01732 759725 36 PITR: So, drupa has delivered some new leads and new opportunities for you? Hiro Matsui: Yes, exactly, while drupa is mostly focused on commercial print, we also had our office technology on our booth. Now, partners especially POD partners, are also willing to stock the office products. Our production print products mostly focus on the over 60/65 ppm category, but some of the commercial print companies also like to have A3 which is lower than 60 ppm, meaning there is a place for office printers to fulfil. PITR: The Apeos branded range is comprehensive across both A3 and A4, but what do you see as key differentiators? Hiro Matsui: We have a number of propositions. One is reliability, so our product itself is quite robust, so partners can minimise downtime and make their service more efficient. The next thing is security. In the APAC market, security is a high priority item and as the leading brand in this market, I believe we can also create a security proposition in Europe, as well as in the UK. Sustainability is a global issue now. In May we launched a circular manufacturing system in the Netherlands which will initially cover toner refilling. So, we are going to establish our proposition also around sustainability and the circular manufacturing system will be a successful part of that. PITR: From a dealer’s perspective, what are you bringing to the table that’s going to attract them to partner with you? Gary Organ: We’ve already talked about the fact that we’re going down the channel-only route, which is quite unique in the current market for a brand as significant as Fujifilm to be able to and sales division, because that enables us to add value to their business. We’re looking to grow throughout the coming weeks and months. Initially we’re going to keep the channel relatively small but expand as we scale up our resource into the channel as well. PITR: We’ve talked about your UK go to market strategy, but you also have plans to expand into Europe, how are you approaching that market and what has been achieved to date? Hiro Matsui: In April this year, we launched our product in Italy, with our distribution partner and we are gradually going to expand our business to France and Spain. This will be the focus for 2024. There are many more partners in various countries in Europe who after drupa are willing to have a discussion with Fujifilm. So, whilst we are still a small team, we will gradually expand to those countries where the partner would like to have Fujifilm. PrintIT Reseller (PITR): Although Fujifilm is a new OEM brand in the UK printer market, it’s actually a name that is synonymous with decades of print and imaging expertise. Can you tell me a bit about the brand’s heritage? Hiro Matsui: Fujifilm recently launched our office range in the UK and we were said to be a newcomer in Europe, but in fact Fujifilm was established in 1962 as a joint venture between Xerox and Fuji Photo Film and this means that we already have a 60 year-old heritage in office printing. And in 1972, we also began to develop our own technology. So, while we are a newcomer here in the UK, we already have an established experience of the office business in the APAC market and that’s now expanding to Europe. PITR: Gary, you’re heading up the office technology business in the UK, that’s quite an exciting proposition, what’s the plan? Gary Organ: It is a unique situation, as Hiro has just touched on, for a brand with such heritage to expand into what is a mature market. Our plan is to grow through a channel route to market. We’re looking to take on partners that have worked in the channel and are focused on print initially. We’ve already launched with our first partner – Aurora, and we’re looking to grow that channel over the coming weeks and months as well. PITR: You mentioned that you’re adopting a channel-first strategy and to kick that off you’ve joined forces with Aurora as your launch partner, how are you looking to build and expand your partner network? Gary Organ: So initially, we’re looking for partners that have expertise in the print sector, specifically focused on print and the MFP market. We’re looking for partners that have a service division INTERVIEW A conversation with Fujifilm Gary Organ, Head of Device Technology (DT) and Hiro Matsui, Manager DT Europe at Fujifilm speak to Michelle Ryder about how Fujifilm is leveraging decades of experience in the print industry to establish itself in the UK market. They discuss the key differentiators of the Apeos branded printer and MFP range, the company’s channel-first strategy, as well as plans to build out its partner network. Here’s an excerpt of the discussion In April this year, we launched our product in Italy, with our distribution partner and we are gradually going to expand our business to France and Spain. This will be the focus for 2024
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