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OKI to fight counterfeit consumables
OKI
Printing Solutions, the global colour printing solutions leader, has
announced that its new generation 5000 series enterprise mono and
colour printers will ship enabled with RFID (Radio Frequency
Identification) technology to identify original consumables.
The machines will now be able to directly identify and warn users when counterfeit consumable products are being installed.
‘This
is the end of the market in fake consumables. An end to being ripped
off. An end to the frustration of damaged machines and disappointed
users. Now users can be sure that they’re installing genuine Oki parts
and not a fake device – this solves a very real problem in today’s
market.’ Said John Ross, general manager of OKI Middle East.
RFID
works by using small ‘tags’ which can be picked up by a transponder and
used to identify themselves and carry other data. By using
RFID-equipped printers to scan consumables for unique codes, OKI users
can now ensure that they only install genuine consumables in OKI
machines. Each toner cartridge carries an RFID tag which is polled by
the printer to ensure it carries the correct code.
The move means
that users’ investment in hardware is not compromised by the potential
damage caused by using non-compatible toner cartridges and will also
cut down on warranty claims made subsequent to the use of unsuitable
toner.
‘We’re going all the way to cut this whole problem out of
people’s lives,’ said Ross. ‘Firstly, we’re cutting the cost of the
consumables themselves to levels of almost 20% saving against our
competitors. Now we’re ensuring that counterfeit products won’t work in
Oki machines and damage them. That’s good news for our channel
partners, good news for our customers and, ultimately, it’s good news
for Oki too.’
The new machines will ship with a built-in warning,
too: ‘For the protection of your printer, and in order to ensure that
you benefit from its full functionality, this model has been designed
to operate only with genuine Oki toner cartridges. These can be
identified by the Oki trademark.’
Together with the cuts in toner
and consumables costs brought by Oki’s initiative to cut ‘sticker
shock’ (finding that the consumables are costing you more than the
printer did!), the move to slash the consumables grey market comes as
Oki is investing significantly in the development of its Middle East
channel, with programmes designed to enhance training, personnel
development and enhance market opportunities for Oki resellers. ‘The
Middle East is a major growth market for Oki and we’re giving the
region the attention it needs to realise that growth,’ said Ross.
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