{"id":61883,"date":"2024-09-19T13:05:57","date_gmt":"2024-09-19T20:05:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/?p=61883"},"modified":"2024-09-19T13:05:59","modified_gmt":"2024-09-19T20:05:59","slug":"impact-ful-partnership-major-dealer-highlights-katun-corp-s-foray-into-a3-mfp-theater","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/the-week-in-imaging-twii\/editors-blog\/2024\/09\/impact-ful-partnership-major-dealer-highlights-katun-corp-s-foray-into-a3-mfp-theater\/","title":{"rendered":"Impact-ful Partnership: Major Dealer Highlights Katun Corp.\u2019s Foray into A3 MFP Theater"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
Frank Cucco, Impact Networking<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Some would argue that adding another manufacturer line, at face value, would not be a priority for Impact Networking. After all, the dealer\u2014with reported revenues just shy of $200 million annually\u2014is better known for its managed IT, cloud services and cybersecurity, with a boost from its DOT Security spinoff concern. In fact, the company made significant investments in assessment and other measurement tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s more, Impact Networking already counts Konica Minolta, Kyocera and Ricoh among its hardware lines. With that strength of lineup, bringing aboard another logo seemingly isn\u2019t in the cards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of assessments, the above one is incorrect. For the second time in as many weeks, a heavy hitter in the dealer realm has highlighted a manufacturer\u2019s bold entry into the North American dealer market. Impact Networking is the first authorized reseller for Katun Corp. and its new Arivia line of 11 A3 color and monochrome MFPs. Katun, better known as a purveyor of parts and supplies to the industry for nearly 50 years, joined Fujifilm as new entries into the U.S. A3 market (last week, Fuji snared Marco as its first authorized U.S. dealer). Katun said it did not have any plans to sell directly to end-users, instead relying solely on its dealer partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frank Cucco, CEO of Impact Networking, noted that he met with Katun during a conference and was impressed with the OEM\u2019s strategy. Although he wasn\u2019t necessarily in the market for a new manufacturer line, Cucco identified the opportunity to forge a \u201cwin-win partnership\u201d that sees Impact adding Katun, and the OEM leveraging Impact\u2019s managed marketing division for its U.S. and global websites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a matter of rethinking the dynamics of relationships, according to Impact\u2019s CEO. \u201cWe feel that right now in the copier industry, the dealers are wielding the power,\u201d Cucco noted. \u201cIn the past, OEMs were able to own relationships. But the disruption in this industry is that there are now more choices than ever before. That creates a fairer situation for dealers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The advantages of using a company formerly known just as a distributor of parts and supplies is that it\u2019s easier to use the full Katun line without worrying about OEMs cancelling contracts. \u201cIt makes it a much more profitable situation long-term,\u201d Cucco added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new line consists of six color models (C2125, C2130, C3135, C4155 and C4165) that range between 25 and 65 ppm, and five monochrome (M2125, M2130, M3135, M3145 and M4155) available in 25 ppm to 55 ppm. They also come with finishing options including stapling, hole punch and booklet making capabilities. The line also boasts enhanced security features, among them remote update restrictions, IP address filtering, password-protected secure print and standard SSD data encryption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Arivia has been independently tested and certified by Buyers Lab, and is undergoing compatability testing with popular managed print applications including ECI Software\u2019s e-automate and Printanista, PaperCut\u2019s MF, NDD Print, KPAX, MPS Monitor and Katun\u2019s own KDFM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Katun\u2019s Katalyst dealer program is slated for launch at the end of the month. It will include a partner portal, and as part of the program, Katun is partnering with PrintReleaf on a reforestation initiative that will plant trees based on end-user output volume. This dovetails nicely with environmental-conscious verticals including education, government, defense contracting and publicly traded companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Ron Petrucci, Katun<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Ron Petrucci, general manager of the North American business unit for Katun, noted the company talked to various dealers and conducted surveys before the launch. Fortified with information regarding the common pain points dealers cited, the OEM was able to address those issues within its product and programs. Impact Networking, he said, was impressed with the points of differentiation Katun demonstrated and an approach that stands in stark contrast to the traditional way OEMs have conducted business for 50 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe size of the order was substantial. [Impact] is jumping in with both feet with our organization,\u201d Petrucci said during a press conference announcing Katun\u2019s A3 entry. \u201cThe Katalyst [dealer] program and the new approaches that we\u2019ve had to the business that makes them more profitable and makes business easy to transact, and it had as much to do with [Impact signing] as the features and benefits of our equipment, although they are also very robust. The aspects of what we put into programs, pricing concepts and so forth made the difference in them wanting to come on board with us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Arivia line is the culmination of a two-year co-development project with an unnamed manufacturing partner. In terms of the most compelling aspects of the new line, Tony Ko\u2014the director of printer business development for Katun\u2014noted the design of the platform is an enabler of efficiency for dealers partners in a number of areas, from serviceability to consumables and supplies requirements to the wealth of configurable options at their disposable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA lot of what we are looking at does allow for improvement in a dealer\u2019s ongoing business with these machines,\u201d he said. \u201cFrom an overall performance perspective, we believe they do offer some impressive color capabilities, color reproduction capabilities that can be quite disruptive against some of the OEMs competing in the marketplace today. There are elements of the products and the Katalyst program that can be disruptive as well, in terms of supporting the machines and their ongoing sales.