RechargRussia Expo 2011 Opens Tomorrow in Moscow

The new edition of RechargRussia Expo will kick off on May 18 in Moscow, Russia. The expo will take place in the Tishinka expo center.

RechargRussia Expos are the only specialized events in the field of printing supplies in Russia and CIS countries.

RechargRussia Expo 2011 will be hosting the VIP Forum "Aftermarket of Printing Supplies in 2010", which will be a venue for outstanding local and international industry experts and leading comanies to present their vision on the current state of the cartridge remanufacturing industry in Russia and the world.

Technical and marketing seminars will be organized during the exhibition.
The seminar program and registration for attending them is located on the site of the exhibition.

Hit the jack-pot with HP: a new campaign in Latin America

HP is now running a campaign in Latin America to attract the local customer to buy more HP original cartridges. The campaign does also mean to discredit the advantage of alternative printing solutions. The website in Spanish targeting local users explains that remanufactured products are nothing but waste of time, ink and paper and that remanufactured cartridges may damage printing equipment.

HP also offers some statistical information to compare the advantages of the original cartridges vs. non-genuine ones.
In terms of volume, original HP cartridges print 119% more pages than generic brand cartridges. In terms of reliability, HP cartridges give 0.0% of failure, whereas generic cartridges: 29.2%, and refilled cartridges: 41.8% average failure rate.

Besides the "frightening" information, HP offers users to take part in the Jackpot game. By buying genuine cartridges users can find a promo code on the box. After introducing the code, they can create accounts, play the game and, if lucky, get pricy prizes. The game can be found at the website www.hp.com/la/jackpot . The promotion targets consumers in Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.

This campaign is the second of the type, which have taken place recently. We already mentioned the one in Oceania. HP seems to be testing the campaign in strategically less important regions, before putting it out at a larger scale.

Key words: HP, ad campaign, Latin America, cartridges, inks, remanufacturing

How Kyocera will fight aftermarket products

Kyocera informed that it had made up a scheme to win share back from sales of what it calls ‘non-genuine’ toner. The company said it wanted to encourage partners to sell more Kyocera toner instead of cheaper alternative one.

“Kyocera has created a consumables direct partner program with the main aim to reward Kyocera’s direct partners who distribute genuine quality toner manufactured by Kyocera,” said Charlotte Elmer, consumables and spares manager at Kyocera. She added: “We want to ensure that end users are buying genuine Kyocera consumables, and therefore not compromising the quality of their Kyocera product.”

According to the newly-developed plan, Kyocera will reward its direct partners for promoting toner made by Kyocera. Resellers will get access to various marketing initiatives, such as support, sales management, new promotions, and lead generation.

Kyocera's rep continued: “We have a strong process in place to deal with non-genuine product and the companies associated with this trading. We hope by getting partners on board, we can continue to sell genuine toner and see a growth in our consumables business in the forthcoming quarter.”

Key words: Kyocera, aftermarket, non-genuine

How Xerox goes green

Green solutions offered by a company to its customers is a good way to show the eco-advantages. Another good way bring in good dividends with the public opinion would be the green practices adapted by the company in its office and manufactures.

Following this logic, Xerox employees around the world initiated twenty projects meant to help the company make waste and energy savings. As a result, Xerox saved $7.3 million, eliminate 1.3 million pounds of waste and reduce energy use by 500,000 kilowatt hours.

Here are some of the examples of Xerox green practices:

The Webster Consumables Manufacturing Plant in Webster, New York, found ways to reuse or recycle much of the packaging that came with incoming parts, including 800,000 foam sheets, 200,000 pieces of tag board, 60,000 plastic bags, 57,000 corrugated cartons and 6,900 plastic skids.

A team in Wilsonville, Ore., USA, made the cleaning process faster, made it more environmentally responsible, eliminated 400 pounds of landfill waste a year and cut labor costs by $37,000 by using an alternative material for equipment cleaning.

