{"id":3633,"date":"2013-03-07T14:24:38","date_gmt":"2013-03-07T14:24:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.theweekinimaging.com\/?p=3633"},"modified":"2013-04-11T23:38:41","modified_gmt":"2013-04-12T03:38:41","slug":"eight-companies-to-watch-in-2013","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/feature-articles\/2013\/03\/eight-companies-to-watch-in-2013\/","title":{"rendered":"Eight Companies to Watch in 2013"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"magic-8-ball\"<\/a>I think we can all agree that the imaging and office technology industry is a volatile business. You\u2019ve got big players, small players, and those in between. For all of them and the industry, things here are changing and evolving all the time. Round and round and round things go, where they\u2019ll end up, it\u2019s anybody\u2019s guess. With that in mind, I asked various movers and shakers throughout the industry what companies should dealers, resellers, and the rest of us in the industry watch closely in 2013 and why? I was hoping to focus on five, but ended up with eight. The responses were mostly consistent although you\u2019ll find a couple of surprises in here as well.<\/p>\n

Samsung \u2013<\/b> They may not be there yet as a top second-tier player, but they\u2019re rapidly moving in that direction. Consider that some substantial office technology dealers are signing on, including long-time Ricoh and Canon dealers. We can certainly attribute the latter to Tod Pike, who many dealers worked closely with back when he was at Canon. \u201cSamsung is the one to watch – they are extremely aggressive with a very specific focus and they are implementing their plan,\u201d states Frank Cannata of MRC.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a fairly well known fact that Samsung puts financial strength behind any market they enter, and the MFP market will be no different,\u201d predicts Tom Callinan of Strategy Development. \u201cThey hired a strong leader in Tod Pike and they are really focused on how devices will be deployed in the future based on technology. They can take this \u2018clean sheet\u2019 perspective due to the fact that they don’t have a high market share of devices deployed. So Samsung has the combination of strong leadership, deep finances, and lacks the strong legacy placement base of many of the industry OEMs, making them the perfect disruptive force in the industry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those sentiments are echoed by Jon Reardon, an analyst with Infotrends. \u201cThey have market momentum and tons of cash, IP, and compelling products from a consumer perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sharp \u2013<\/b> Sharp has had a big time image problem as a result of the company\u2019s financial troubles, which are completely unrelated to their office technology business. That remains a profitable business segment. Still, it\u2019s having an impact. While the rumor mill continues to churn out prognostications regarding Sharp\u2019s future in the office technology business, there\u2019s still a good chance that all of the doom and gloom that folks are predicting will blow over and business will continue as usual. \u00a0\u201cI guess I would mention Sharp [as a company to watch] in terms of what happens to their hardcopy business as they continue to struggle as a corporation to avoid bankruptcy and recover,\u201d states Brian Bissett of The MFP Report<\/i>.<\/p>\n

Konica Minolta \u2013<\/b> How brilliant of a move was the acquisition of All Covered back in early 2011? That\u2019s a rhetorical question. The All Covered Network continues to expand exponentially with more acquisitions being announced what seems like monthly. With the future of the industry pointing towards managed services Konica Minolta is well positioned to compete in this new environment. \u201cRight behind Samsung is Konica Minolta who is equally aggressive and helping their dealers transition to a services model,\u201d says Cannata.<\/p>\n

At the same time, the recent acquisition of long-time Ricoh dealership DocuSource was a major coupe for the company and strengthens a strong direct channel.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlthough the article is \u2018Companies to Watch,\u2019 you have to mention Konica Minolta simply because of their leadership position in the industry and their strong momentum,\u201d adds Callinan. \u201cRick Taylor has the company running on all cylinders and Alan Nielsen is doing a fabulous job with the dealer community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Toshiba \u2013<\/b> The inclusion of Toshiba on this list may be a surprise to some readers, but if you peer closely under the hood you might find a company that has a lot going for it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI’ve been impressed with Toshiba’s ability to focus on what the market needs and then craft an approach to that need that may or may not use Toshiba products,\u201d says Strategy Development\u2019s Callinan. \u201cThey not only talk about services, their actions indicate they live the mantra. This is evidenced by the fact that they sell Lexmark and HP printers in their MPS agreements. They realize that balanced deployment is key and they need to offer their customers a strong printer option along with their solid line of MFPs. I also like how Toshiba is combining their focus on service and their branch network to launch a national sales program focused to services, supported with their portfolio of products such as laptops and digital signage.\u201d<\/p>\n

