Komori and Konica Minolta Sign Sales, OEM Agreement for Commercial Printing Market
TOKYO—Feb. 28, 2012—Komori Corp. has signed a global sales agreement in the commercial printing market with Konica Minolta Business Technologies, the information equipment business unit of Konica Minolta Holdings Inc.
The commercial printing market has lately been adopting more and more digital printing systems, as customer needs have increased in high-variety, low-volume and short-run orders, as well as visible surge in demands for one-to-one marketing and variable printing.
Komori Corp., as a specialist manufacturer of printing presses for many years, provides printing systems that are capable of producing a wide range of printed items for the commercial, package and currency printing markets. Specifically, the company in recent years has supplied innovative solutions such as “OffsetOnDemand,” which applies digital technologies, the latest drying system and a color management system.
Konica Minolta BT has developed and delivered digital printing systems for the production print field since 1999, based on its broad range of core technologies relating to color output. Backed by high reputation in the market for its image quality, durability and stability, the company firmly holds its leading position in the color output in the light production segment.
Since 1999, Konica Minolta BT has rolled out digital printing systems aimed at the production print field with a variety of core technologies for color output. The solid reputation for image quality, durability and stability that these systems have won in the marketplace has resulted in Konica Minolta BT maintaining its current top position for color output systems in the light production segment.
Based on this background, Komori concluded a global sales agreement with Konica Minolta BT that will contribute to the building of the ‘OffsetOnDemand’ environment for the commercial printing market and comprehensive business development in order to provide superior products and services that meet customer needs.
Konica Minolta will supply to Komori the bizhub PRESS series, centered on the bizhub PRESS C8000 digital printing system, one of its leading products, in the four regions of Japan, the United States, Europe and China.
Additionally, beginning in May 2012, Konica Minolta will supply Komori with the bizhub PRESS series on an OEM basis in those four regions.
Komori will roll out the bizhub PRESS series that it receives from Konica Minolta on an OEM basis as Komori-brand products and expand sales channels to customers having an “OffsetOnDemand” orientation. Konica Minolta will expand its distribution channels to customers who use offset print systems as their main production system. That will enable it to accumulate diverse information about output quality, media handling and stable operation of the system in relation to the heavy production segment in every phase of development, manufacturing, sales and customer support.
In preparation for future growth, Komori plans to undertake a technology exhibit at drupa 2012 of an inkjet digital printing system (prototype) that is under joint development with Konica Minolta for rollout to the commercial printing market.
In 2012, Komori will move forward with its transition into becoming a trusted “Print Engineering Services Provider” and will work toward improving the profit structure of the entire printing industry by further strengthening cooperative relations with the printing industry and by pursuing greater convenience for customers. By supplying solutions for these objectives and based on a posture by which Komori and our customers continue to grow together, we aim to realize our goal of becoming a customer kando enterprise.
About Komori
Tokyo-based Komori Corp., a premier manufacturer of sheetfed, web offset printing and banknote/security presses, provides world-class technology especially suited for today’s highly competitive printing marketplace. Delivering the highest level in print quality coupled with impressively fast makeready and JDF connectivity through open systems architecture, Komori presses help printers achieve higher productivity levels essential for increased margins and business growth.
Sources: Komori and Konica Minolta.
