OKI Printing Solutions Corporate Backgrounder
02/01/2010
OKI Printing Solutions is a global business-to-business brand dedicated to creating professional printed communications products, applications and services which increase the efficiency of today’s businesses.
From printers to faxes and multi-functional products through applications and services, OKI Printing Solutions has brought to market a range of incredibly fast and high performance machines that consistently win awards and beat the competition. Today OKI Printing Solutions is a major player in the printer market and is totally dedicated to creating relevant, high performance products, applications and services to meet the individual in-house printing needs of both today’s and tomorrow’s businesses.
OKI Printing Solutions offers a portfolio of products that are specifically designed in response to the needs of the business customer. OKI Printing Solutions categorises its product ranges into five distinct segments: Serial Impact Dot Matrix (SIDM), Colour Non-Impact Printers (NIP), Mono NIP and Fax, and Multifunction Products (MFPs).
OKI Printing Solutions' turnover has grown constantly year on year, since FY2000, achieving record growth last year with a 10% increase on the previous year. This year the company is budgeting further growth of over 6%, as a result of its strong first half figures – which were 8% up on the previous year.
OKI Printing Solutions' continued growth in the business 10ppm plus colour segment has confirmed its position as the main challenger brand to HP, with the new C3000 Series and C5000 Series printers continuing to be positively received in the market. Additionally, the company is number 3 in A3 colour segment and a clear number 2 in Europe in terms of value and units shipped.
It employs over 25,000 people across the world and is represented in 120 countries. There are four regional headquarters:
> EMEA - based in London, UK
> Americas – based in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, USA
> Japan – based in Tokyo, Japan
> Asia Pacific – based in Tokyo, Japan
OKI Printing Solutions, is a subsidiary of parent company, Oki Electric Industry Company Limited, based in Tokyo.
How it all began
The parent company, Oki Electric was established in 1881 by Kibataro Oki and began life trading as Meikosha Ltd in a rented two storey office block in the heart of Tokyo. Its founder, a silversmith by trade, nurtured a burning passion for innovation and firmly believed Japan was on the verge of entering the communication age. Before passing away, at the age of 58, Oki had already paved the way for his company to become the first successful telecommunications manufacturer in Japan.
In addition to pioneering activity within telecommunications, Oki Electric quickly grew and began innovating in others areas of communication. The post Second World War period saw the development of ATM machines, teletypewriters and electronic computers. Faxes and connectivity advances followed later in the century before printing came to the fore, initially in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and then later with the introduction of LED.
Today’s OKI Printing Solutions……
OKI Printing Solutions focuses only in the field of business printed communications, has a true understanding of what businesses require from their printing solutions and provides a range of products that respond to their needs whatever their size or type of organisation. With the help and guidance OKI Printing Solutions provides through a number of tools and services, companies are able to bring more of their printing in-house, providing a cost saving from outsourcing and ultimately improve their bottom line.
Since September 2000 with the launch of the C7000 Series and the C9000 Series, OKI Printing Solutions has been at the forefront of innovation in the A4 & A3 colour page printer market segment through its range of market leading, Digital LED colour printers. OKI Printing Solutions has continued to innovate and bring new models to market, expand its applications and services and believes that only genuine in-house printing solutions will drive the growth of colour adoption in business. Our focus is on the professional colour page printer segment (>10ppm) that offer effective colour & mono printing and where productivity is vital.
- Ends –
For further information please contact:
Hayley Cheshire, The Whiteoaks Consultancy (EU), +44 (0)1252 727313
email: hayleyc@whiteoaks.co.uk
Notes to editors:
> OKI Printing Solutions is the brand name of OKI Data Corporation
> Annual turnover for OKI Data Corporation is 187.9 billion yen. (FY07)
> OKI Printing Solutions’ sales are divided between 54.3% EMEA, 22.3% Americas, 17.8% Asia and Oceania and 5.6% Others.
> OKI Printing Solutions is represented in over 120 countries worldwide
> OKI Printing Solutions is a subsidiary of Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
> Oki Electric Industry, established in 1881, is Japan's first telecommunications manufacturer with an annual turnover of 719.7 billion yen.
> Oki Electric Industry employs approx. 22,640 people throughout the world with 7,327 employees outside Japan
> More details on Oki Electric Industry can be found at www.oki.com
Brief History and Key Dates
2006 Launch of smallest A3 colour printers - C8000 Series
2005 OKI Printing Solutions launched and its entry into the MFP market
2003 OKI launched the C5000 Series – the first affordable 2 in 1 colour & mono printer for the SME market
2002 The next generation C7000 and C9000 Series launched
2000 OKI introduced a new portfolio of digital colour printers, the C7000 and C9000 Series
1998 OKI launched its first digital colour printer incorporating LED – the OKIPAGE 8c
1994 OKI Data Corporation established
1990 OKI Europe Limited established
1989 OKI launched the OL4000 mono printer - the first across Europe to have LED technology
1979 OKI launched its first printer - the MICROLINE 80
1977 OKI developed first electronic switching system, the KC Series
1974 OKI’s first thermal-type facsimile, OKIFAX600, is launched
1967 OKISAVER, Oki’s cash dispenser, is launched at the Fuji Bank
1964 OKI launched first SIDM (Serial Impact Dot Matrix) Printer
1961 OKI launched first electronic typewriter
1953 OKI developed first teletypewriter
1906 Kibatora OKI died
1889 OKI was born - Meikosha Ltd. re-branded as OKI Electric works
1882 Kibataro Oki introduced his first major invention, the Microsound device, an Edison type telephone using carbon powder instead of carbon rods
1881 Kibataro Oki (Oki-san) established Meikosha Ltd in Tokyo
