Heidelberg/Ricoh announce cooperative relationship

[Printease]

I would love to hear everyone's reaction to this one:


Heidelberg - Heidelberg and Ricoh Announce Global Strategic Cooperation

[chevalier]

Why xerography instead of inkjet? Why so quickly (comes across as panicked and frenzied)? Why the newest and least production experienced of the manufacturers? Why not get some new crazy inkjet technology and marry it to Heidelberg's extensive experience?

It just doesn't seem like a good fit. I perceive the top offset manufacturer teaming up with one of the lesser xerographic machine manufacturers. Heidelberg brands itself as the best but at a premium price and Ricoh has branded itself as good enough but at the right price. The fact that they are not launching in North America from the get-go is also interesting as Ricoh bought IKON two years ago and brought US distribution, sales and leasing in-house. Are Heidelberg, IKON, and Ricoh's other dealers are going to compete selling the same products? I think both companies are trying to shake hands at a maximum distance. Heidelberg gets to say it once again has "digital" (xerographic) presses. Ricoh gets to attach itself to the Heidelborg moving it up-market in quality perception.

The reason digital presses are encroaching on Heidelberg's slice of the pie is all of the support function costs associated with running offset vs. the lack of support function costs in going digital. Those support function costs eat all of the profit out of a short-run. Heidelberg seems to have it's head in the sand about this fact.

[gordo]

Pundit Andrew Tribute says: "it is not going head to head in the "professional" or "high-volume" digital markets, nor does it plan to compete in the highly competitive office market. The market Heidelberg is targeting is the "Value" segment of the market. This is the area where digital presses would have a speed from 60 up to 90 A4/Letter pages per minute with a monthly target volume between 80,000 up to 300,000 pages/month or even more and with a price of €100,000. This market therefore does not include the presses from HP Indigo, the Xerox iGen4 and 800/1000 presses, the Canon ImagePress 7010, and the Kodak Nexpress and Xeikon presses."

best, gordo

[chevalier]

Pundit Andrew Tribute says: "it is not going head to head in the "professional" or "high-volume" digital markets, nor does it plan to compete in the highly competitive office market.

Staying out of the office market is a no-brainer but what about upgrade path?
If you bought a C900 (or comparitive product), ran of out capacity and expected further growth would you want to buy a SM52 Anicolor + Platesetter + Hire Press Operator(s) + Support Equipment + Support Equipment Personnel (Folder, Gluer, Cutter, Etc.) or buy an iGen or Indigo with the proper attachments and a MAYBE hire a second operator.

The Anicolor is really cool technology but it is probably too little too late. I've always thought that HDM should come up with some kind of 8, 9 or 10 ink system (a la Pantone Hexachrome, or the way a high-end inkjet proofer works) paired with a 8, 9 or 10 unit Anicolor. They could integrate their RIP and software technology, plating technology, utilize their new consumables division and wrap the thing up in one big pretty package. Marketed at the right price I would think this would be a successful product.

[Green Printer]

This brings nothing new to the market. Same product different store. Yawn.