Epson launches new products

Japanese electronics giant Epson has unveiled a new line of business solutions for the Philippine market in its bid to strengthen its presence in the local corporate sector.

The company is targeting a 10 percent growth in revenues this year from its Philippine operations, thus the need to revamp its selling strategy in the local corporate market.

From printers that cut paper and energy consumption to high-quality projectors that minimize the need for print handouts during meetings, Epson said its new business tools deliver a win-win solution that boosts the corporate bottom line and lessens the environmental impact of businesses.

“Epson believes in creating the enlightened corporate workplace — the company’s unique take on the mythical ‘paperless office’,” Epson Philippines general manager Eduardo Bonoan said. ”Our new line of printers and projector help us achieve this vision — one that envisions every Philippine corporate office as an efficient and responsible place of business.”

Company officials noted in a recent briefing that the corporate sector yearns for the “paperless office” to become a reality.

In the face of skyrocketing oil and commodity prices, companies look forward to a time when digital screens can replace paper and printing, which currently represents five to 10 percent of all corporate expenditures exclusive of labor, according to the US Department of Commerce. Companies are also becoming concerned with environmental responsibility, since the average office worker generates two pounds of paper waste a day.

Citing these cost and accountability reasons, many corporate executives are aiming to minimize their paper footprint, but the necessity of paper and printing makes the ‘paperless office’ seem like a faraway dream.

Epson, however, believes the “paperless office” can be reimagined. Instead of making paper obsolete, the leader in digital imaging and printing solutions noted that it aims for a more realistic goal of minimizing paper waste.

In line with this vision, Epson recently launched a suite of new business tools that are powerful, reliable and eco-responsible.

The Epson B500DN business inkjet printer and Epson M2010DN Aculaser printer are paper efficient printers that cut down office paper consumption by half through duplex technology, a back-to-back printing feature.

Aside from paper, both printers also save energy — a great boon for businesses burdened by high electricity costs. Despite its fast printing speed of 37 pages per minute for both color and monochrome, the Epson B500DN offers the lowest power consumption usage in its printer class of 32W. The Epson M2010DN printer, meanwhile, turns off immediately after printing 28 pages per minute — a built-in feature that minimizes overall energy consumption.

Both printers are also equipped with Micro Piezo print head, an Epson-patented technology that won the Perkin Medal, the most prestigious SDC (Society of Dyers and Colorists) medal for discoveries related to tinctorial and allied industries — the Nobel Prize in printing technology.

Armed with Micro Piezo print head, the new business printers deliver the ink exactly where it’s needed on the paper. Both business printers also use inks that resist fading and bleeding to provide business users with professional-quality pictures in color or black and white.

Company officials also unveiled an ideal complement to Epson’s eco-responsible printers, the Epson EMP-400W ultra-short focus projector which is an ideal presentation aid in corporate boardrooms.

With high projection quality at short focal distances, the Epson EMP-400W minimizes the need for thick boardroom handouts — another innovative way to save paper. Its ultra-short lens reduces distracting shadows and silhouettes experience commonly when using traditional long-throw projectors. Executive presenters are thus able to move freely without blocking the audience view of fellow team members.

The Epson EMP-400W also offers seamless viewing experience. Its 3LCD technology enables superior color luminance to produce sharp color images.

Earlier, Epson executives said the company continues to maintain leadership in some categories of the local printer market, particularly, the consumer segment.

“Our yearly revenues increased by nearly 10 percent, and our market share of the consumer segment remains strong,” Epson Philippines president Hideto Nakamura said.

Citing an International Data Corp. (IDC) report, Nakamura said Epson held 28 percent share of the inkjet printer market and 45 percent of the single-function printer segment.

As the only player among printer makers to sell dot matrix printers, Epson also has a near monopoly of this market with a 95 percent share, he added.

Nakamura noted that Epson’s 2007 fiscal report saw the company generating 50 percent of its revenues from the consumer segment.

He also revealed that Epson is aiming to generate P4 billion in the next three to five years from its Philippine operations, adding that the company is strengthening its retail strategies and will continue to drive technologies that appeal to consumers.

Epson admitted, however, that it needs to “overhaul” its selling “technique” and refocus its marketing strategy for the corporate sector.

According to Bonoan, the company needs to “fine-tune” to better address the corporate and government sectors.

Bonoan said almost all of Epson’s products, for both the consumer and corporate segments, are currently offered in the local market.

“What we need to address is how to best market these solutions to corporate entities and government agencies as well,” he said.