A project from Venray, Netherlands, replaced an old chilled water system with one that uses ammonia, a natural refrigerant, which reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 130,000 kg in six months. The
project is expected to also reduce energy use by 300,000 kilowatt hours a year and save $15,000 a year.

A Rio, Brazil, team replaced one-time use cloths with washable cloths, replaced metal barrels with reusable bags, started composting cafeteria waste and found a new use for the more than 10 tons of toner waste it generates, sending the toner to be used as product for roadways.

Source: www.greenbiz.com

Key words: Xerox, green practices, environment

July'09 Issue of RechargEast

READ IN THE JULY'09 ISSUE:

» Remanufacturing the Samsung ML-4550/4551 Toner Cartridge
» Konica Minolta Bizhub 130f – the Heart of Your Office (Part 1)

» Solid Foundations, Great Flexibility

» What Does the Crisis Have in Store for the Printing Market?
» Printers Market is Slowing Down
» Spotlight on Zhuhai – The World Capital of Printer Consumables

Full page e-version of the magazine is also available here:

Download the JULY'09 issue.

Key words: remanufacturing in Eastern Europe, chips, cartridges, toner, inks, compatible cartridges, inkjet, supplies, markets

Konica Minolta doubles sales in 3 years

In its press interview Konica Minolta stated it is aiming to double sales of its digital commercial printers in 3 years and reach the turnover value of USD2 billion. To attain the goal the company is extending its product line. Moreover, the company is reinforcing its presence in emerging markets.

Digital commercial printers, used to print documents such as product manuals and direct mail in large volume, are seen as a segment with strong growth potential at a time when the market for office printing equipment and copiers is gradually declining.

Revenues at Konica Minolta's digital commercial printer operations came to USD 860 million in the year that ended in March. It plans to boost sales in the coming years by launching new machines with advanced printing capacity and focusing on growing demand in emerging economies such as China, India and South America.

Source: guardian.co.uk

European Union introduces new energy efficiency rules for PCs and printers

New energy efficiency standards come into force in Europe from July. These standards put copiers, printers and computers under a closer look. At the same time energy savings incurred by the application of the new ruling may save enough energy over 1 year to power Ireland for that same year.

Energy Star standards for computers and imaging equipment agreed earlier by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the European Commission have become law today, on July 1, in the EU.

According to the new energy star standards electronics manufacturers worldwide are required to make office equipment up to 14 percent more energy efficient than current models without having to make separate products for different standards in their two biggest markets, the U.S. and the EU.

The European Commission said better efficiency standards could save Europe up to 22 terawatt hours of electricity over four to six years.

If all imaging products sold in the U.S. met the new standards, U.S. consumers would save nearly $500 million a year in energy costs and prevent greenhouse gas emissions that would be released by more than 500,000 cars.

The EU is aiming to cut energy use by a fifth by 2020 as part of its ambitious goals to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent.

Source: Associated Press

Key words: EU, European Union, printers, copiers, energy efficiency, 2009

Fuji Xerox's forecast about the printing market

Japan's Fuji Xerox said it would take several years for global office equipment demand to return to levels seen before the financial crisis. Fuji Xerox, a copier and printer joint venture between Fujifilm Holdings and Xerox Corp, announced it plans to focus on growth areas such as digital commercial printing operations to drive sales. Digital commercial printers are used to produce such documents as product manuals and direct mail quickly and in large volume, and are a fast-growing segment of the printer market.

Asked when the ailing printing market would get back into positive trends, Fuji Xerox President Tadahito Yamamoto said: "My answer is still uncertain. In Japan and the United States and Europe it's still difficult to tell. I think it will take another two to three years". Yamamoto said Fuji Xerox aims to double its revenues from digital commercial printing operations and document-related by the year to March 2014.

Source: tonernews.com

Key words: Fuji Xerox, market, crisis

Samsung offers a new leasing scheme for printers in the UK

Samsung launched a 0% financing scheme for participating Samsung resellers in the UK and Ireland. The offer is available from the beginning of June and the company plans to spread the initiative in other European countries.

