is a big part of New Home Media’s 2018 initiative to expand and improve. The energyefficient VUTEk LED printers New Home Media is installing this month create many new opportunities because of their size and throughput. “They’re faster and we expect them to be more reliable, too,” said New Home Media’s Chief Operating Officer, Fred Cowell, of the company’s decision to upgrade from smaller UV inkjet printers to the 10-foot wide hybrid and 16-foot wide roll-to-roll LED printers from EFI. According to Cowell, EFI’s strong position in the marketplace and solid reputation played a big role in the decision to buy the printers.Cowell believes that one of the most immediate benefits of the new printers will be a drastic reduction in setup time between media. But, with the new VUTEk printers, switching media is almost an afterthought. “Our set-up time will go from 15-20 minutes to a matter of seconds with the new printers,” Cowell said, referring to the printers’ ability to automatically calculate media thickness, recalibrate, and then draw the material through. The purchase is New Home Media’s first transaction working with EFI. The company is pleasantly surprised at EFI’s approach to ensuring high-quality service for superior uptime, including comprehensive training EFI is providing to New Home Media’s staff. USA, Inc. was named ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for the second consecutive year as its number of ENERGY STAR certified products increased by 27.2 percent. Each year, Best in Biz Awards’ entrants span the spectrum, from some of the most innovative local start-ups to the most recognizable global brands. The seventh annual program was particularly hotly contested, with more than 650 entries from an impressive array of public and private companies of all sizes and from a variety of industries and geographic regions in the U.S. and Canada. Best in Biz Awards 2017 honors were presented in 65 categories, including Company of the Year, Fastest-Growing Company, Most Innovative Company, Best Place to Work, Support Department, Executive of the Year, Most Innovative Product, Best New Product, App, Event and Website of the Year.

Reece Supply Extends its High-quality Digital Offering by Becoming an EFI Inkjet Distribution Partner

Electronics For Imaging Inc. reported that Reece Supply Company will become a distributor of EFI inkjet products. Reece’s

offerings will include EFI Wide Format and EFI VUTEk digital inkjet printers for 3D thermoformed graphics, along with a range of EFI LED inkjet printers.“We have been extremely impressed with the quality and scope of inkjet solutions from EFI, and we look forward to introducing these outstanding products to our customers,” said Reece Supply Company President Richard Reece. “This broad range of high-quality wideformat and superwide-format printers will bring new value and enhanced profitability to our customer base.”The company, which has been in business since 1936, expanded its product offering to meet growing demand for production-class inkjet. Reece Supply Company serves many businesses that do thermoformed graphics using analog methods, and the new partnership with EFI will help many of those customers achieve faster, more cost-effective production with digital technology using EFI VUTEk GS2000x Pro, GS3250x Pro and EFI H1625-SD printers and their deep-draw thermoformable inks. In addition to EFI’s thermoforming printer products, Reece Supply Company will also sell and provide support for products in EFI’s industry-leading LED production portfolio, including EFI H1625 and Pro 16h hybrid roll/flatbed printers and the new EFI Pro 24f flatbed printer. Reece Supply has approximately 3,000 customer placements throughout the South and has locations in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and El Paso, Texas; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Atlanta, Georgia; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Charlotte, North Carolina.

AOS Digital Joins Copy Products

Prosperity Plus Management Consulting, Inc. announced that it advised Matt Smith of AOS Digital and Ed Cameron and Tom Minuti of Copy Products in the merger of the two companies. Based in Doylestown, PA, AOS has focused on providing their customers with industry-leading document management technology since 1977. Whether their businesses need efficient office equipment or are looking to streamline their paper usage, AOS has the experience to offer the best solution. “We pride ourselves on being able to customize the best office technology solution for any organization”, says Matt Smith President of AOS, shareholder,

February 2018

IMAGING SOLUTION CMYK

CMYK

CMYK CMYK

N E W S U P D AT E and newly appointed Vice President of Copy Products. Headquartered in Upper Darby, PA, Copy Products has offered best in class office technology to our clients since 1978. “Beginning as a fax and copier company, Copy Products has transitioned from selling copiers and faxes into a provider of Managed Services with a primary focus on Managed Print”, states Ed Cameron, founder and CEO of Copy Products. “We started our business on a firm foundation of honoring God’s principles and serving our clients and we continue that today”, Cameron continues. “Copy Products and AOS have worked closely together for the past 20 years and found the combination of the two companies to be a natural next step”, says Tom Minuti, General Manager and newly appointed President of the combined company. He continues, “The combination of these two companies brings us to a point where we can offer customized Business Processes Solutions, Managed Output Device Optimization and best in class office technologies”.“We look forward to 2018 and beyond, where we bring two great family businesses together to further the original mission, capitalize on the tenured strength of committed employees while leveraging superior technologies to better serve our clients”, Minuti says.

Business Systems Acquires Document Imaging Solutions

Technocom Business Systems has announced the acquisition of the Statesville, North Carolina-based technology operations of Document Imaging Solutions (DISC). Technocom, celebrating their 32nd anniversary, is looking forward to expanding their marketplace to the Statesville, Hickory, and Winston-Salem region. Bruce Cook, president of Document Imaging Solutions, and partners Mark Hawks and Bobby Cartner, will remain an integral part of the operations. Jim Riggins, Technocom founder and president, stated “We’re proud of the history of service and commitment we’ve provided

to our clients, and this acquisition allows us to extend that same quality of service to organizations across the North Piedmont area. Document Imaging Solutions is one of the best well-run small companies. This move is going to help each company grow and allow us to benefit from one another.”In today’s market, it is extremely important to operate from a strong customer-centric vision and a people-focused culture. Technocom and Document Imaging Solutions are very similar; aligned core values and dedication to their local community make this transition easy for both employees and clients. Through this acquisition, they’ll be able to leverage each other’s strengths and grow stronger together. The real winner will be the local area customers. They’ll continue to receive the best in local service and solutions while receiving the benefit of the full line of products and services that Technocom has developed and provided. The complete line of office solutions includes Kyocera, Xerox, Toshiba, Lexmark copiers, and printers, Océ wide-format printers, Lenovo computer systems, managed print solutions, managed IT solutions, and Pitney Bowes mail systems.

Enhances Channel Partner Program

Xerox has launched a streamlined channel partner program that rewards partner loyalty. The enhancements are a key component of Xerox’s strategy to target IT solution providers through a program that’s simple to understand, promotes growth and offers robust sales incentives. Selling print devices and services are an untapped revenue source for the tens of thousands of IT solution providers that comprise a large portion of the overall U.S. channels market. Xerox wants to help these partners find new customers by offering or expanding print and workflow solutions to current customers.“Xerox aims to seize a greater share of the IT solution provider market and we see print as both an offensive and defensive sales strategy for

our partners,” said Pete Peterson, senior vice president, Global Channel Strategy, Xerox. “We solicited feedback from the IT solution provider community and responded with an enhanced program that leverages our awardwinning product portfolio and provides more consistent and predictable profits for partners.”

