Fuji partnering with Sharp?

[jwheeler]

I've seen a few posts like this one on LinkedIn hinting that Sharp will soon start selling the Fuji (Xerox) line of production printers. What are your thoughts? Would you buy these from Sharp when they've never really had a true production line. Their website currently only lists "Light production" models.

 

[AP90]

Just curious what this would mean for Xerox and the USA dealers. Essentially start will be offering the same products as the X dealers wont they?

 

[MacTwidget]

Just curious what this would mean for Xerox and the USA dealers. Essentially start will be offering the same products as the X dealers wont they?

I really don't think it will affect them much. There is (and has been) so much re-branding in the printing industry. Scanners, imagesetters, platesetters, processors. Back in 1989 we purchased 2 Nikon LS-3500 film scanners and they were re-packaged under at least 5 different brands. I don't think it hurt them in the least.

 

[PricelineNegotiator]

I really don't think it will affect them much. There is (and has been) so much re-branding in the printing industry. Scanners, imagesetters, platesetters, processors. Back in 1989 we purchased 2 Nikon LS-3500 film scanners and they were re-packaged under at least 5 different brands. I don't think it hurt them in the least.

Then is not now.

If the outcome were certain then Sharp and Fuji wouldn't be playing this game. The market is only so large.

 

[TJPrinter]

The Versant should be due for an update based on previous updates. If we don’t see news of upcoming updates to the Versant line, I guess that would let us know that they aren’t really vested in the Versant line anymore.

I’m not familiar enough with Sharp to say that they would have the ability to support the service end for Fuji boxes. I know I wouldn’t want a Sharp tech working on my Versant that just finished a weekend training camp on Versants. So, what would the long-term plan for Fuji be for the service end, convince independent Xerox dealers to become Sharp/Fuji dealers? Or does Fuji contract out the service end to Xerox and Xerox dealers?

All this could be enough uncertainty for print shops to just look at the other alternatives, Canon, Ricoh and KM. Interested to see what others think about this.

 

[Lorenzo lab guy]

Perhaps Fuji is using Sharp for sales is also a way to fill in on the service side until Fuji has a large enough service team to support sales. Or, it could be an efficient way to sell the smaller Apeos machines. Fuji has been hiring a lot and slowly adding territories that sell Revoria as their organization grows. I don't think there will be any connection with Xerox going forward - that divorce seems absolute. Don't forget, Fujifilm is a much larger company than Xerox - approximately 10X market cap differential. So, I think time is the main issue with Fuji fully supporting their own equipment sales. I wonder who will actually manufacturer the Xerox advanced color presses once the divorce is complete - I think most of those Xerox machines came out of Fuji manufacturing facilities.

 

[Lorenzo lab guy]

This looks to be confirmation that Sharp will be selling press and printers made by Fuji: Sharp to showcase production print at Printing United – The Dead Pixels Society

 

[jwheeler]

This looks to be confirmation that Sharp will be selling press and printers made by Fuji: Sharp to showcase production print at Printing United – The Dead Pixels Society

Definitely! I see this as a win for our industry because it make another competitor to keep our current vendors on their toes, sharpen their pencils on deals. I'd imagine Sharp is going to have some pretty amazing deals to start getting units placed in the field.