“Lexmark is staying Lexmark.” These were the words spoken by Ron Binkauskas, Lexmark’s VP & GM, Imaging Solutions and Services, North America, as he addressed the audience at their recent dealer show in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Binkauskas noted that he wasn’t at liberty to provide too many details, but he stated that the brand, the name and the executive leadership would not be changing. He also assured dealers that they will not be acquired by any competitive manufacturer and that the company is not being split apart.
The theme of the dealer show was “Focus forward” and Binkauskas explained that Lexmark’s goal was to provide products and solutions to allow their dealers to expand their reach and “attack the market.”
Phil Boatman and XC8160
Commenting on the robust and innovative XC8160 color A4 device that Lexmark unveiled at the show, Business Alliance Manager, Phil Boatman, was even blunter: “Our message to our dealers is pretty simple,” he stated. “We expect them to make money, particularly with this device.”
At 60 ppm, the XC8160 is currently the fastest A4 color MFP in the market. It contains every available feature of an A3 device except for saddle stitching. With an MSRP of nearly $26,000 and shipping with 50,000 pages of black toner and 17,000 pages of CMY, it has been positioned to be very attractive to dealers. In addition there is a 4-year parts and maintenance kits warranty without restrictions.
Boatman predicted that the price point in the aftermarket will also make dealers and consumers happy.
“All of these things add up to value for the dealer,” he said. “We want them to use this as a growth strategy.”
The XC8160 was one of seven new color devices showcased by Lexmark at the dealer event. The XC6152 was introduced as a replacement for the XS798. At 52 ppm it is faster than the XS798, but it has the same operating system, and a much more aggressive cost per page. It comes standard with a 50-sheet stapler with no additional footprint.
The XC4140 and XC4150 are new color MFPs based on the same print engine, but Lexmark stated that the XC4140 is only available to Lexmark Business Solutions dealers. Historically, BSD models were geared towards enterprise, but not the XC4140. The 40 ppm XC4140 is aimed at small to mid-sized business, while the 50 ppm XC4150 is essentially the same model targeted to large user groups. It offers the same capabilities but comes standard with OCR.
Positioned between the XC6152 and the XC8160, Lexmark is offering the XC8155. Uniquely, the XC8155 allows for the advanced super finisher. While the XC8160 and XC8155 can be equipped with the inline staple finisher, the XC6152 cannot accept it. Boatman said that the XC8155 is aimed at those who need to be more aggressive on hardware price. At 55 ppm it is not quite as fast, and the CPP isn’t as aggressive, but it does have the same capabilities.
New single-function color laser printers included the 6160, a 60 ppm color laser printer based on the same print engine as the XC8155 and XC8160. Like its larger cousins, it has the same robust media handling capabilities, including the ability to take many types of labels, the 300 GSM, and even banners up to 52 inches on some models. It is GHS certified. The 50 ppm C4150 was introduced as the “smaller brother” to the 6160.
As document management solutions and other offerings become increasingly important, OEMs are stepping up their commitment to provide powerful and diverse tools for their dealers. This was evident as Lexmark showcased its Readsoft Online AP automation, Kofax products, Lexmark print management solutions and Lexmark postage printing offering.
Lexmark acquired ReadSoft in 2014 in an effort to strengthen their solutions repertoire. Curt Bramel, Senior Account Manager at Lexmark International, Inc., claimed that while ReadSoft is strictly an AP automation product, it handles AP as well as any product in the market.
“A lot of folks sell some sort of ECM product today,” he said. “I’ll match this product against any product in the market when it comes to AP automation.”
Kofax Express, Lexmark’s capture solution geared towards SMBs and Kofax Capture, designed for mid-sized to enterprise segments, are a new strength for Lexmark and the respective features and benefits were also demonstrated.
The Lexmark print management solutions (LPM) focused on three different offerings – premise, cloud-based SaaS, and serverless version, as well as demonstrations of their third-party support for Xerox and HP products. They also highlighted new mobile capabilities which are compatible with both Android and iOS platforms.
Finally, the Lexmark postage printing solution was introduced as an additional profit center for dealers, allowing them to enter new markets and even increase their sales by combining sales with MFP device add-ons (i.e., envelope trays) and also by capturing additional clicks.
Lexmark emphasized the importance of copier dealers as the most strategic channel partner, and how they listened to dealers’ input in developing this new robust, fast and feature-rich A4 color device. With a strong focus on A4 devices and a suite of solid solutions, Lexmark is well poised to capture an increased share of dealers’ business.