Sharp Named a 2018 Thomson Reuters Top 100 Global Technology Leader

Sharp has been recognized as a 2018 Top 100 Global Technology Leader by Thomson Reuters. The inaugural program identifies the tech industry’s most operationally sound and financially successful organizations. The study, the industry’s first holistic assessment of today’s leading tech companies, utilizes a 28-point, data-driven algorithm to objectively identify organizations with the fortitude for the future in today’s c o m p l e x b u s i n e s s environment. The patent pending methodology, developed by the Thomson Reuters Boston Innovation Lab, is based on eight principle pillars of performance: Financial, Management and Investor Confidence, Risk and Resilience, Legal Compliance, Innovation, People and Social Responsibility, Environmental Impact, and Reputation. These companies are those whose final scores across the pillars outshine over 5,000 other technology companies around the world. “Sharp is proud to be recognized as a Top 100 Global Technology Leader by Thomson Reuters,” said Doug Albregts, President and CEO, Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America. “This achievement is a true testament to the hardworking men and women who help to make Sharp one of the world’s most influential and innovative leaders, as we adapt to an ever-evolving technological landscape.”

February 2018

IMAGING SOLUTION CMYK

CMYK CMYK

February 2018

IMAGING SOLUTION

11 CMYK

CMYK CMYK

N E W S U P D AT E Dan Cooper to Lead Global Imaging Systems, A Xerox Company Xerox has announced that Dan Cooper will lead Global Imaging Systems (GIS), A Xerox Company. Cooper will report to Mike Feldman, president, North America Operations, Xerox, and is replacing Tom Salierno who is retiring in April. Cooper has been with GIS for nearly 20 years and became

president of Virginia-based IT solutions provider Electronic Systems, Inc. (ESI) in 2001. Under his leadership, ESI has grown into one of the largest core companies within the GIS portfolio. In 2005, he assumed additional responsibilities in GIS headquarters and core companies. In May 2016, Cooper assumed responsibility for GIS field operations.“We’re making great strides in the small- and medium-size business (SMB) market, and I plan to continue that ascent by growing the GIS companies,” said Cooper. In 2017, GIS acquired three multi-brand dealers as Xerox continues to expand its indirect sales channels to further penetrate the lucrative and growing SMB market.“Dan is an exceptional leader who will continue to expand GIS and its portfolio of office technology dealers

across the U.S.,” said Feldman. “He has big shoes to fill, and we thank Tom Salierno for his many years of service and track record of exceptional growth.”

Lexmark Announces MFP Kiosks for Government

Lexmark International Inc.announced Lexmark MFP Kiosk for Government, a solution that utilizes award-winning Lexmark

Smart multi-function products (MFPs) as selfservice platform devices that enable agencies to better serve visiting constituents with increased efficiency, security and compliance. “The slow, manual processes associated with constituent paperwork, applications and documentation are a significant roadblock as government agencies struggle with budget pressures, limited resources and higher constituent expectations,” said Marty DeGraff, director, Lexmark Government Solutions.“The Lexmark MFP Kiosk solution leverages the power of the Lexmark Smart MFP so agencies can better serve constituents, even with fewer resources, improving the experience for agency employees and constituents alike. Agency staff is freed from the time spent on document classification and data verification, allowing them to serve constituents more efficiently. Constituents are able to jump-startthe process the moment they arrive, reducing wait times.”Lexmark MFP Kiosks are easy to implement and use.

Xerox and Fuji Xerox to Merge

Fujifilm Holdings and Xerox recently announced an agreement that they will merge Xerox with Fuji Xerox – the joint partnership between Xerox and Fujifilm – with Fujifilm taking over the new company with 50.1

percent ownership. The move comes after demands by two Xerox majority investors, billionaire activist investor, Carl Icahn and Darwin Deason, for Xerox to disclose the nature of its talks with Fujifilm of Tokyo, Japan, and for removal of Xerox leadership. The transaction is expected to close around JulyAugust this year. The new entity, to be called as Fuji Xerox, will become a subsidiary of

Fujifilm, with dual headquarters in the United States and Japan. Under the agreement, the new combined company is expected to have leadership positions in key geographic regions. There new restructuring is also believed to provide significant opportunities for cost savings and leveraging of core technology and go-to-market assets.

Canon Solutions America Announces 2018 Executive Appointments

Canon Solutions America Inc., a wholly

owned subsidiary of Canon U.S.A. Inc., today announced key senior executive appointments that will help continue to expand the company’s position as an innovative and forward-thinking industry leader. These internal moves represent Canon Solutions America’s commitment to elevating its own leaders and putting them in a position to succeed, both personally and

February 2018

IMAGING SOLUTION CMYK

CMYK CMYK

February 2018

IMAGING SOLUTION

13 CMYK

CMYK CMYK

N E W S U P D AT E Executive promotions include; Toyo Kuwamura has been promoted from president and CEO to chairman and CEO, of Canon Solutions America. Peter Kowalczuk has been promoted from executive vice president and general manager to president of Canon Solutions America. Francis McMahon has been promoted from vice president to executive vice president, Production Print Solutions, of Canon Solutions America. “It is with great pride and a great deal of respect that I can share the well-deserved promotions of some of our leading Canon Solutions America team members,” said Toyo Kuwamura, chairman and CEO, Canon Solutions America. “These individuals are truly representative of the Canon culture, our company vision and shared values. Having shown a strong commitment to helping grow Canon Solutions America as an industry leader, I thank them for their continued service and dedication to push Canon Solutions America even further in 2018 and beyond.”Lastly, Canon Solutions America once again thanks Malkon Baboyian, executive vice president, Production Print Solutions/Large Format Solutions and James Sharp, executive vice president, Professional Services, who both have retired after 30 years of service each with Canon. “Mal and James were both instrumental in positioning Canon Solutions America as the leader it is today. Both the company and the industry at large were impacted by their ability to blend immense knowledge and leadership abilities,” said Toyo Kuwamura.

S K Enterprises Plans to Expand their Recently Opened Showroom in New Delhi

S K Enterprises founded in 2002 and based in New Delhi is a provider of reconditioned cartridges, empty laser cartridges, printer parts, compatible cartridges (in bulk), etc. The company also buys and sells used laser printer machines. S K Enterprises recently opened their showroom in Pandav Nagar (Delhi), which includes all the imaging products they deal with plus all type of mobile phones, mobile accessories and computer accessories (such as keyboards, mice, etc). Ved Varth Arya, Proprietor, S K Enterprises, comments, “We get cartridges reconditioned by a third party and also we keep compatibles procured from standard local traders. We provide compatible cartridges unbranded in bulk. Those into remanufacturing purchase our empties. We are not doing refilling. Our customers come mainly from NCR region and quality & affordability are our main selling points. We are growing at a satisfactory annual rate. GST does not have much impact on us. In future, we want to expand our showroom, add more products and improve our business operations.”