Representatives of the company stated that the new leasing scheme will make Samsung printing technology more affordable and accessible to business customers. Neil Sawyer, head of marketing, Samsung's European printing operation, said that printing represents the largest proportion of IT expenses and is a business process that companies often seek to address as part of a wider cost reduction exercise. He also added: “Printing technologies from Samsung make it easy for businesses to control printing costs at the same time as enhancing employee productivity with more efficient printing processes. However, budget limitations can mean that money isn’t always available to invest in new technology when companies need it most. The introduction of the Samsung 0% finance program makes our printer technology more affordable and accessible to businesses at the right time".

The finance program is offered through Rabobank Group, a global provider of leasing, business and consumer finance solutions with a proven track record in the IT sector. The offer, which is valid until 31st May 2010, is available for printers from Samsung’s business product portfolio.

Source: www.channelemea.com

Key words: Samsung, UK, leasing, printers, financing

Ursula Burns, a new CEO of Xerox, interviewed by CNN

RechargEast Magazine, JUNE'09 issue

READ IN THE JUNE'09 ISSUE:

» Remanufacturing the Xerox Phaser 3300 MFP Toner Cartridge
» Lexmark E120: the "Disposable" Personal Printer

» Rumors are Highly Exaggerated

» In the Print 2.0 World

Full page e-version of the magazine is also available here:

Download the JUNE'09 issue.

Key words: remanufacturing in Eastern Europe, chips, cartridges, toner, inks, compatible cartridges, inkjet, supplies, markets

RechargEast Magazine, MAY'09 issue

READ IN THE MAY'09 ISSUE:

» Remanufacturing the Samsung CLP-610 Toner Cartridge
» Toshiba MJ-1015 MJ-1016 Finishers – Let’s “FINISH” The Copy/Print Job (part VIII)

» "Don't Throw. Make It Valuable", - says LVL from France

» To End All Wars...In the Imaging Industry
» A Big Country, a Big Market, Huge Perspectives...But Not that Quick Now!
» Marketing and Selling Your Product and Service in a Recession
» HP Managed Print Services

Full page e-version of the magazine is also available here:

Download the MAY'09 issue.

Key words: remanufacturing in Eastern Europe, chips, cartridges, toner, inks, compatible cartridges, inkjet, supplies, markets

Brazilian PC market is table, printers suffer

The Brazilian PC market decreased 23% in unit terms in February 2009 compared to the previous month. Desktops and notebooks declined by 27% and 13% respectively. Nevertheless, in comparison to the same month in 2008, the market in volume terms remained almost identical.

In February 2009 the Printers market decreased 28% in sales units compared to the same period of the previous year, but compared to January 2009 it remained stable. The Laser Printers market share increased 63% compared to September 2008, which represents a 75% increase in value. Inkjet printers continued to be the most popular printer type, maintaining a share of around 70% for the last 6 months.

Source: www.gfkrt.com

Key words: Brazil, printers

Canon’s fall in profit

Japan's Canon reported an 88 percent fall in quarterly profit, hit by slumping demand for copiers and printers. Demand for office machines and their supplies such as toner cartridges remained weak as the global financial crisis made the replacement cycle of copiers and printers longer and prompted corporate clients not to use them as heavily as before.

Canon, whose other competitors include Xerox and Ricoh, earlier this month delayed the construction of a toner cartridge components plant in western Japan for a second time, underscoring weak demand.
But Canon's overseas sales have been boosted by softer-than-expected yen. The company also said it would aim to cut 172 billion yen in costs this year, 60 billion yen more than originally planned.

Source: www.reuters.com

Key words: Canon, market, profit, crisis

RechargEast Magazine, APRIL'09 issue

READ IN THE APRIL'09 ISSUE:

» Re-manufacturing the Lexmark E260/360/460 Drum Unit
» Toshiba MJ-1015 MJ-1016 Finishers – Let's “Finish” the Copy/Print Job (part VII)

» Building trust is what counts! Kvisko d.o.o, Montenegro

» Hunting the "Green" Bird
» Enlighten the Dark Western Minds

Full page e-version of the magazine is also available here:

Download the APRIL'09 issue.

