Konica Minolta Says & Does the Right Things – The company’s
Vision 2009 meeting successfully responded with substance and style to Konica Minolta
dealers’ long-simmering disgruntlement over channel conflict with direct sales branches. The company also showed a decent
range of upcoming models and entered the managed print market, but it opted to provide no real information on the new “bEST”
MFP software platform, which was a missed opportunity.
Oki
Creates a New MFP Category – Oki’s MC860 creates an interesting new category – low-priced, ledger-size color MFPs for IT resellers.
But since Oki isn’t a top-tier vendor, a big challenge for the MC860 will be for Oki to undertake a higher than normal
investment in marketing and building product awareness.
“The Paper Bubble Has Burst” – The same easy money
ethos that drove prodigious sales of houses and autos played a major role in keeping the copier/MFP business sailing along
nicely. Just as with cars and houses, people in our industry convinced themselves there was robust, ongoing, inherent demand
that could only be met by the newest and greatest devices. Oops!
