11 November 2009

OKI brings fully-managed office automation service to the market

Submitted by: Anton J van Rensburg
{pp}OKI Printing Solutions has established an Office Automation Division to meet the market’s growing demand for fully-managed print services.

This new division, which became operational at the beginning of October, comprises dedicated sales, support and maintenance staff that offer managed services on the OKI Executive Series (ES) range of multifunction and colour printers. “We have taken the step to introduce a service and product range that meets a specific market needand brings reliable, lower-cost printers to the fore, backed by a dedicated maintenance and service network,” explains Neil Rom, MD of OKI Printing Solutions.

“Office automation is a proven and established model in South Africa, and we are excited by the opportunity to introduce these services to the market under the OKI Office Automation umbrella. “We have negotiated preferential interest rates with leading financial institutions to ensure that we are able to bring OKI equipment to users, within their budgets. Early wins show that the market is ready for an alternative to existing solutions. We are able to offer the right equipment at affordable rates and a remarkably low running cost compared to what is available on the market today.” Rom says a dedicated team has been put in place to staff the new office automation division, which is headed by industry stalwart Andre Gerber.

This team will be solely responsible for managing these clients, and will offer sales, support and maintenance services. The managed service contract is based on a pay-per-use fee that further reduces the cost of ownership of these printers that are renowned for their comparative lower running costs. Rom says costs are typically 40% lower, representing an average cost of around 70c for colour and 10c for black copies or prints for a standard user. Higher volume users would typically pay less based on the fact that traditionally higher volume machines have a lower running cost.

The Executive Series printer range spans mono and colour laser and multifunction printers capable of handling A4 and A3 sheets, with varying pages-per-minute output. An added benefit for customers is that OKI has partnered with Sappi to promote the use of more environmentally-friendly equipment, while the distributor has also engaged the services of recycling companies that will dispose of defunct equipment. “This type of all-round service is what our new division aims to achieve, and we will be expanding the team and our reach into the market over the next year,” says Rom.

About Printacom
Printacom Technologies, a member of the MB Technologies group of companies (itself part of JSE-listed Royal Bafokeng Holdings), is the sole importer and the value-added distributor of the OKI, Printronix and TallyGenicom ranges of printing solutions. Ranked among the top three printer brands worldwide with representation in 120 countries, OKI Printing Solutions specialises in designing, developing, manufacturing and marketing business printing solutions which empower organisations to communicate more effectively. More information about OKI is available at: http://www.OKIsa.co.za

Printronix are the creators of an innovative range of printing solutions for the industrial and supply chain markets. The company has earned an outstanding reputation for its high performance thermal RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) barcode and label printing solutions and networked printer management. For company information see www.printronix.com TallyGenicom’s printing solutions are designed and manufactured to perform critical, business-specific printing tasks in industries such as healthcare, transportation, manufacturing, warehousing and retail.

Printacom contacts:
Neil Rom
Managing director Printacom
Tel: +27 11 531 1511
Email: nrom at printacom dot co dot za

Issued by:
Anton J van Rensburg
puruma business communications
Tel: + 0860 787 862
Email: printacom at puruma dot com