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Katun has invested much of its energies in ensuring the Arivia line reached fruition, from poring over every element of its design to the testing phase. \u201cIt\u2019s been a long journey, to say the least,\u201d Ko added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Some would argue that adding another manufacturer line, at face value, would not be a priority for Impact Networking. After all, the dealer\u2014with reported revenues just shy of $200 million annually\u2014is better known for its managed IT, cloud services and cybersecurity, with a boost from its DOT Security spinoff concern. In fact, the company made significant investments in assessment and other measurement tools. What\u2019s more, Impact Networking already counts Konica Minolta, Kyocera and Ricoh among its hardware lines. With that strength of lineup, bringing aboard another logo seemingly isn\u2019t in the cards. Speaking of assessments, the above one is incorrect. For the second time in as many weeks, a heavy hitter in the dealer realm has highlighted a manufacturer\u2019s bold entry into the North American dealer market. Impact Networking is the first authorized reseller for Katun Corp. and its new Arivia line of 11 A3 color and monochrome MFPs. Katun, better known as a purveyor of parts and supplies to the industry for nearly 50 years, joined Fujifilm as new entries into the U.S. A3 market (last week, Fuji snared Marco as its first authorized U.S. dealer). Katun said it did not have any plans to sell directly to end-users, instead relying solely on its dealer partners. Frank Cucco, CEO of Impact Networking, noted that he met with Katun during a conference and was impressed with the OEM\u2019s strategy. Although he wasn\u2019t necessarily in the market for a new manufacturer line, Cucco identified the opportunity to forge a \u201cwin-win partnership\u201d that sees Impact adding Katun, and the OEM leveraging Impact\u2019s managed marketing division for its U.S. and global websites. It\u2019s a matter of rethinking the dynamics of relationships, according to Impact\u2019s CEO. \u201cWe feel that right now in the copier industry, the dealers are wielding the power,\u201d Cucco noted. \u201cIn the past, OEMs were able to own relationships. But the disruption in this industry is that there are now more choices than ever before. That creates a fairer situation for dealers.\u201d The advantages of using a company formerly known just as a distributor of parts and supplies is that it\u2019s easier to use the full Katun line without worrying about OEMs cancelling contracts. \u201cIt makes it a much more profitable situation long-term,\u201d Cucco added. The new line consists of six color models (C2125, C2130, C3135, C4155 and C4165) that range between 25 and 65 ppm, and five monochrome (M2125, M2130, M3135, M3145 and M4155) available in 25 ppm to 55 ppm. They also come with finishing options including stapling, hole punch and booklet making capabilities. The line also boasts enhanced security features, among them remote update restrictions, IP address filtering, password-protected secure print and standard SSD data encryption. The Arivia has been independently tested and certified by Buyers Lab, and is undergoing compatability testing with popular managed print applications including ECI Software\u2019s e-automate and Printanista, PaperCut\u2019s MF, NDD Print, KPAX, MPS Monitor and Katun\u2019s own KDFM. Katun\u2019s Katalyst dealer program is slated for launch at the end of the month. It will include a partner portal, and as part of the program, Katun is partnering with PrintReleaf on a reforestation initiative that will plant trees based on end-user output volume. This dovetails nicely with environmental-conscious verticals including education, government, defense contracting and publicly traded companies. Ron Petrucci, general manager of the North American business unit for Katun, noted the company talked to various dealers and conducted surveys before the launch. Fortified with information regarding the common pain points dealers cited, the OEM was able to address those issues within its product and programs. Impact Networking, he said, was impressed with the points of differentiation Katun demonstrated and an approach that stands in stark contrast to the traditional way OEMs have conducted business for 50 years. \u201cThe size of the order was substantial. [Impact] is jumping in with both feet with our organization,\u201d Petrucci said during a press conference announcing Katun\u2019s A3 entry. \u201cThe Katalyst [dealer] program and the new approaches that we\u2019ve had to the business that makes them more profitable and makes business easy to transact, and it had as much to do with [Impact signing] as the features and benefits of our equipment, although they are also very robust. The aspects of what we put into programs, pricing concepts and so forth made the difference in them wanting to come on board with us.\u201d The Arivia line is the culmination of a two-year co-development project with an unnamed manufacturing partner. In terms of the most compelling aspects of the new line, Tony Ko\u2014the director of printer business development for Katun\u2014noted the design of the platform is an enabler of efficiency for dealers partners in a number of areas, from serviceability to consumables and supplies requirements to the wealth of configurable options at their disposable. \u201cA lot of what we are looking at does allow for improvement in a dealer\u2019s ongoing business with these machines,\u201d he said. \u201cFrom an overall performance perspective, we believe they do offer some impressive color capabilities, color reproduction capabilities that can be quite disruptive against some of the OEMs competing in the marketplace today. There are elements of the products and the Katalyst program that can be disruptive as well, in terms of supporting the machines and their ongoing sales.\u201d Katun has invested much of its energies in ensuring the Arivia line reached fruition, from poring over every element of its design to the testing phase. \u201cIt\u2019s been a long journey, to say the least,\u201d Ko added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":166,"featured_media":58567,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[80,1650,82,1638],"tags":[764],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61883"}],"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\/166"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=61883"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61883\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":61886,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61883\/revisions\/61886"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/58567"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=61883"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=61883"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=61883"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}