February 2018

IMAGING SOLUTION CMYK

CMYK

CMYK CMYK

N E W S U P D AT E

AAA Imports Aims to Expand Operations into North-East India

Mr. Ayush Gupta, Proprietor, AAA Imports

AA Imports based in Delhi is a provider of imaging products, including laser toners, compatible toner cartridges and laser cartridge parts under their brand name AAA. The brand also provides OEM products

besides their own brand. Their focus is not on ink compatibles. Ayush Gupta, Proprietor, AAA, comments, “Our brand AAA is doing well and we focus on providing laser-related products, but we do not provide inks or inkrelated products. Our present areas of operations are north India (including the states of Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and UP). Color toner usage is increasing though it forms only a fraction our total business at present. GST is good for us as it simplified interstate operations and minimized formalities. We import from proven providers in China. We are growing at an annual rate of 30%. We provide imaging products of our own AAA brand and of OEMs, not of other

brands. In the coming months we want to expand our operations in T2 and T3 cities and very much focused on expanding our presence into North-East India.” AAA also provides consumables for copiers for a limited extent. The company deals mainly in black printer consumables followed by color machine consumables. AAA Imports provides the consumables in bulk and also under their brand name AAA. The company operates panIndia through their dealer network. Good quality, affordable price and transparent relationships are the main strengths of AAA Imports. The company is aiming to add more partners to their network.

Dial-A-Refill CPRS Aims to Launch Own Brand of Laser Cartridges, besides Expanding Refilling Operations

ial-A-Refill CPRS (Cartridge Printer Refiller Services), founded in 2014 and based in out of Gole Market (New Delhi), is a prominent refiller of ink and laser cartridges and remanufacturer of black laser toner cartridges. Prior to 2014, the company was providing stationery items under a different name. Dial-A-Refill is also an authorized distributor for ITDL imaging laser consumables. Mukesh Bansal, Proprietor, Dial-A-Refill CPRS, shares, “Every month we refill nearly 300 ink cartridges and 1000 leaser cartridges and we also remanufacture nearly 300 black laser

cartridges a month. We provide compatible cartridges without brand. Most of our customers come from NCR. Quality and trust are our main selling points. We are growing at an annual rate of 20%. After GST implementation, we saw a good increase in our business. This year, we want to launch our own brand of compatible laser cartridges for which we are in the process of finalizing the brand name.” Regarding business promotion schemes, “In 2017, we launched a promotion scheme for our business partners. The scheme included three levels of prizes, which included laptop bags, washing machine,

Mr. Mukesh Bansal, Proprietor, Dial-A-Refill CPRS microwave oven, and TVS Sport Bike to the partners. The scheme was very successful and our partners participated with great enthusiasm and the exercise improved our sales value significantly. In March-April 2018, we are again planning to launch a similar scheme which will have prizes of greater value than last year.”

February 2018

IMAGING SOLUTION CMYK

CMYK CMYK

February 2018

IMAGING SOLUTION

17 CMYK

CMYK CMYK

N E W S U P D AT E Epson Business Solutions Win Top Accolades from Keypoint Intelligence

Epson announced Keypoint Intelligence – Buyers Lab (BLI), the world’s leading independent evaluator of document imaging software, hardware, and services, has recognized Epson’s innovation for its business printing and scanning solutions. The WorkForce ET-16500 EcoTank All-in-One Printer received BLI’s Winter 2018 Pick for Outstanding Achievement Award in Value. The WorkForce DS-320 Portable Duplex Document Scanner also received BLI’s Winter 2018 Pick Award for Outstanding Mobile Scanner for Business.“Epson’s business solutions include a wide portfolio of digital imaging solutions that are designed to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes,” said Nils Madden, marketing director of Desktop Imaging and Printing, Epson America, Inc. “BLI’s recognition of Epson solutions through these prestigious awards underscores our commitment to meeting our customers evolving business needs.”The BLI “Pick” awards occur twice a year, in summer and winter, giving special recognition to the

hardware and software products that are reviewed by BLI’s team of expert technicians and analysts at the BLI lab. All laboratory test data is then compiled to select the top products that have been evaluated within the past six months. The products and solutions that stand out from the competition, providing the most outstanding performance with the highest evaluation scores, are then awarded a Pick award within their respective industry category.

Epson Wins Two Awards in the Seventh Annual Best in Biz North America Awards 2017 Epson announced it received two awards in the seventh annual Best in Biz North America Awards, the only independent business awards program judged each year by prominent editors and reporters from top-tier publications in North America. The Epson WorkForce Enterprise WFC20590 A3 multifunction printer (MFP) was awarded silver in the “Best New Product of the Year – SMB” category. The WorkForce DS-780N was also awarded bronze in the “Small or Medium Business Product of

the Year” category. Each year, Best in Biz Awards’ entrants span the spectrum, from some of the most innovative local start-ups to the most recognizable global brands. The seventh annual program was particularly hotly contested, with more than 650 entries from an impressive array of public and private companies of all sizes and from a variety of industries and geographic regions in the U.S. and Canada. Best in Biz Awards 2017 honors were presented in 65 categories, including Company of the Year, Fastest-Growing Company, Most Innovative Company, Best Place to Work, Support Department, Executive of the Year, Most Innovative Product, Best New Product, App, Event and Website of the Year.“Epson emphasizes the importance of understanding the evolving business market and delivering products that can make our customers more efficient and profitable,” said Larry Trevarthen, director of Business Imaging, Epson America Inc. “We are honored to be chosen by Best in Biz North America Awards for two solutions across multiple business categories, which underscores our continued commitment to delivering solutions that meet the industry and our customer’s needs.”

February 2018

IMAGING SOLUTION CMYK

CMYK

CMYK CMYK

PRODUCT ROUND UP Itone Offers toner powder for remanufacturing of CF218A, CF233A, CF217A, CF230A, CF230X Recently, Itone offers toner powder for remanufacturing of CF218A, CF233A, CF217A, CF230A, CF230X categories. Toner is available in 10kg bags and 50gm refill pouches. This toner is applicable for HP, LJ PRO M102W, LJ PRO M104A, LJ PRO M104W, LJ PRO M203DN, LJ PRO M203DW, LJ PRO MFP M130FW, LJ PRO MFP M132A, LJ PRO MFP M132FN, LJ PRO MFP M132FW, LJ PRO MFP M132NW, LJ PRO MFP M132SNW, LJ PRO MFP M227FDN, LJ PRO MFP M227FDW, LJ PRO MFP M227SDN, LJ ULTRA M106W, LJ ULTRA MFP M134A, LJ ULTRA MFP M134FN. Other products offered -Image Transfer (IBT) Belts for use in Konica, Ricoh, Xerox Color copiers.

