IBM & RICOH:STARTING OPERATIONS IN RUSSIA

[Anonymous]

IBM and Ricoh introduce their daughter company in Russia
Infoprint Solutions Company, the join venture of IBM and Ricoh, has started operating in the Russian market of printing machines. In the near future the company hopes its rate of development to be twice as high as the market, so that finally it manages to occupy 30% of the hi-end segment. Infoprint Solutions believes telecommunications company, the public sector and banks might become its key corporate customers.

The companies IBM and Ricoh say their joint venture InfoPrint Solutions Company to start operating in Russia. The new joint venture is to provide the clients with modern solutions for industrial, corporate and commercial printing systems for companies of different size from small enterprises to large corporations.It should be noted InfoPrint Solutions was founded by IBM and Ricoh. It has started operating in July 1st 2007. The company has resulted from 20 years of Ricoh and IBM Printing Systems Division cooperation in comprehensive solutions development for commercial and industrial press. 51% and 49% in InfoPrint Solutions Company are owned by Ricoh and IBM. Ricoh intends to acquire the remaining 49% in the company in the coming three years. Thus, InfoPrint Solutions Company will become Ricoh 100% daughter company. InfoPrint Solutions Company is curently operating in 36 countries.

InfoPrint Solutions intends to develop comprehensive hi-end solutions. The company is entering the Russian market with the printing machines InfoPrint 5000, InfoPrint 4100 and InfoPrint 2000, which correspond to modern industrial requirements by printing quality, data processing, the printing process management, reliability, simplicity in exploitation and servicing. The company intends to provide comprehensive solutions for the telecommunications and financial sectors, publishing business, education and industry. InfoPrint Solutions identifies telecom, the public sector and finance as the three key directions in Russia.

‘The Russian economy rate of development, especially the financial and telecommunications sectors, is currently the highest in the world, Alexey Ivashenko, InfoPrint Solutions Sales Manager, in Russia says. – That results in acute demand in comprehensive solutions regarding the industrial and commercial press. We intend to make use of the favorable market situation and grow by no less than 30% a year’. InfoPrint Solutions estimates the demand for hi-end machines in Russia as high, while the annual growth rate of the market is estimated at 12-15% till 2010. According to Alexey Ivashenko, the company’s final aim is to occupy 30% in the hi-end machines market.Initially InfoPrint Solutions plans to use the distribution network and specialists, who have left IBM Russian Office for InfoPrint Solutions, in the Russian market. However, in the near future the company intends to expand its partnership network to distribute the printing systems. Global Financing, IBM subdivision, intends to continue providing Infoprint Solutions, its customers and business partners with financial services. Besides, IBM is responsible for the printing equipment installation, set up, and further servicing. According to Tony Romero, InfoPrint Solutions Executive Director, the company intends to invest into technologies and innovations, the quality of servicing. The company plans to raise the sales system and servicing efficiency.

According to IT Research, in 2007 first half the volume of the Russian market of printing machines (printers and desktop multifunctional devices) came to 2.2 mln. units having exceeded last year’s indices by 13.4%. The total market volume in money terms exceeds $480 mln. ‘The sales gain in money terms turned out to be higher at the expense of the increase in demand for laser devices, – Vasily Mochar, IT Research Vice President explains. – All the main devices segments continue developing except the inkjet printer segment, which suffers from the recession. The customary inkjet printers are pressed out by multifunctional devices, which have been dominating the market recently’. The laser and inkjet multifunctional device segments have grown by 51.2% and 49.7% relatively, as compared to 2006 first half. Laser printer segment went up by 11%, matrix printers by 0.5%, while the sales of the inkjet printers fell down by 27.8%.’The demand for laser printers continues growing, but because of the multifunctional devices the demand structure has changed. The printers of the initial level and for working groups are in demand, while the sales of personal printers for offices have gone down’, – Vasily Mochar highlights.In 2007 first half the Top-three in the Russian market of printing machines is presented by the companies Canon, Hewlett-Packard and Samsung, like in 2006 first half. 

[Author]

November 20, 2007 at 3:20 PM