Tuesday, October 16, 2012

InfoPrint 6500 Printers Still Running Mission-Critical Operations


There is still a brisk business in fulfilling the demand for the InfoPrint 6500 line of line matrix printers.  Regardless of the fact that IBM sold the entire division and then Ricoh eventually shut down the sales and operations of the InfoPrint Industrial Printers, many customers are still demanding the InfoPrint logo on their line printer.  

It's a secret that is not even loosely guarded anymore - Printronix built every one of the IBM InfoPrint, then Ricoh/IBM InfoPrint, then Ricoh InfoPrint versions of the 6500.  The only big difference is the IBM IPDS print language that only was available in the 6500.  The Printronix version is good, but in some bar code and heavy production, IPDS uses it just needs testing and verification to ensure the exact performance of the print stream.

There are some situations in which the customer does not want "to fight an uphill battle" to simply get a few printers.  Some customers have a list of approved printers previously tested, and the reward of testing the Printronix name is not deemed worth the hassle and time involved with their internal process.  Another issue is their software vendor's own approved list and the risk or threat of technical support restrictions that come with a non-approved printer acquisition.

For new printers, go for the Printronix P7000 lineup.  If you are bound by "approved list" restrictions, or just By-Golly you love that InfoPrint or the Eight-Bar Big Blue image, go for it while supplies last of expertly refurbished IBM InfoPrint 6500 line printers.

For more info on the InfoPrint 6500 line, visit http://www.chooseglmgroup.com/Pages/InfoPrint_6500.aspx or contact Warren Neeley at 817-939-5614 or WNeeley@PCIprinters.com.


Saturday, October 6, 2012

Customers Struggle with Software Companies Selling Hardware and Fear

The TRICK or TREAT of ISV hardware purchases!

Just in time for October, here's a scary tale about the dark and abandoned mansion at the end of the overgrown path in the woods..... "AHA!! Buy a different printer AT YOUR OWN RISK..."   MUWAHAHAHAHA!!!!!  

Software companies that sell hardware with their attached scare tactics are doing economic harm to their clients for their own profit.

Years ago, the big-time bank software company in small-time rural Missouri yanked IBM around like a new puppy on a brand new leash.  Big Blue would absolutely fawn all over the firm James Henry, usually known to their users as Jack, and Ass. ( No wait - maybe the abbreviation is Assoc - right?)  IBM gained a lot of server sales by Jack selling their bank solution, and they would enforce their profitable support from the fuselage door of one of their jet aircraft.  

Like the old saying "Lips that touch liquor will never touch mine", customers that showed the gumption to buy a printer NOT from Jack's sales team would rue the day that they ever thought of such a foolish move.  No support!  

Meanwhile, Jack was selling hundreds and hundreds of printers from HP - one of the largest competitors to IBM - and the Blue Server Team wouldn't dare tackle that issue for the Printer Division.  Why was Jack a fan of HP and not the new cut sheet performer from IBM?  Well, because they had an entire division that sold TONER and maintenance plans and paper supplies, and the IBM unit cut Jack out of selling toner with it included inside the maintenance plan.

Customers would buy multiple 50 ppm HP lasers and literally bring in toner by the pallet load.  The customers spent way more in operations cost than it would cost to buy and operate the higher volume IBM cut sheet printer, but it did not fit the payment plan for those Gulfstream jets out at the airport.
  
For another example, many auto dealerships have a software and support relationship with a vendor called Reynolds, with a name so nice they named it twice.  The line printer of choice was from C.Itoh - but the problem has been that C.Itoh has gone out of this printer business.  Then Reynolds & Reynolds chose, supported and sold IBM, the InfoPrint 6500 - but the problem now is IBM has gone out of this printer business.  


Customers tell us that Reynolds says that only the IBM InfoPrint 6500 will work.  Funny, but we have plenty of Reynolds customers that dare to disagree and are happily using the IBM 6400 Premium Refurbished & Re-manufactured by Printer Connection.


Read more about the C.Itoh CI1000E and CI500E troubles and click to see replacement options at: ChooseGLMgroup.com 

For more information, contact Warren Neeley at 817-939-5614 or WNeeley@PCIprinters.com