The firm will focus its digital efforts on developing its radical DICOweb concept and on expanding the DICO technology to other products in its range.

We are working on bringing DICO features into other conventional products, for example the Lithoman and our newspaper presses, said vice pre-sident marketing and communications Thomas Hauser.

The firms relationship with Xeikon has been fraught ever since Punch beat it in its bid to buy the firm in March 2002.

Following Xeikons decision to set up direct sales operations in several European locations a conclusion of the firms four-year relationship was expected by the end of 2003.

The partnership with Xeikon was not working in the way we expected and neither was demand as we expected, said Hauser. We decided it was best if we left it to Xeikon to develop its own sales channels. For us it was not an ideal partnership.

Xeikon chief financial officer Wim Deblauwe said: It was a strategic decision of Xeikons, but it was down to the actions of MAN Roland It was so indecisive we had to make a decision, and we decided to do it ourselves.

Xeikons direct sales channel is now complete with the establishment of French and Italian operations, which join those in Germany and the UK.

MAN Roland chief executive Gerd Finkbeiner stated at the time of its deal with Xeikon in March 2000 that the firm planned to build a digital print business worth 62m (DM200m) per year a figure that was never achieved.

Despite a statement issued by MAN Roland saying toner-based systems are not part of MAN Rolands core business, Hauser told PrintWeek: we are looking for other partnerships for that market sector, but we have no concrete plans or announcements.

Story by Barney Cox