In an interview with PrintWeek, Rich Egert, general manager of the Strategic Technology Provider Business Group for OKI Data Americas, said: "The product line is really expanding and so we’re expanding the distribution internationally as well."
Both Northern Graphic Solutions and Canadian Printing Equipment are new distributors and are not replacements for dropped resellers, the company stressed. Among the products they’ll be offering are the OKI pro900DP Digital Envelope Press and the OKI pro510 Digital Web Press, which are designed for use within the flexographic, and graphic arts and production markets.
"We now have entry level products that include an embedded EFI and cut sheet. We’ve got integrated systems that include envelope-printing capabilities for our digital presses and we have, at this point, one web product that includes a full color 32cm-wide continuous web machine that can fit into many different parts of the market," Egert said.
While it’s a crowded field on the digital press side, Egert expressed confidence OKI Data will be able carve out market share, especially given the price points of some of its products: "For $50,000 a 30-feet per minute full-color continuous web product that can handle variable data is enabling us to find some new niches. So we are finding it being placed in-house for companies that are bringing their printing in-house to fulfill their print-on-demand needs, as well as printing shops who want to enter the digital era, but can’t afford a half-million dollar print point."
The company is providing OKI proColor Financing options for dealers that will provide the resellers with greater flexibility in structuring sales agreements that tailored for each customer. All OKI products include features, such as digital LED technology and single-pass colour, with fewer moving parts for increased reliability.
Egert added that interest in the proColor line has been strong throughout North America, noting: "The new technologies can bring new revenues streams to these companies so we’re finding our business is growing year over year, which is the reason we’re expanding our reseller network."