HP \u2013<\/b> Speaking of financial issues and train wrecks, there\u2019s HP, a company that\u2019s become somewhat of a poster child for a technological power that has hit more than its share of bumps in the road of late. At press time HP was sponsoring an analyst event in Boston this week. It will be interesting to hear what comes out of that if anything. What\u2019s interesting is that despite their troubles, no one seems to be throwing in the towel on them.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are too many good parts for them to keep spinning their wheels like this,\u201d says Andy Slawetsky, president of Industry Analysts.<\/p>\n

\u201cHP has tons of IP, very compelling technology, ranging from their traditional core in servers, storage, networking, security, services, cloud and imaging; and an incredibly strong, smart and agile leadership\/management team ( I think to a person the best in the industry),\u201d adds Infotrends\u2019 Reardon. \u201cMeg Whitman is the executive to watch because she is believable, authentic and has a vision that is clear. Her impact is already being felt across the entire HP landscape from stakeholders to shareholders.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nuance –<\/b> \u00a0I\u2019m not surprised that Nuance came up in conversation when assembling this list. \u201cThe firm has built a substantial print management, capture, and conversion business with strategic acquisitions that include eCopy, Equitrac, and SafeCom,\u201d notes Ann Priede with Photizo Group. \u201cThey seem to have their finger on the pulse of the imaging industry, and their leadership position in voice recognition technology will serve them well in a world where mobility is playing an increasingly pivotal role.\u201d<\/p>\n

