Ricoh Invests Millions in Avanti

Ricoh Co., Ltd. has made a multimillion dollar investment in Avanti Computer Systems, a Toronto-based provider of Print Management Information Systems (MIS) solutions. With numerous installations at in-plants, Avanti will now be able to bring its MIS tools to an even broader global market.

"This ensures the longevity of the company and the product, which provides security to both our customers and our employees," remarked Patrick Bolan, president and CEO of Avanti, in an interview with IPG.

Ricoh made this investment in Avanti to expand its reach across the print industry and ensure customers have access to the critical information they need, said Yasuhiko Hosoe, associate director and deputy general manager of Ricoh's Production Printing Business Group. Ricoh is committed to providing printers with alternative solutions that support open industry standards and connections to key production print technologies across vendors, noted Hosoe.

“Avanti’s Print MIS capability is a perfect complement to our portfolio," he said. "In the same way we automate print workflow, Avanti automates the printer’s back office systems: inventory management, job pricing, estimating, and billing. The investment also speaks to our 'imagine.change.' initiative, by enabling commercial and in-plant printers to streamline their businesses and seek efficiencies to lower costs, and improve their bottom line."

Ricoh previously invested in PTI Marketing Technologies, a provider of marketing automation solutions for enterprise users and print service providers. Ricoh is continuing to make these investments to further enhance the development of new management tools to help in-plants and commercial printers on their path toward efficiency and growth.

“The strategic investment by Ricoh means that we can accelerate product development and expand into new markets," added Bolan, who added that Avanti will continue operating independently.

Bolan told IPG that, as competitors like EFI have purchased other print MIS vendors, customers have wondered about Avanti's future and whether it, too, might become an EFI acquisition. This investment by Ricoh shows that Avanti's future is bright, he said, and the company will continue to grow and get stronger.

"It really signals to the marketplace that we're in it for the long haul, and that we will not be purchased by EFI," Bolan said.