KONICA MINOLTA:MANUFACTURE OF THE YEAR

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Konica Minolta Repeats As MFP Color Manufacturer Of The Year
Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta) today announced that for the second year in a row, The Cannata Report , a Marketing Research Consultants, Inc. publication, has named Konica Minolta the �MFP Color Manufacturer of the Year�.The �MFP Color Manufacturer of the Year� award is bestowed on the manufacturer that provides the best overall sales and service support in the industry as determined by the 367 dealers who participated in the report�s 21st Annual Dealer Survey. Manufacturers are rated on communication skills, competitive products, and programs that enable the independent copier dealer to achieve a high degree of success in a very competitive marketplace.”Over the course of the last three years, as evidenced in our annual dealer surveys, independent dealers have expressed an increasing appreciation of the color products as manufactured by Konica Minolta. In our most recent effort they outpaced all the competition, by a wide margin. We offer our congratulations to the entire organization for the manufacture and sale of a leading edge line of color MFP’s,” said Frank G. Cannata, President of Marketing Research Consultants, Inc.”We are honored to be selected by the independent dealer community as MFP Color Manufacturer for 2005. To receive this recognition, for the second year in a row, is an achievement our entire organization holds in the highest regard, said William H. Brewster, Jr., Vice President, Marketing, Konica Minolta Business Solutions, U.S.A., Inc. �2005 was an excellent year for Konica Minolta as we introduced an extensive bizhub lineup representing our commitment to develop a complete roster of color products that meet the diverse needs of small- to medium-sized offices, high-volume corporate settings, and production print environments.�
Konica Minolta Earns Top Market Share Position In Key U.S. Color Copier/MFP Segments
RAMSEY, NJ – June 19, 2006 – Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta) achieved the 2005 top U.S. market share position for color copier/flatbed MFP sales across Segments 1-4 – color devices ranging from 11-69 pages per minute – according to Gartner ( Web Site  Related Articles  Google)’s Printers Quarterly Statistics, United States, May 20, 2006; up from the number 2 position in 2004. Konica Minolta believes the accomplishment is all the more significant in that Konica Minolta does not have a product that competes in Segment 1; and overall share gains came through increases in shipments in Segments 2 to 4.
Konica Minolta’s market share across Segments 1-4 was 21%, and their closest competitor had 19% of the market share. Konica Minolta market share position results in color copier/flatbed MFP Segments 2-4 are as follows:
A. Segment 2 (21-30 ppm) Number 1 22.2% market share
B. Segment 3 (31-40 ppm) Number 2 25.9% market share
C. Segment 4 (41-69 ppm) Number 1 51.8% market share
Most Extensive Color Lineup to Date
Over the course of 2005, Konica Minolta introduced an extensive color lineup, including the 25 ppm bizhub C250/C250P, the 35 ppm bizhub C351, and the 45 ppm bizhub C450/C450P, as well as the 50 ppm bizhub PRO C500. With the 2006 introductions of the 35 ppm bizhub C352, and 30 ppm bizhub C300, the color lineup represents Konica Minolta’s commitment to develop a complete roster of color products that meet the diverse needs of small- to medium-sized offices, high-volume corporate settings, and production print environments.
2005: A Year of Significant Accomplishments
In addition to vaulting to the number one position in color MFP market share in Segments 1-4, where the company saw an increase in unit growth of 61% over 2004, other highlights of Konica Minolta’s accomplishments in 2005 include:
1. U.S. revenue increased 9.2 %, beating industry trends by a substantial margin
2. Unification of the product line under the bizhub and bizhub PRO brand
3. Named by Buyers Laboratory, Inc. (BLI) as Product Line of the Year for 2005
4. bizhub PRO 1050 named MFP of the Year for 2005 by BLI
5. Named MFP Color Manufacturer of the Year by The Cannata Report 6. Numerous individual product awards from BERTL and Better Buys for Business
Konica Minolta Breaks New Ground in Monochrome Production Print
“At the beginning of 2005, we announced our plans to become number one in color and the value leader in the industry, with the commitment of resources – people and technology – to make our goals a reality,” said William H. Brewster, Jr., Vice President, Marketing, Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. “Last year we also set our sights on leveraging both the success of the bizhub PRO 1050, named MFP of the Year by BLI, and the launch of the 92 ppm bizhub PRO 920, to expand our presence in the production print market. I am pleased to report that we exceeded our expectations in 2005, achieving a 15.3% market share in Segment 6, coming from last place to third, and marked by an impressive 3,926% growth in unit shipments compared to 2004.”According to Brewster, the latest market share numbers prove the power of the growing bizhub brand. “The technology behind our bizhub color and production print product lines makes it easy for our customers to connect from anywhere, to effectively communicate through quality business documents, and to control their workflow,” he said. “With this innovative technology, combined with our commitment to sales, training and building awareness for the bizhub brand, we fully expect to continue to grow our market presence in the year ahead.”

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June 27, 2006 at 11:28 AM