Ricoh Calls it Quits on Most of Old IBM Printer Business

Last Tuesday, Ricoh announced the halt to the entire old IBM Printing Systems operation, lately operating as 'InfoPrint'.

The large-end roll-fed printers, software and services were folded into a new Ricoh operation called RPPS back in April.

Everything else known as 'InfoPrint' was announced Tuesday to come to an end on December 30, 2011:
- Business Partners, called 'Solution Specialists' to the Ricoh folks;
- Maintenance sales through any partner channel;
- Industrial impact and thermal printers;
- Workgroup printers;
- Cutsheet printers.

What will continue?
- For now, and some of 2012, the RPPS service organization;
- For a while, the 'InfoPrint' product name on the big roll-fed printers. Watch for that to likely end as well. Ricoh feels their brand is a stronger one than InfoPrint, and they are unwilling to pay to use the IBM logo.

What to look for in the future?
- Outsource of Service: Ricoh has to honor any prepaid service contracts, but they made no promise that it will be their personnel doing the service delivery. Look for a quick outsource of Industrial, Impact, Thermal, and Workgroup printers! There is no more problem with some customer with poor customer satisfaction that would threaten to stop buying InfoPrint printers. Ricoh can say "Guess what! Knock yourself out, because we don't sell those printers anyway!!!"
- Layoffs: Unfortunately, Ricoh is looking to cut a bunch of people, and when you outsource the work, you have extra people on the payroll that can be cut loose.
- Service Management Shakeup: Why have the old 'InfoPrint' managers when the Ikon/Ricoh group has lots of local service management?

In May, Ricoh Quit the InfoPrint Industrial Business in Europe

On May 24, 2011, Ricoh Announces and Discontinues the European Sale of New ServicePacs for All InfoPrint Industrial Printers

On the very same day, Ricoh announced and quit selling maintenance on the industrial product line. Can the same action be far behind in the USA?

Customer Reference Document #11-1054

Withdrawal From Marketing: 24x7 Industrial ServicePacs for Europe

Announce date: May 24, 2011

Withdrawal from Marketing: All 24x7 On-site Maintenance Packs for the InfoPrint 6500,and 6400 Line Matrix, InfoPrint 6700 Thermal, and InfoPrint 4247 Printers in Europe

Overview

Effective May 24, 2011, InfoPrint Solutions Company is withdrawing the Maintenance Packs shown in the table below. No orders will be accepted on or after May 24, 2011.

All 24x7 Maintenance Packs for all InfoPrint 6500, 6400, 4247, and 6700 printers are being withdrawn in Europe.