Freshly back from the last rites and burial of the InfoPrint organization, Printronix made the announcement that for the last two decades, Printronix had been the sole OEM supplier of over 100,000 InfoPrint line printers and thermal printers.
In the Printronix press release, the company offers maintenance support and spare parts for the IBM and InfoPrint 6400, 6500, 4400 and 6700 printers.
From the announcement:
"Printronix provides a complete solution for InfoPrint Solutions customers, including a full line of printers, consumables and service offerings through the existing InfoPrint Channel Partner network which fully ensures uninterrupted customer support. InfoPrint end users can tap into the full product range offered by Printronix and its Channel Partners, who are trained and have the full backing of the Printronix global technical support team to ensure top tier customer support. "
In regards to Printer Connection, PCI is a Top Printronix (Platinum, one of <20) partner and was a Top InfoPrint partner (Premier, one of 10) until their tragic end.
A style of printer not sold or mentioned by Printronix is the 'Industrial Serial Matrix' printers known in IBM/InfoPrint customers as the 4247 and the previous 4230 and 4232. PCI is also a distributing partner (one of 4) for the Tally 4347 printer. This printer serves as a replacement and upgrade from the old 4247 and the new "Paint Shaker 4247-Z03". PCI can source the former InfoPrint 4247 as its OEM builder Compuprint is also coming out from behind the curtain. PCI strongly recommends evaluating the Tally 4347-i10 against the 4247-Z03 unit for any use on any printer stands other than a granite counter, as the Z03 can make many printer stands actually walk across the floor from the shaking.
Regarding maintenance service - the IBM and InfoPrint service was always and only offered as a 24x7 package, regardless of the customer's need or budget. The service norm in the industry is now 9x5 next business day and often with a spare printer as mission critical backup. PCI continues to offer and provide service and spares on all the InfoPrint and Printronix lines described in this Printronix action. For IBM/InfoPrint printers, service can be delivered by either PCI, Printronix, or a resale from PCI of Ricoh's continuing RPPS/contractor service arrangement for industrial printers.
For any information and discussion of future pricing and availability of service, parts and printers, contact Warren Neeley at 817-939-5614 or wneeley@pciprinters.com.
Showing posts with label Compuprint. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Compuprint. Show all posts
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Friday, December 30, 2011
Happy Trails to IBM and InfoPrint Printers
For many people in the business workplace, December 30, 2011 is the end to a long era. It might have have actually been in the summer 2010. That's when the Japanese copier company Ricoh stopped putting "Ricoh | IBM InfoPrint Solutions" on printer products.
When Ricoh bought IBM Printing Systems, it was reported that IBM required Ricoh to use the IBM Global Services consulting group to manage the IT transition. Big Mistake. IBM and Ricoh chose Oracle as the platform, organized many too many committee meetings (if one committee is good then eight committees are better), spent three years and executed no parallel testing. Cut-over in September 2011 was Cold Turkey .... and it killed the bird. Major Big Mistake. InfoPrint instantly became blind. They could not see if customers were entitled to maintenance, see if they had repair parts inventory, see how to invoice the sales, and other minor little things like that about running a business.
Ricoh the copier company had also bought out Ikon the copier sales company. The two copier companies became occupied with letting Ikon take over the operation of Ricoh Americas.
In April 2011, Ricoh announced the transition of and end to the InfoPrint organization. The big roll-fed machines were headed to Ricoh HQ in New Jersey to be run in the same building with IkonRicoh, and any other product line, personnel and business partners were to no longer exist in 2012.
So now what?
Understand that InfoPrint did not build any printers.
Printronix made the line printers, and InfoPrint had a different control panel and different IBM IPDS. That now goes away. Test your IPDS print on any new Printronix machines. Most of it will work the same, but it is not true, full, true-blue-IBM IPDS. If you absolutely must have it, work with us on a refurbished IBM unit.
Printronix supplied the thermal printers, with no change but the label.
Tally has been an alternative in serial printers and provides the 4347-i models 8 and 10 for the IBM printer marketplace.
Compuprint built the 4247 serial transaction printer, and it will be now be sold as the Compuprint 4247 with the same IPDS as before.
Lexmark provided the workgroup lasers, and the ONLY change was the label on the front panel. IPDS was the same.
Toray built the InfoPrint 62 and IBM did have a unique IPDS controller. MicroPlex has a wonderfully compatible IP62/IPDS module that drives all of their continuous forms laser printers, from Toray and others. The InfoPrint 75 (now will it become Ricoh 75??) CF laser could potentially be available from us in a cooperative marketing agreement with RPPS - stay tuned.
For more information or help in making the transition to non-InfoPrint products, contact Warren Neeley at wneeley@pciprinters.com or 817-939-5614. Read more at Warren's website.
When Ricoh bought IBM Printing Systems, it was reported that IBM required Ricoh to use the IBM Global Services consulting group to manage the IT transition. Big Mistake. IBM and Ricoh chose Oracle as the platform, organized many too many committee meetings (if one committee is good then eight committees are better), spent three years and executed no parallel testing. Cut-over in September 2011 was Cold Turkey .... and it killed the bird. Major Big Mistake. InfoPrint instantly became blind. They could not see if customers were entitled to maintenance, see if they had repair parts inventory, see how to invoice the sales, and other minor little things like that about running a business.
Ricoh the copier company had also bought out Ikon the copier sales company. The two copier companies became occupied with letting Ikon take over the operation of Ricoh Americas.
In April 2011, Ricoh announced the transition of and end to the InfoPrint organization. The big roll-fed machines were headed to Ricoh HQ in New Jersey to be run in the same building with IkonRicoh, and any other product line, personnel and business partners were to no longer exist in 2012.
So now what?
Understand that InfoPrint did not build any printers.
Printronix made the line printers, and InfoPrint had a different control panel and different IBM IPDS. That now goes away. Test your IPDS print on any new Printronix machines. Most of it will work the same, but it is not true, full, true-blue-IBM IPDS. If you absolutely must have it, work with us on a refurbished IBM unit.
Printronix supplied the thermal printers, with no change but the label.
Tally has been an alternative in serial printers and provides the 4347-i models 8 and 10 for the IBM printer marketplace.
Compuprint built the 4247 serial transaction printer, and it will be now be sold as the Compuprint 4247 with the same IPDS as before.
Lexmark provided the workgroup lasers, and the ONLY change was the label on the front panel. IPDS was the same.
Toray built the InfoPrint 62 and IBM did have a unique IPDS controller. MicroPlex has a wonderfully compatible IP62/IPDS module that drives all of their continuous forms laser printers, from Toray and others. The InfoPrint 75 (now will it become Ricoh 75??) CF laser could potentially be available from us in a cooperative marketing agreement with RPPS - stay tuned.
For more information or help in making the transition to non-InfoPrint products, contact Warren Neeley at wneeley@pciprinters.com or 817-939-5614. Read more at Warren's website.
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