Ricoh Creates New Production Printing Unit

Ricoh Americas Corp. has established a new Production Printing Business Group (PPBG) to specifically focus on the unique, customer driven requirements of data center, in-plant and graphic arts environments.

PPBG will have a dedicated direct sales team, channel operations and solutions engineers working to define, build, implement and support production printing solutions. According to the company, it will offer a portfolio of proven, and evolving, monochrome and color products, along with best-in-class alliance partners. Included in the group is the recently formed InfoPrint Solutions Co., Ricoh’s new joint venture with IBM.

At Gaph Expo, the company previewed its “Ricoh Future Color” (RFC) technology in a corner of its booth that was shrouded by a red curtain. Select customers were allowed to peak inside at the cut-sheet device that is said to be positioned between Ricoh’s current light production systems and the high-end solutions it now can offer. This includes the InfoPrint 5000 ink-jet color system for high-volume transpromo and direct mail production and the family of Kodak NexPress digital color presses it now is reselling under a new agreement with Eastman Kodak.