Key words: remanufacturing in Eastern Europe, chips, cartridges, toner, inks, compatible cartridges, inkjet, supplies, markets

HP plans to boost sales of MFUs to small and medium businesses in Asia

According to Hewlett-Packard, the current financial crisis can create a huge demand for multifunctional printers. The company recently launched three new LaserJet MFPs to help small and medium enterprises manage their operations anchored on productivity, cost-efficiency and flexibility.

The HP LaserJet M1319f is currently the company’s most affordable monochrome printer. It has four-in-one features of print, copy, scan and fax. This unit can print 18 to 19 letter sized pages per minute or a maximum count of 8,000 pages monthly. It can reduce or enlarge images from 25 percent up to 400 percent.

The HP Color LaserJet CM1312 has the same highlights as the previous model, plus an energy-saving feature called instant-on technology that prints the first page faster when it detects the system is near low power mode. It has a network connectivity using a high-speed USB (universal serial bus) 2.0 port.

For companies needing high volume printing and imaging requirements, the HP Color LaserJet CM 2320n can print 20 to 21 colored pages per minute or up to 40,000 pages a month. Its software is compatible with Windows, Macintosh and Linux and has built-in Ethernet for faster networking. This model does not have a fax feature.

According to the company's representative in Philippines, for instance, the company will continue its marketing aggressive campaign for MFPs. HP is looking at the specific need of industries to successfully cater all market segments and see if it can launch more printer models in the second half of 2009.

Source: Businessmirror.com.ph

Key words: HP, Asia, Philippines, market, printers, MFUs

Lyra Research's President will attend the Imaging Materials Symposium

Lyra Research announces that Lyra President Charles LeCompte will keynote and Lyra Senior Analyst Cortney Kasuba will be a featured speaker at the 2009 Imaging Materials Symposium, produced by The Tiara Group at May 4-6, 2009, at the Marina del Rey Marriott Hotel in Marina del Rey, California. The event focuses on four key topics in the imaging materials industry--toner, ink jet, media, and sustainability.

Lyra President Charles LeCompte will be the featured keynote speaker at the event's welcome dinner at 7:00 p.m. on May 4. His keynote address, titled, "The Imaging Industry: Trends in Troubled Times," will cover such topics as how supplies power the hard copy business; the three kinds of competition in the hard copy industry (aftermarket, OEM hardware price and OEM cost-per-page); what's going on in China; and the recession and its short- and long-term effects on the industry.

Since 1991, Lyra's custom research and consulting, advisory services, award-winning journals, and innovative events have set the standard for analysis of imaging hardware, consumables, and digital photography markets.

Source: www.lyra.com

Key words: Lyra, event, conference, inks, toner, remanufacturing

Kodak is back in the game by attacking competitors via its advertising campaign

Last week Kodak started a new advertising campaign meant to upstage its product and undermine competitors’ products. The Wall Street Journal wrote, Eastman Kodak is stepping up the aggressiveness of its marketing as it tries to jump-start its ink-jet-printer business and revive its falling brand.

This week, Kodak started a new ad campaign for the business that taps into consumers' frustration with the high price of printer ink. Its slogan: "Print and Prosper." The “Print and Prosper” campaign, begun in the U.S. and Canada, will use television, newspapers and the Internet to try to convince consumers to switch to Kodak printers, the Rochester, New York-based company said in a statement. Kodak will start marketing in other countries in coming months.

"Last year America paid $5 billion too much for ink-jet-printer ink," one print ad says, while a television spot likens ink to oil. "The world's most expensive liquid isn't found in the Middle East. It is found in ink-jet-printer cartridges," says the spot's voice-over. Eastman Kodak is spending roughly $30 million on the campaign, says a person familiar with the matter.

Since its core film business has faded, the former giant has been trying to remake itself into a digital-photo and printing company, selling consumer ink-jet printers and high-speed commercial presses.

