Apr. 17, 2006—This year’s Océ OpenHouse, held in Poing, Germany, just a short hop from Munich, was the largest the company has ever held, with 20 new hardware and software product launches, as well as a host of technologies on display. The firm had more than 5,000 visitors attend the week-long event, and contingents represented almost every part of the globe.

"OpenHouse 2006 is 25 percent larger [this year] than previous years," said Rokus van Iperen, chief executive officer, Océ NV. "Bigger and better than ever—that is a sign of things at Océ today."

Overall, the company employs more than 21,000 people worldwide, with sales and service in 30 countries and an annual revenue of $4.5 billion. Océ is the leader in wide-format and continuous-feed printers, and the number two company in cut-sheet printers. The United States accounts for approximately 50 percent of that volume.

The biggest news for the U.S. market was the acquisition and continuing integration of the Imagistics distribution network. Now re-branded Océ Imagistics, the new network brought 160 new branch offices around the country into the company fold.

Originally a spin-off from Pitney Bowes in 2001, the company was primarily a distribution facility, with an install base of 330,000 units across various product segments. The firm has a reputation for selling only what it considers the best, and prides itself on facilities where it puts new potential products to the test before going out to sell them.

Government Matters
The convergence comes from the fact that Océ had a strong international brand, something the original Imagistics operation was missing, as well as a strong presence in the federal government. Imagistics brings a relationship with the state governments to the table, where Océ had struggled in the past.

"Bigger and better than ever—that is a sign of things at Océ today."
The new Océ Imagistics business unit combines the former Imagistics company with the office segment portion of Océ’s Digital Document Systems (DDS) division. According to Joe Skrzypczak, president of Océ Imagistics, the merger has already produced joint activities between the two sales teams, with the division working jointly "customer by customer" to find the best solution for each situation.

Océ took the opportunity at OpenHouse 2006 to launch several new products for the commercial print market. One of those is the new Printroom Assessment, part of the Océ Professional Printroom Program. In this new service, Océ representatives do a thorough analysis of a shop’s print room and business case, and then provide a benchmark of performance.

The goal is to give printers an objective view of how well their business functions, looking at everything from workflow to technology. After an assessment, advice will be given on how to optimize their set-up to maximize performance, as well as suggestions on ways to promote their services.

A Wide-Angle View
The company also introduced a variety of new hardware, including several new wide-format machines, including the TCS300. The color printer is aimed at streamlining document output and eliminating wait times. It can print one A0-size print per minute in color, and in monochrome it prints that size at approximately one every 40 seconds.

The company also has several new wide-format machines aimed at the monochrome market, including the TCS500 printing system.

"Color is very exciting. Still, it is used for quite specific applications.

The majority of wide-format documents are printed in black and white. While it varies by geographic region, the global volume of monochrome prints continues to increase," according to Tom Egelund, executive vice president of the Wide Format Printing Systems division.

"As the leader in this technology, Océ provides the most extensive portfolio of monochrome products. We continue to invest in monochrome product development because our customers demand it."