PrintIT Reseller - issue 49

01732 759725 38 PARTNER EVENT Sharp Europe’s President Jeff Ashida, told over 600 dealer representatives from 40 countries that the company is uniquely positioned to help them maximise profit now and in the future, as office technology evolves and becomes smarter. In a keynote speech, Ashida explained how Sharp is aggressively investing in new areas of technology where it has the potential to lead the world. He described the alliance with Foxconn as a ‘significant moment’ confirming that Sharp Corporation as a whole, has experienced rapid significant financial recovery since the manufacturing giant’s investment in August 2016. “Both companies are innovative and a good fit,” he said. The partnership is mutually beneficial. Foxconn can leverage the global Sharp brand and cutting-edge technology, while Foxconn’s manufacturing capability is a major advantage for Sharp, enabling it to expand its product portfolio more rapidly. Faster to market It was clear that Sharp is already reaping the benefits of Foxconn’s deep pockets. One of the major announcements during the partner event was the launch of a new range of A4 mono MFPs. The new MX- B355W and MX-B455W Advanced Series models are a tangible evidence piece of the Sharp/Foxconn relationship. The OEM was able to bring these to market within just 18 months. Available to the channel from March, the new A4 mono models which deliver print speeds of 35 pages per minute (ppm) and 45 ppm, offer the same powerful Sharp is back in operating profit for the first time in three years, that was a headline message at the OEM’s international partner event, Inspire Expo 2018, which was held in Edinburgh in January Back in the black workflow features and ease of use as Sharp’s A3 models. In addition to meeting all basic print, scan and copy needs, the devices can be easily integrated with existing network applications and public cloud services, so information can be securely shared and accessed anywhere, anytime. The models also come equipped with Sharp’s multi-layered security suite. Plugging a gap Jason Cort, Director of Product Planning and Marketing at Sharp Europe said: “The new A4 mono range has filled a gap in our portfolio that’s been there too long,” reaffirming that it was the joint venture with Foxconn that enabled it to bring these to market faster. “We wanted to do this much sooner, but didn’t have the funding, now we have it, we’ve been able to launch quicker.” Cort argues that the availability of A4 mono MFPs within the Sharp portfolio will enable more fleet sales for its partners. “In the past, this gap would exclude our partners in bids and tenders, even within smaller fleets. With this new range we