In the past several years, as it struggled to turn itself around, Kodak eliminated tens of thousands of jobs and cut ad spending sharply. Last year, it spent $30.6 million in the U.S. on ad time and space, down from $205.2 million in 2001, according to WPP's TNS Media Intelligence.

The new printer pitch, which will appear in the U.S., Britain and Canada, is the latest from Kodak's new chief marketing officer, Jeff Hayzlett, who was promoted to the post in November. The 48-year-old Mr. Hayzlett has been pushing hard to reshape the conservative brand.

Mr. Hayzlett has abandoned the warm-and-fuzzy branding ads once typical of Kodak. Well-known slogans have included "You push the button -- we do the rest" and "Share moments, share life." Instead, he favors more product-specific ads. "We have to have ads that drive sales," he says.

With the new campaign, Kodak is targeting “high ink- burners,” or people who print a lot, Hayzlett said. The company set up the website www.printandprosper.com, where consumers can calculate the difference in ink costs if they switched to a Kodak printer. Kodak is also using blogs and social-networking sites to spread awareness.

Resuscitating the Kodak brand won't be easy. In 2001, Kodak was ranked the 27th-most-valuable brand in the world, according to Omnicom Group's Interbrand. Last year, it fell off Interbrand's closely followed list of the top 100 global brands. "It's still a highly recognized brand" but "you can't support a great brand without great products," says Jez Frampton, chief executive of Interbrand.

Sources: The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg.com

Key words: Kodak, printers, ad campaign.

Static Control Components Inc. won the latest round of the battle with Lexmark

The online business source BizJournals announced that Static Control, a world-known manufacturer of high-end supplies for printer cartridges, won a new round in its battle with Lexmark. Essentially, the federal court ruling this week hurts, but does not end, a Lexmark program known as the “prebate.” That program has put a dent into Static Control’s business, which involves making and distributing parts and supplies for remanufacturers of cartridges for printers.

Under terms of the prebate program, Lexmark places restrictions on its printer cartridges. Users agree to buy the cartridges at an up-front discount; in return, they agree to return the empty cartridges to Lexmark. The terms of the deal are placed on the box the cartridge comes in, with users agreeing to abide by the terms by opening the box.

Lexmark says its patents on the cartridges allow it to enforce the terms of the prebate after the cartridges are sold to customers. A federal court in Kentucky had previously agreed.

But on March 31, the court overturned that ruling. The court ruled that the result in a recent Supreme Court case, Quanta Computer Inc. v. LG Electronics Inc., established new case law. The net effect of the Supreme Court ruling, the Kentucky court says, is that Lexmark can no longer claim any patent rights on printer cartridges once they are sold.

The court did rule, however, that state contract law may still apply to the prebate program, which would mean that the program is still legal. Lexmark, based in Kentucky, says it plans to continue the program.

This week’s ruling is just the latest in the battle between Static Control and Lexmark, which has ebbed and flowed like a heavyweight title fight since 2002. Lexmark originally sued Static Control claiming that Static Control products violated the Digital Millennium Copyright Act – a law meant to protect copyrights in the technology world.

Courts disagreed with that assertion, giving a victory to Static Control in the realm of copyright law. But claims concerning patent law and contract law continue to this day.

Source: www.bizjournals.com

Key words: Static Control, Lexmark, patent rights, prebate.

RechargEast Magazine, MARCH'09 issue

READ IN THE MARCH'09 ISSUE:

» Re-manufacturing the Lexmark E260/360/460 Toner Cartridge
» TOSHIBA MJ-1015 MJ-1016 FINISHERS – LET’S “FINISH” THE COPY/PRINT JOB (part VI)

» SPEED INFOTECH, China
» Huiwei Corporation's Biggest Export Customers are in ... RUSSIA!

» Contribution of Cartridge Remanufacturing to Staying Carbon Neutral
» HP Laser Jet 1005/1006/1505 Cartridge Remanufacturing Tips

Full page e-version of the magazine is also available here:

Download the MARCH'09 issue.

Key words: remanufacturing in Eastern Europe, chips, cartridges, toner, inks, compatible cartridges, inkjet, supplies, markets