ColorJet showing green digital printing solutions at Media Expo 2018

ColorJet India Ltd takes environmental responsibility very seriously and so, continually works towards cleaner and greener environmentfriendly digital printing solutions. At Media Expo, which will be held from February 22-24, 2018 in Mumbai, ColorJet will showcase the finest in sustainable and green digital printing solutions for all signage and advertising needs in hall no 6, stall no. D-10. These digital printing technologies are designed to deliver exceptional quality for all types of indoor and outdoor commercial printing applications. The various green digital printing solutions on display at Media Expo, includes the VULCAN, which is the first UV roll to roll printing machine and uses Zero VOC UV inks. The VULCAN is equipped with Kyocera, the world’s best printhead, with the capability to deliver prints with very high printing quality and speed. Another printer is the SOFTJET GRAND, which prints with aqueous water based inks. It is a 3.2 metres wide printer, efficiently optimised to replace PVC-based media completely. It easily prints on polyester-based fabrics which can be recycled and uses environment-friendly aqueous based inks, an essential, to achieve goals of green printing. Another model, the POLO HQ, prints with ROHS eco-solvent inks and has been developed with proprietary GreenTech technology. GreenTech enables the POLO HQ to print with environment friendly eco- solvent inks and ensures low chemical emissions to reduce environmental and health hazards. Additionally, ColorJet will also showcase their regular range of digital printers like the IRISJET PRO, the AURAJET, equipped with Xaar technology and the VERVE MINI. “The demand for ecofriendly branding solutions in the Indian market is growing fast, due to which, ColorJet is receiving several enquiries for our water-based ink digital printers,” Smarth Bansal, Sr. Product Manager at ColorJet said.”Alongside, we are also experiencing rise in demand for UV and Green Guard Inks. This is the main reason; we are showcasing our green range of digital printers at Media Expo.”

HP introduces Jet Fusion 300 / 500 series of 3D printers

HP Inc. expanded its 3D printing portfolio with the introduction of its new Jet Fusion 300 / 500 series of 3D printers, the industry’s first 3D

printing technology to enable manufacturers to produce engineeringgrade, functional parts in full color, black or white – with voxel control – in a fraction of the time of other solutions. Depending on configuration and color preference, the Jet Fusion 300 / 500 series is available starting in the $50,000s, enabling small- to medium-sized product development teams and design businesses, entrepreneurs, and universities and research institutions to access HP’s industry leading Multi Jet Fusion printing technology. The new Jet Fusion 300 / 500 series complements HP’s existing industrial-grade Jet Fusion 3200 / 4200 / 4210 3D solutions which deliver the lowest cost per part2 and are designed for manufacturing environments. With this portfolio expansion, HP is providing users of its Multi Jet Fusion solutions the ability to prototype and produce new designs and applications on the same platform and stay ahead with a future-ready technology for voxel control beyond color. HP’s unique ability to control part properties at the individual voxel level enables the design and production of previously unconceivable parts and is now available, for the first time, in full color. Whether in healthcare, automotive, consumer goods, or other industries; or for entrepreneurs, designers, or university researchers with the next great idea; the potential of new 3D printing applications is enormous. HP is already engaging in the co-development of new color applications with universities and businesses around the world including Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Yazaki Corp., and Youngstown State University, amongst others.“At Phoenix Children’s Hospital, we strive to create personalized experiences benefitting the long-term well-being of our patients,” said Dr. Justin Ryan, Cardiac 3D Print Lab, Phoenix Children’s Hospital. “From visually-appealing casts and corrective devices, to custom surgical guides, to interactive and personalized anatomical models, we see tremendous value in the design possibilities and highlyaccurate and durable parts from HP’s new 3D printers.”In addition to providing voxel-level control, the new Jet Fusion 300 / 500 series of 3D printers has a compact design, enhanced workflow solution, and the world’s first integrated and automated materials delivery system, enabling greater unattended operation, ease of use, and dramatically increasing production efficiency and output. The Jet Fusion 300 / 500 series also supports the three leading color file formats (OBJ, VRML, and 3MF) enabling designers to reliably and easily produce the parts they want without the inconvenience of file conversion or data corruption.

Ninestar Released HP Color Dongle Gear Products with BlueDrive Technology

Ninestar has released a first-to-market solution for HP color dongle gear products, featuring BlueDrive patented technology. According to Ninestar, the patented cartridge is compatible with HP CE310/CF350 series and that its parallel gear design can perfectly match the print drive and ensure smooth printing experience. In addition, Ninestar also announced a MPS solution as well as the opening of its Printing Consumables Laboratory.

February 2018

IMAGING SOLUTION CMYK

CMYK CMYK

February 2018

IMAGING SOLUTION

23 CMYK

CMYK CMYK

PRODUCT ROUND UP Tigerpaw Releases New Managed Print Features Tigerpaw Software ties every aspect of a business together, added several new features in its 17.3 release to enhance productivity, real-time asset visibility, billing accuracy and contract maintenance for managed print services (MPS) providers. The new features further solidify Tigerpaw as the MPS industry’s first and only converged professional services automation (PSA) solution. With more industry-specific capabilities than an enterprise resource planning (ERP) tool, Tigerpaw gives managed print providers the ability to manage IT services and office equipment in a single application. “The managed print services space is evolving,” says Tigerpaw President and CEO James Foxall. “And we are bringing our expertise in converged business solutions to help office equipment dealers evolve.”

Orink Released New Compatible Drum Unit for HP’s Drum CF232

Orink has released a new compatible drum unit in replacement of HP’s drum CF232.According to Orink, its new drum can be used in HP LaserJet Ultra MFP M134a/134fn and HP LaserJet Ultra M106w printer. It’s equipped with a new shell and the print yield is around 23,000. In addition, the drum contains the required chip and can be used worldwide.

Compass Sales Solutions Announces New API Integration

Compass Sales Solutions is excited to release the new Sherpa API (Application Program Interface). The Sherpa API allows current U.S. users to integrate Sherpa accounts, contacts, activities, and opportunities areas with third-party tools. Let multi-system automation streamline your workflow and reduce data entry time and errors. The Sherpa API provides the ability to pull data, push data, search, or edit entries in Sherpa accounts, contacts, activities, and opportunities. Using a REST API with OAuth2 authentication, the API allows a secure connection for building your own integrations and making the most of your Sherpa data. Utilizing the API will require customers to be on Sherpa version 4.0 or higher and fully upgraded with 4.0 opportunities, as well as having a knowledgeable staff familiar with working with APIs and using the methods provided by Compass to integrate with third-party tools. Tami Dittemore, VP of Operations with Compass Sales Solutions says, “Our new API offers a simple way to build your own custom integrations. It is a flexible tool with a lot of potential for tasks such as bringing in important lead generating material or getting data from your other tools to your sales reps’ fingertips in Sherpa.”

Supplies Network Expands its Printing and Imaging Portfolio with Primera Technology Inc.

