Channel Insight

Rewarding Loyalty: Konica Minolta Seeks to Reestablish Lofty Status in the Dealer Community

It’s been said that when times are tough, that’s when one learns who their true friends are and, conversely, which ones are only fair-weather pals. When the pandemic and its related business disruptions visited Konica Minolta Business Solutions in a most-unkind fashion, it didn’t
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Toshiba’s LEAD Beyond Conference Exemplifies Why Print Still Thrives

It’s sometimes dangerous to get caught up in prevailing theories, especially as they pertain to the office technology space. Larry White, for one, eschews the talk surrounding the demise, current or pending, of print. The president and CEO of Toshiba America Business Solutions
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What’s Behind Ninestar’s Lawsuit Against the U.S. Government?

At the end of August, Ninestar Corporation and eight of its subsidiaries filed suit in the United States Court of International Trade (CIT) against a group of U.S. governmental agencies and administrators. The plaintiffs, all based in Zhuhai, China, accuse the defendants of
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OEM Report Cards: A Comparison of FY 2022 Financial Results

Two years after the COVID-induced market collapse, the copier and printer industries continued to recover in fiscal year 2022. At Actionable Intelligence, the leading source of news and analysis for the home and office printer and copier industries, we saw product availability
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Despite Inflation’s Knock on Business Door, GreatAmerica Shines a Path to Dealer Opportunities

Referring to GreatAmerica Financial Services as a leasing company is similar to calling Disney World a theme park: technically, it’s correct, but there’s quite a bit more at play that helps define both. Yes, GreatAmerica is a leading finance arm to the office technology end-user
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Products on Parade: Sharp’s Mike Marusic Provides Blueprint for Success in Las Vegas

One could say that Mike Marusic, the president and CEO of Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America, revealed a devious side of himself during June’s national dealer meeting (NDM) at the Wynn Las Vegas. Yet, he expressed amazement that the company’s top-secret plans to
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Laser-Unfocused: Return of InkBoldly Conference Allows Epson to Evangelize PrecisionCore

There’s a wonderful story to be heard, in Elliot Williams’ estimation, when it comes to Epson’s PrecisionCore Heat-Free Technology. But a small hiccup occurred around the time the manufacturer played host to InkBoldly—its inaugural business inkjet dealer conference—in early March
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Enterprise Maiden Voyage: Launch Catapults Brother into Bold, New Frontier

It’s a story Bob Burnett has heard before. For years, customers and prospects have employed Brother International products for home use, raving about their quality and reliability. The manufacturer’s wares are ubiquitous, and it needs no introduction from a branding standpoint.
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Partner Prowess: Ricoh Predicates Success on Growth of its Dealers

In mapping out a timeline of the past 25 years, Jim Coriddi notes remarkable growth spurts walk hand-in-hand with some of the most significant business advances/movements to hit the office technology sector. The senior vice president, dealer division for Ricoh USA, Inc. touched
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Prioritizing Cloud Solutions, Remote Communications Tools Highlights Canon Playbook

Understanding that better times are ahead can be a difficult notion after a business-altering event such as the pandemic. But when manufacturers such as Canon continue innovating to address current hybrid needs, it’s much easier for dealers to reconcile the margin loss of
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An Undeterred Xerox Carves Out Bold Future Through Digital Transformation

As the dean of the office technology manufacturer space at the ripe young age of 116, Xerox Corp. has experienced its share of triumphs and tribulations. Suffice to say, 2022 has challenged the venerable Norwalk, Connecticut-based OEM with unimaginably difficult and sobering
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As Supply Chain Battle Rages on, Konica Minolta Remains Rev’d Up for the Future

As much as she would love to wave a magic wand and make it disappear, Laura Blackmer knows the supply chain struggle confronting the industry isn’t going anywhere in the foreseeable future. That said, the recently promoted president of dealer sales for Konica Minolta Business
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Keeping Lines Open: Despite Chip Shortage, Supply Chain Obstacles and Inflation, Sharp Continues to Gain Market Share

As president and CEO of a major industry manufacturer, Mike Marusic must be tempted to wear a fireman’s helmet to the office. Just like an effective FD captain, the leader of Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America takes a measured approach to the smoldering
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Working the Plan: Epson Skirts Supply Chain Woes, Rides Momentum of PrecisionCore Technology

One could say Joseph Contreras is living a charmed business life. From an Xs and Os standpoint, one could call it 75% coordination and 25% execution. The luck variable isn’t factored in here; while Contreras may modestly confess to good fortune, nothing has been left to fate.
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No Boundaries: With Print Volumes Slowly Returning, Lexmark Seeks to Break Loose Courtesy of A4 and the Cloud

It’s tough to keep Clark Bugg penned up for long. The director of North America channel sales for Lexmark International compares himself to a fenced-in dog running around the perimeter of the yard, angling to bust through to the other side. And as the pandemic slowly recedes and
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