Memjet –<\/b> Photizo\u2019s Priede points out that Memjet has been on the fringes of the office printing market for a number of years. \u201cBut 2013 could be the year of the page-wide-array ink jet machine, in no small part thanks to HP’s launch of the Officejet Pro X. Memjet understands the benefits of this technology for office users, with respect to price\/performance and operating costs, and is taking its message to the MPS community with its Parts Now partnership.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sindoh \u2013<\/b> They may be a long shot, but this Korean manufacturer of printers and MFPs is now trying to gain a foothold in the U.S. market. In a world where six degrees of separation is sort of the norm, the company has partnered with Ricoh, Konica Minolta and Lexmark over the years. As The MFP Report\u2019s Brian Bissett writes, \u201cSindoh is an up and comer and one to watch to see if they gain any traction in the U.S.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I think we can all agree that the imaging and office technology industry is a volatile business. You\u2019ve got big players, small players, and those in between. For all of them and the industry, things here are changing and evolving all the time. Round and round and round things go, where they\u2019ll end up, it\u2019s anybody\u2019s guess. With that in mind, I asked various movers and shakers throughout the industry what companies should dealers, resellers, and the rest of us in the industry watch closely in 2013 and why? I was hoping to focus on five, but ended up with eight. The responses were mostly consistent although you\u2019ll find a couple of surprises in here as well. Samsung \u2013 They may not be there yet as a top second-tier player, but they\u2019re rapidly moving in that direction. Consider that some substantial office technology dealers are signing on, including long-time Ricoh and Canon dealers. We can certainly attribute the latter to Tod Pike, who many dealers worked closely with back when he was at Canon. \u201cSamsung is the one to watch – they are extremely aggressive with a very specific focus and they are implementing their plan,\u201d states Frank Cannata of MRC. \u201cIt is a fairly well known fact that Samsung puts financial strength behind any market they enter, and the MFP market will be no different,\u201d predicts Tom Callinan of Strategy Development. \u201cThey hired a strong leader in Tod Pike and they are really focused on how devices will be deployed in the future based on technology. They can take this \u2018clean sheet\u2019 perspective due to the fact that they don’t have a high market share of devices deployed. So Samsung has the combination of strong leadership, deep finances, and lacks the strong legacy placement base of many of the industry OEMs, making them the perfect disruptive force in the industry.\u201d Those sentiments are echoed by Jon Reardon, an analyst with Infotrends. \u201cThey have market momentum and tons of cash, IP, and compelling products from a consumer perspective.\u201d Sharp \u2013 Sharp has had a big time image problem as a result of the company\u2019s financial troubles, which are completely unrelated to their office technology business. That remains a profitable business segment. Still, it\u2019s having an impact. While the rumor mill continues to churn out prognostications regarding Sharp\u2019s future in the office technology business, there\u2019s still a good chance that all of the doom and gloom that folks are predicting will blow over and business will continue as usual. \u00a0\u201cI guess I would mention Sharp [as a company to watch] in terms of what happens to their hardcopy business as they continue to struggle as a corporation to avoid bankruptcy and recover,\u201d states Brian Bissett of The MFP Report. Konica Minolta \u2013 How brilliant of a move was the acquisition of All Covered back in early 2011? That\u2019s a rhetorical question. The All Covered Network continues to expand exponentially with more acquisitions being announced what seems like monthly. With the future of the industry pointing towards managed services Konica Minolta is well positioned to compete in this new environment. \u201cRight behind Samsung is Konica Minolta who is equally aggressive and helping their dealers transition to a services model,\u201d says Cannata. At the same time, the recent acquisition of long-time Ricoh dealership DocuSource was a major coupe for the company and strengthens a strong direct channel. \u201cAlthough the article is \u2018Companies to Watch,\u2019 you have to mention Konica Minolta simply because of their leadership position in the industry and their strong momentum,\u201d adds Callinan. \u201cRick Taylor has the company running on all cylinders and Alan Nielsen is doing a fabulous job with the dealer community.\u201d Toshiba \u2013 The inclusion of Toshiba on this list may be a surprise to some readers, but if you peer closely under the hood you might find a company that has a lot going for it. \u201cI’ve been impressed with Toshiba’s ability to focus on what the market needs and then craft an approach to that need that may or may not use Toshiba products,\u201d says Strategy Development\u2019s Callinan. \u201cThey not only talk about services, their actions indicate they live the mantra. This is evidenced by the fact that they sell Lexmark and HP printers in their MPS agreements. They realize that balanced deployment is key and they need to offer their customers a strong printer option along with their solid line of MFPs. I also like how Toshiba is combining their focus on service and their branch network to launch a national sales program focused to services, supported with their portfolio of products such as laptops and digital signage.\u201d HP \u2013 Speaking of financial issues and train wrecks, there\u2019s HP, a company that\u2019s become somewhat of a poster child for a technological power that has hit more than its share of bumps in the road of late. At press time HP was sponsoring an analyst event in Boston this week. It will be interesting to hear what comes out of that if anything. What\u2019s interesting is that despite their troubles, no one seems to be throwing in the towel on them. \u201cThere are too many good parts for them to keep spinning their wheels like this,\u201d says Andy Slawetsky, president of Industry Analysts. \u201cHP has tons of IP, very compelling technology, ranging from their traditional core in servers, storage, networking, security, services, cloud and imaging; and an incredibly strong, smart and agile leadership\/management team ( I think to a person the best in the industry),\u201d adds Infotrends\u2019 Reardon. \u201cMeg Whitman is the executive to watch because she is believable, authentic and has a vision that is clear. Her impact is already being felt across the entire HP landscape from stakeholders to shareholders.\u201d Nuance – \u00a0I\u2019m not surprised that Nuance came up in conversation when assembling this list. \u201cThe firm has built a substantial print management, capture, and conversion business with strategic acquisitions that include eCopy, Equitrac, and SafeCom,\u201d notes Ann Priede with Photizo Group. \u201cThey seem […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[82],"tags":[105,428,429,430,203,208,431,432,224,433,272,295,322,333,434,339,346,348],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3633"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3633"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3633\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4586,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3633\/revisions\/4586"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3633"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3633"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3633"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}