Supplies Network is pleased to announce the addition of Primera to its product line. This vast line of specialty printing equipment and supplies spans a wide range of applications including professional-quality labels, highquality graphics, photos and barcode labels. Primera products represent an opportunity for resellers serving customers with specialty printing needs in a variety of markets.“We are happy to add Primera to our extensive offering of printing and imaging products. The specialized applications in color inkjet label printing and disc duplication are a marketplace differentiator for Primera and make them a good fit for our business,” said Monte White, Supplies Network’s vice president of Product Marketing. “This new

partnership is another great example of our commitment to maintaining our leading position in the market as the single source for all things printing and imaging.”“We’re very pleased to have Supplies Network as our newest distribution partner for Primera’s range of desktop color label printers, label applicators and CD/ DVD/Blu-ray Disc Publishers,” said Mark D. Strobel, Primera’s vice president of sales and marketing. “We’re looking forward to leveraging the vast logistics and product management expertise and experience within their organization. Supplies Network will also expand our presence in the USA, allowing us to provide an even higher level of service and support to our valued resellers and integrators in a wide range of industries where Primera’s products are utilized.”

Konica Minolta Launches bizhub C759 and bizhub C659 for High-End Color MFP Market

Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. announced the debut of the Konica Minolta bizhub C759 and the bizhub C659, two multifunction solutions for offices where speed and color quality are essential but production print equipment is not necessary. Featuring the company’s award-winning InfoPalette control panel design, the Konica Minolta bizhub C759 and bizhub C659 offer high-quality color printing, high-speed scanning at 240 originals per minute in duplex mode, and more. With the standard web browser and 4GB of memory, these units are ready to integrate with the Konica Minolta MarketPlace. Users can easily create a free account on the MarketPlace website and have immediate access to easy to use apps. The MarketPlace is a great source for cutting-edge technology—and with new apps being developed all the time, their new multifunction printer (MFP) will become even more powerful with new capabilities in all the right categories. Scanning, printing, social networking, security, document management, and cloud-based apps are all easy to access and designed to help increase productivity.“The Konica Minolta bizhub C759 and bizhub C659 fill a need for office environments that really want high-quality color printing but don’t require production print-level devices,” said Dino Pagliarello, vice president, Product Management and Planning, Konica Minolta. “These two models can give offices the speed, color capabilities and intelligent connectivity that maybe they never had before.”

EPSON Launched Latest Printers: Epson L4160 and L6190

EPSON has launched its latest printers, the Epson L4160 and L6190, both multifunction A4 print, ink-tank systems with duplex and wireless printing, at the Concepts Computer Booth in Consumer Fair, International

February 2018

IMAGING SOLUTION CMYK

CMYK CMYK

February 2018

IMAGING SOLUTION

25 CMYK

CMYK CMYK

PRODUCT ROUND UP Convention Centre (ICC), Berakas.These new printers will be valuable for businesses and most corporate users not only in monetary value, but also in terms of value in usage, making them a great tool for any educational institution. Third party modifications of printers is one of the main concerns for printing solution providers, as it affects print quality, machine durability and sometimes especially with the usage of unknown refillable inks. Epson is trying to curb this problem by researching and developing ink tank printing solutions.

ESY India launches India’s first ALL in ONE Smart POS Machine

Over the years, ESY India has launched a wide range of ESYPOS products and solutions. ESY India proudly announces the launch of a range of India’s first All In One Touch POS machines with rich features including auto upload of Invoices in the GST Network. The ESYPOS range of products was launched by ESY India in the year 2015 in collaboration with Pinnacle Technology Corporation, the world’s largest POS printer& solution device manufacturers, headquartered in Taipei (Taiwan).Within a span of two years, ESYPOS has emerged as one of India’s leading POS brands with a large number of installations across the country. At the launch of the new product range, Dr. V.P. Sajeevan, CEO, ESY India said that thePOS market in India is growing at a rapid pace, thanks to the introduction of GST. He added that in the last two years, ESY India has launched many new models for POS printing and barcode scanning across India.’ This unique product, the ESYPOS All In One Smart POS, comes with a high speed processor that helps faster computing of Retail Billing Processes, prints 3-inch receipts and also Barcode Labels in dual mode with multiple interfaces, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet and USB. It has a built-in 9 inches to 15 inches touchscreen that makes billing or label editing related operations easier. The machine operates on multiple operating systems like Windows, Android and Linux printing on cloud which facilitates seamless linking to Government of India’s GST Network. Remote managing is also enabled on this machine. The Quad Core CPU can drive seamless computing and printing.’ This is truly a first of its kind in the Indian market’, Dr. Sajeevan further highlighted. It may be added here that today India has emerged as one of the largest and fastest growing markets for ESY. Over a million of customers are using ESY products in India and the company has a robust service network across the country.

Canon India introducing six new PIXMA G Series

Canon India Pvt. Ltd, expands its portfolio with 6 new models, namely G 1010, G 2010, G 2012, G 3010, G 3012, and G 4010, under its popular PIXMA G series. PIXMA G-series printers feature a front-facing, built-in refillable ink tank system, by making it convenient to monitor ink levels and refill when required. Paired with the ink bottle’s spillresistant tops, the system is designed to provide seamless and clean usability at home and office. Printer durability is also improved, allowing high volume printing businesses to enjoy reduced downtime. Speaking of the latest addition to the organizations’ product portfolio, 26

Kazutada Kobayashi, President & CEO, Canon India said, “Owing to continuous innovation and enhancement across our product propositions, we have been able to win our customer’s trust over the last two decades. We are glad to announce that we have closed 2017 with a double digit growth, and this success is credited to the constant support of our key stakeholders; including our customers, partners, employees and the community we operate in. Keeping customer delight at the forefront of all our innovations, this launch of the new PIXMA G series printers is another endeavor to provide superior quality printing experience, complimented with low cost, high performance printing with improved durability. We are optimistic that this new line up of products will become an eminent contributor in supporting our vision of doubling our growth this year.” He further added, “We are proud to have representatives from our head office present amidst us at the launch of the new series. Their presence further amplifies the technological strength of the new models along with testifying the increasing prominence of Canon India in the global map of our organization.” C Sukumaran, Director, Consumer System Products, Canon India, said “Launched in 2015, our PIXMA G series has succeeded in creating a benchmark for itself. Today’s launch is a step ahead in the direction of customer delight and innovation. In today’s constant ‘on the run’ world, it is imperative to empower our customers with the best mobile technology, our new G series among several other features, enables ‘Direct Mobile Printing’, that enables access to printing on the go. Feeding the appetites of businesses with high print volume demands, the new PIXMA G series is enabled to deliver up to 6,000 black-andwhite document pages and 7,000 colour document pages on the bundled set of 4 ink bottles. With improved color image quality and high yield and low cost of printing, we are optimistic that the new G series would be significant contributor to our existing growth, in the CISS category.”

EFI Launches New VUTEk HS Presses for High-Volume Signage and Graphics Applications

During the recent EFI Connect users’ conference in Las Vegas, Electronics For Imaging Inc. announced the addition of the EFI VUTEk HS125 F4 and HS100 F4 inkjet presses for “Fast Graphics” out-of-home applications to its industry leading lineup of hybrid flatbed/roll superwide-format products. The two new printers reconfigure the eight ink channels of the VUTEk HS series platform in a CMYK x 2 setup, efficiently addressing the need for cost-effective production on banners, billboards, building wraps and similar applications. The new press models offer a significant speed increase, printing up to 225 boards per hour on the HS125 F4 and up to 190 boards per hour on the HS100 F4. The presses also include the proven, standard HS features and options customers have come to expect such as pin and cure, variabledrop grayscale imaging, and full- and semi-automated materials handling.“Our CMYK x 2 configuration, which is available in several other EFI VUTEk superwide format printers, is an ideal offering for out-of-home applications where total cost per square foot is key,” said Ken Hanulec, vice president of marketing, EFI Inkjet. “These two new printers run more than 50% faster, and a speed boost like this gives our customers an important new opportunity to increase their margins.”EFI’s new VUTEk HS presses for Fast Graphics out-of-home production will be available this quarter from EFI. Also beginning this quarter, customers who purchase VUTEk HS125 Pro and HS100 Pro presses can convert them to the new F4 models through a modification completed in the field.

February 2018

IMAGING SOLUTION CMYK

CMYK CMYK

February 2018

IMAGING SOLUTION

27 CMYK

CMYK CMYK

T E C H TA L K

Remanufacturing the HP LaserJet PRO M203 (CF232A) Drum Cartridge

By Mike Josiah and the Technical Staff at Uninet

he HP LaserJet PRO M203 series of printers are based on a monochrome 30ppm, 1200DPI with HP fast Res or Pro Res). The first page out is stated to be under 6.6 seconds, and all “W” models so far come with Wi-Fi, Apple AirPrint, HP ePrint, Google Cloud Print 2.0 built in. All machines released do far come standard with 256Mb (fixed) memory and have a duty cycle of 30,000 pages per month. As with the M102, this engine is a big change for HP Monochrome printers in that there are separate Toner and Drum cartridges. Typically HP/Canon have used “all in one” type cartridges for monochrome printers. Both the toner and drum cartridges are small and not rated for many pages so even though this is sold as a low volume machine, I believe there will be a decent demand for the cartridges. The cartridges are simple and fast to remanufacture. There are two toner plus the drum cartridges available for this engine. The toner (CF230A, CF230X) and the drum cartridge (CF232A). The A toner is rated for 1600 pages, The X is 3500 pages. The drum unit is rated for 23,000 pages. The starter toner cartridge that comes with the printer is rated for 1000 pages. The drum units in this series do not have a conventional waste chamber. There is a coated felt cleaning brush under the PCR, but that’s all there is. Under the brush there is a chamber but the clips for the PCR and cleaning brush clip run through the outside

wall and are not sealed. This system is almost a Zero waste system. These drum units also come with an internal erase lamp assembly. This lamp erases any residual charges from the drum

facing away from you. Carefully pry out the metal drum axle on the right side. Be Careful of the plastic around the pin. See Figure 1

Printers based on this engine:* HP LaserJet PRO M203dw HP LaserJet PRO MFP M227fdw HP LaserJet PRO MFP M227fdn HP LaserJet Ultra MFP M206 HP LaserJet Ultra MFP M230 Fig. 1

Current list pricing for the cartridges: CF230A

$63.99*

CF230X

$95.99*

CF232A

$84.99*

2) Lift up and remove the drum. See Figure 2.

* As of 5/1/17 Required Tools 1) Toner approved vacuum. 2) A small Common screw driver 3) A Phillips head screwdriver 4) Small flush cutting wire cutters

Fig. 2

3) Remove the PCR. Note that the two white bushings will most likely cone out with it. See Figure 3

Required Supplies Replacement drum for use in the HP LaserJet Pro M203 Replacement drum cartridge chip Conductive Grease 1) Place the cartridge with the handle

Fig. 3

February 2018

IMAGING SOLUTION CMYK

Fig. 5

CMYK CMYK

February F Fe bruary 2018

IMAGING IMA M GING SOLUTION

29 CMYK

Fig. 12

CMYK CMYK

T E C H TA L K 4) Remove the left side PCR gear and bushing. See Figure 4

Fig. 8

Fig. 4

Fig. 13

5) Clean out any toner or paper dust from the chamber, Blow the cleaning brush clean of any toner or paper dust. See Figure 5

Fig. 9

Fig. 5

6) With a link free cotton swab, clean off the erase lamp assembly. DO not use any chemicals on this. See Figure 6

Fig. 14

Fig. 10

10) Replace the chip by pressing down on the locking tabs and sliding the chip out. See Figures 15 & 16

9) Install the drum by pressing down on the PCR assembly and sliding the drum in place and installing the metal drum axle. See Figures 11 & 12

Fig. 6

7) Clean and replace the conductive grease on the PCR holders. See Figure 7 Fig. 15

Fig. 11

Fig. 7 Fig. 12

8) Place a small amount of conductive grease on each end of the PCR. Install the left side gear and bushing. Install the right side bushing. Make sure the curved side of each white bushing is facing up. Make sure the PCR snaps in place. See Figures 8, 9 & 10

10) Clean and replace the conductive grease on the drum axle/ground pin and install the pin into the cartridge. See Figures 13 & 14

Fig. 16

February 2018

IMAGING SOLUTION CMYK

CMYK CMYK

February 2018

IMAGING SOLUTION

31 CMYK

CMYK CMYK

R E G I O N A L P L AY E R

JETFINE is driven by motto QUALITY, PASSION, INNOVATION Having dominated the market in MP, JETFINE has recently opened a new branch in Ahmedabad with a view to expand its superiority in Gujarat, thereby increasing the brand presence in more territories Mr. Amit Nahata, Director, Balaji Infotech

alaji Infotech is an Indore (MP)-based provider of imaging products under their brand name JETFINE. Founded in 2011 and led by its Director, Amit Nahata, Balaji Infotech has grown rapidly in the last few years to emerge as an important provider in the state of Madhya Pradesh and also in the surrounding states. JETFINE’s motto is Quality, Passion, Innovation. JETFINE offers a wide range of imaging products like compatible laser toner cartridges, black & color laser toner powders, black & color inkjet inks, OPC drums, mag rollers, PCR, pressure rollers, Teflon, sleeve, doctor & wiper blades, chips, CISS and other parts for laser printers. For a brand to make an impact on customers, packaging plays important role. Customers want strong packaging and further they want all the important details printed on the packaging so that they don’t have to bother the seller asking each and every detail. Regarding the packaging of their products, Amit Nahata comments, “Recently, we opened a branch office in Ahmedabad (Gujarat)

and the branch is managed by Shreyansh Nahata. Since Gujarat is a big and healthy market for imaging consumables, we see a good opportunity in the state. Also we redesigned and improved packaging of all our products in a way that is stronger, attractive and gives more details on the package regarding specs and quality of the products. We get most of our business from the states of MP, Chattisgarh, Orissa, Rajasthan and Gujarat.” Regarding their company’s policy and operations, Amit Nahata adds, “We deal in all types of printer consumables, inks & toners (black and color) under our own brand name JETFINE. We procure products from trusted and qualityproven domestic traders. Recently, we started importing packed cartridges from China. We are happy with the demand and response we are getting from the market. We have over 100 dealers in our supply network. Our USPs are good quality products, neat & strong packaging, good price and relations based on trust. In MP, imaging products market is growing satisfactorily well. Color printing segment is growing fast

even though black forms over 95% of the demand. On color side we focus mainly on compatible toner cartridges.” Regarding the new GST law and future plans, Amit Nahata concludes, “We saw good improvement in our business after the implementation of GST. Now taxation and billing have become easy and streamlined and we are able to operate more confidently and conveniently across state borders. Earlier different states had different tax policies and formalities, which used to consume a lot of time and there used to be lot of formalities, delays and high cost of operation. In future, we want to add more dealers to our network and expand our brand presence in the areas by opening more branches in other states. In future, we want to add more products under their brand name JETFINE. We will concentrate more on providing compatible laser cartridges in bulk. Currently, we are growing at around 25% annually. We want to improve our sales as well as geographical coverage of our brand in the coming months and years.”

February 2018

IMAGING SOLUTION CMYK

CMYK

Q & A

â&#x20AC;&#x153; What you need to know instinctively is what the market needs â&#x20AC;?

Mr. Steve Weedon,

Head Strategic Development, Utec Print-Rite is a vertically integrated organization where chip development started in 2002, the ICMI toner plant was acquired in 2003 and the AEG OPC plant was acquired in 2010. The company is involved in ink production, the plastic injection moulding of 4,000 line items including blades, seals, toner kits, copier toner bottles, waste toner bottles, ceramic toner, bio toner and textile inks. The company has also pioneered 3d printing. Recently, Steve Weedon has will head the strategic development with Utec, a key company owned by Print-Rite at Zuhai, China. In an interaction with Steve Weedon about the perceptions of aftermarket imaging industry and the new initiatives in this sector. In the past, Weedon was the Global CEO of Cartridge World from August 2015 and along with Samsung began the pioneering task of developing a mobile printing solution for the 96 million mobile workers around the world. Before that, he was CEO of Static Control based in Sanford, North Carolina having served the company in Europe as well, from 1993 through to 2012.

February 2018

IMAGING SOLUTION CMYK

CMYK CMYK

Q & A Q What are the current

scenarios in the aftermarket imaging industry in the world in general? In the last three years we have witnessed the industry landscape changing significantly. Promoted by companies surging onto the Shenzhen stock market we have seen relatively small companies gain more than 100 times earnings and to become capitalized in multi $Billion. These companies have been spending lavishly, buying up other companies that either increase their finished goods volumes or bring new technologies into the fold that strengthen their position. Toner companies, chip companies, parts distribution companies and even OEM’s have been the target. It is of course a kind of “hamster wheel” strategy. Shareholders want higher share values and dividends, to achieve that the stock market listed company must continue to buy volume and deliver profits. They cannot get off the hamster wheel. So what does this mean to the rest of the independent companies. It means that these companies want and are getting control of the market. They will dictate what margins you can make and which customers you can have. The chip is now the weakest link, not the empty cartridge anymore. No chip, no cartridge. Those that are fueled by stock market cash are taking control of the chip, by dominating its development and feeding its own groups members first. Only when the new product with the monopoly chip has been successfully targeted in the market place by group members will the independents be offered a replacement chip, at a high price of course. In this way your margins will be controlled as will your customer base. Now we see previous champions of our remanufacturing industry become aggressive market competitors. Who can you now trust, how do you know that a company that you deal with isn’t out to kill your business? It is tough to keep up with all the acquisitions and who is owned by who. It is now a commercial war between the “independents” vs the SMLG’s (stock market listed groups)

Q How Print-Rite is

performing in International imaging solution market?

PrintRite was for many years the world number one in this industry. It made many acquisitions over the years and has become one of the most vertically integrated organizations in the businesses. But it does not want to “kill off” your business, it instead has been making strategic investments to keep up with a modern industry that constantly changes. PrintRite are an “independent” and are not one of the groups seeking domination. Recently I have joined PrintRite to head a new division positioned to support other independents with everything they need for copier, laser, ink, impact and even 3d opportunities. In short we want to provide a real alternative to vendors from these groups. It is as simple as “why feed the dog that bites”

Q What are growth prospects of 3D printing technology in worldwide and India? 3D has been earmarked as the next big thing since the mid 1980’s. Whilst in some fields like Hospital care and development of specialist medical products and Military the advance has been relatively slow. However improvements are being made and PrintRite are right up there with innovations and technology patents. We recently announce a new “metal” filament, which is very exciting.

Q As a head of strategic development of UTec, what are the major challenges ahead for you? As heading up this new division I bring around 40 years on past imaging experience with me from my days with Katun Corp and my days with Static Control Components Inc. What you need to know instinctively is what the market needs. It needs a global vendor partner you can trust that has all the in-house manufacturing as well as the technical knowledge to do what it says it will do. We will be as competitive as we need to be, we are making major investments in chip development and we will work diligently to win our customers business the old fashioned way, it is the way many have seemed to have forgotten.

Q In comparison to other

vendors how effective is your product in terms of quality,

durability, price-point, etc? Look, today you have to have a product that works well and consistently or you are out. This industry has cultivated every to become experts, you can’t sell poor products.

Q What’s your perception

about Indian imaging market? I have been to India many times and have always had a good trip. To me the problem is simply that no one is making enough money. Everything is price sensitive and the majority fear trying to sell real value adds. Real value add is profitable and India is no different when it comes to being hard to sell, but, as Indian continues its economic growth it will in my view become valued . China in real terms was no different, but now the middle classes want value add and are paying a high price for it, Cars, handbags, luxury goods of al descriptions are now in high demand.

Q What new products or solutions is Print-Rite planning to launch in near future? PrintRite is a pioneer, with a huge patent portfolio of almost 2700 patents in the last 10 years or so it has pioneered the non - infringing compatible cartridge. Now the Indian market is not a market where most worry about infringing patents but the development to make an alternative OEM and bring to market has been achieved. As the empty cartridges became controlled and prices hiked it was inevitable that new compatibles would become another legitimate product range along side the remanufactured cartridge range. New built compatibles are safe, remove the cost of empty collections on shipping and offer a great alternative to an OEM cartridge at a much lower cost. I see this as a growing market sector.

Q What are your future plans-

for Chinese market, for India and then internationally?

Short term takes PrintRite global for parts and supplies creating new opportunities and choice for other independents so they can focus on their customers and not on their suppliers.

February 2018

IMAGING SOLUTION

35 CMYK

CMYK CMYK

E X PA N S I O N P L A N

“Japanio, besides high quality products, aims to offer high quality packaging” Japanio has a team of dedicated professionals working in their administrative, accounts, quality control and marketing departments. Guided by a firm commitment to provide excellent quality products and services, Japanio also offers cost-effective refilling solutions at competitive prices Mr. Arhant Jain, Director, Neminath Neminath Compu India, established in 1997, led by its Director, Mr. Arhant Jain, is a prominent provider of Imaging Consumables. Operating from their office in Nehru Place, New Delhi, Neminath’s business activities include supplying and trading of inkjet ink, toner powder, laser cartridge, OPC drum and other consumables under their brand name Japanio. They also deal in refilling machines and laser cartridge parts. In an interaction with Imaging Solution magazine, Arhant Jain reveals, “We launched our Japanio brand in 2001 with a few imaging products and year after year added several products to our product line. Now we sell mainly our own Japanio brand products and we provide all imaging consumables, including inks (however, we do not deal ink cartridges). But we sell top quality inks for different brands and also for different models of each brand. Our color inks are a great success in the market. We have high quality black and color inks for Epson, HP, Canon, etc brands. Laser toners are also doing well on the color front. We have a wide range of toners, black and color, in our product portfolio. Color usage is increasing faster than black, though black still forms a higher share in our sales. We have inks common for all brands and also inks for specific brand and specific model. More specific the ink is by brand and model, the

better will be the performance. But the more specific an ink is, the more costly it will be. Our color consumables sale is about 40% and black 60% (inks and toners put together).” Arhant’s in-depth imaging industry knowledge has enabled Japanio to become a market leader in today’s competitive imaging industry. All the activities at Japanio are performed under a value system, a stringent code of ethics and with unstinting commitment to clients and employees. Regarding their main selling points, Arhant comments, “Quality is our main selling point. Since, we maintain near-OEM quality, our products are sometimes more costlier than some standard Indian compatible product brands. We take products from standard importers and traders who do not compromise on quality and they provide us according to our strict specifications. While dealing with customers, we bank on longterm relationships based on trust. We mainly cater to the clients requiring products in bulk quantity. We are happy with our growth and we see good opportunity in the coming months. Right now we are growing at an annual rate of 20%. Since, we operate on all-India basis and across state boundaries, we find GST as an advantage, which has decreased lots of unwanted formalities & paperwork and multiple taxation. We have

customers in all the regions in India—South, East, North and West.” Japanio has a team of dedicated professionals working in their administrative, accounts, quality control and marketing departments. Guided by a firm commitment to provide excellent quality products and services, Japanio also offers cost-effective refilling solutions at competitive prices. Having achieved wide acceptability amongst clients for offering top-class products, Japanio also exports products to other countries to a limited extent. Regarding challenges and future plans Arihant clarifies, “One challenge is with increasing competition, margins are coming down. Also some people of selling low-quality products at cheaper prices to customers who cannot differentiate on quality. This is further corrupting the market. However, all our customers know our high standard of quality, so we are able to improve our business. In 2018-19, we want to increase our annual growth-rate to over 30%, expand our product portfolio and add more customers to our clientele. Currently we are focusing more on improving the packaging of our products further; we are working on making the packaging stronger and attractive. We also want to increase our export activities to other countries.”

February 2018

IMAGING SOLUTION CMYK

CMYK

CMYK CMYK

YO U N G L EA D E R

“ Tonerline subjects their products to stringent quality control to ensure optimum performance and reliability ” T

onerline, incepted in 1989, is a 28year old Imaging Solution provider and OEM of compatible cartridges and toner powders, printer spares, media, fax rolls, chips, copier drums, copier toners, inkjet inks and branded IT Products. Tonerline’s showroom, office and warehouse are located in Nehru Place, New Delhi. Today, Kartik Agarwal (son of Mrs. Rachna Agarwal), as a Young-Gen entrepreneur takes care of business activities, after taking over responsibilities from his mother. In an interaction with Imaging Solution magazine, Kartik Agarwal shares their company’s policy, mission and vision. Tonerline also remanufactures toner cartridges for limited and select corporate customers. “We are Tier 1 distributor for Brother Printers and Tier 2 distributor for Epson, HP, Samsung, Canon and others. Nearly 50% of our revenues of printer division come from distributing Brother printers & spares, 40% from HP printers & spares and the rest 10% from others. We also provide printer spares for different brands. For our Tonerline brand, we procure toners from the local traders in India who are highly reputed and as far as inkjet inks are concerned we import from abroad.

Mr. Vishvesh Gilda, Partner, Cartridgewala Mr. Kartik Agarwal, Tonerline Limited

On the color front, inks are selling well but on mono side toner is in greater demand in NCR and North India. Currently, we do refilling only for laser toners—black and color. With inks, after ink-tank technology came, people simply buy ink bottles and fill themselves—so we are not doing inkrefilling. Our main USP is high quality, no compromise on that front. Our prices are higher than market prices because we focus on quality, but customers once come to us, they do not leave us and stick to us for a long-time. We give OEM or compatibles as per the customer’s choice,” shares, Kartik Agarwal of Tonerline Limited. The brands they distribute belong to several top-notch companies including Brother, EPSON, HP, Samsung and Canon, among others. They also distribute lifestyle products for Apple which includes iPads, iPhones, MacBooks, etc. Tonerline places great value on its compatible laser toner cartridge business by procuring them from the globally leading companies abroad to ensure the latest technology quality. Tonerline subjects their products to stringent quality control to ensure optimum performance and reliability. “Initially, when started, our company’s

main focus was on selling OEM consumables, refilling and remanufacturing. After I took over the responsibility from my mother, we have added compatible toner cartridges and also IT products like Apple iPhones, iPads, PCs, laptops, motherboards, etc to our business and the business overall increased by several fold. GST is good for those dealing in products, but on services from GST has increased prices. Major portion of our business revenue comes from NCR and some from other North Indian states. We have over 100 partners, mostly spread in NCR and North India. Nearly 80% of our revenues come from imaging business and 20% from IT-related products.” Regarding the challenges they are facing, Kartik Agarwal says, “One challenge is the ongoing economic downturn which held the IT as well as imaging markets stagnant and the other challenge is increasing competition and shrinking margins, but we hope things will improve in 2018 and beyond. In the coming years, we want to add more Imaging and IT products to our product line. We want to grow in terms of revenues and profitability. As a young entrepreneur, I appeal to the youth to focus more on quality whether it is buying or selling.”

February 2018

IMAGING SOLUTION CMYK

CMYK

R.N.I. NO DELENG/2012/46000 | POSTAL REG. NO. DL(S)-01/3441/2016-18 | Date of Pub: 20 February 2018 | Postal Date: 24 & 25 of Same Month | Posted at: NDPSO

CMYK