OKI offers new revenue opportunities for channel partners

With the launch of the C650, the world’s smallest high performance A4 colour printer, OKI is providing channel partners with an opportunity to capitalise on demand for high quality media-flexible print within sectors such as warehousing, logistics, retail, HoReCa, education and healthcare

Print resellers have seen a sharp decline in volumes output from traditional office printers, as COVID-19 has radically changed how and where work gets done. Office closures forced many organisations to re-think critical workflows and many turned to alternative communication methods as access to business-quality printers was restricted.

On the flip side, the pandemic has accelerated demand for print across a number of sectors such as manufacturing, retail, warehousing and logistics to name a few. OKI believes there is a significant opportunity for channel partners to re-build lost revenue and that the new C650 is the perfect A4 colour printer to meet customer demand.

“Print remains critical in a number of key vertical sectors,” said Lee Webster, General Manager Product Marketing, OKI Europe Ltd. “Nationwide lockdowns and the closure of non-essential retail outlets led to a massive uptick in the number of transactions being conducted online, which correlated to increased demand for printed labels, invoices, delivery notes and on-demand packaging within warehousing and logistics operations. Print requirements in other settings such as schools, healthcare establishments and within the hospitality and retail sectors for example, have also dramatically changed.

“With continual changes in government regulations, these sectors need the flexibility to quickly adapt customer communications. Within retail for example, implementing social distancing signage as well as keeping customers informed about opening times and health and safety guidelines has never been more critical. In 2020, OKI ran a campaign to help keep people safe by providing social distancing signage. We saw a phenomenal demand and are delighted we could help over 800 businesses and schools to remain operational or re-open safely.”

These changes in printing habits look set to continue. Webster continued: “There have been key learnings for these sectors about the benefits to having a flexible printer on-site and this presents an opportunity for channel vendors to start new conversations in sectors other than the traditional office. The challenges of the pandemic have highlighted the need for organisations to take a more agile approach to remain operational, even in a volatile environment. Being self-sufficient provides more control, saving time and money. This need for robust, high performance, cost-effective printers with superior media handling capabilities to produce non-standard size materials in-house, on-demand, and in many settings, where space is at a premium – is where the C650 provides a competitive edge.”

Space saving
The C650 A4 colour printer combines speed, quality, reliability and ROI in one compact package. This device sits at just 290mm (h) x 395mm (w) x 430mm (d) meaning it will fit comfortably in the smallest of spaces, and delivers the performance, media handling and cost-efficiency of a class-leading workgroup printer.

Innovative Space Saving Technology includes full front access which significantly reduces the amount of space needed to operate the printer compared to a device with a similar footprint, by uniquely ensuring all operations, including maintenance, can be performed from the front of the device. The C650 only requires a 2cm space around the sides, and approximately 20cm above to open the lid.

“Space is an important consideration for so many businesses when it comes to choosing the right printer,” Webster noted. “Typically, buying a compact printer means having to compromise on performance, productivity, quality or cost-efficiency. The C650 turns this on its head, providing exceptional print quality, superior speed and reliability, while delivering true ROI. Designed for any business that has limited space, the C650 will finally tick all the boxes for so many organisations, whether they’re looking for a device to sit in a busy warehouse, on a production line, in a compact kiosk, or in the back office.”

Pioneering digital LED technology
Powered by OKI’s pioneering digital LED technology, the C650 delivers high speed printing in rich LED colour, perfect for handling everything from everyday documents to all manner of marketing collateral and signage. Despite its compact size, the C650 outperforms in both print speed and media handling, printing up to 35 pages a minute, while also printing with ease on media from as light as 60gsm up to 256gsm and from B8 (62 x 88mm) up to 1.32m long.

Reliability was a key area of focus in the C650’s development. Durable components ensure reliability long into the future and the extensive use of high value componentry in place of plastic, makes it one of the most robust printers in its class. Its very long life and high duty cycle are supported with separate toners and long life drums to ensure the maximum usage of all consumables.

The C650 keeps printing and printing, making it ideal for organisations printing large quantities of colour documents. Plus, with running costs designed for heavy use, the C650 makes high volume, high quality colour printing inexpensive and highly efficient.

Opening up opportunity
“Business in the retail and hospitality sectors in particular have been hit hard during the pandemic. They have had to invest heavily to ensure premises are COVID-secure prior to re-opening and many have had to turn to third-party print providers to produce printed collateral to communicate key messaging to staff and customers, all of which has come at a cost,” Webster explained, adding: “Outsourcing print has often been the preferred route as companies are concerned that a printer with the media handling and professional quality capabilities they need will take up too much premium space and are difficult to operate. The C650 addresses these concerns, making printing in-house viable for businesses where space, reliability, media flexibility, print quality and ease of use are paramount.”

Webster argues that as we come out of Lockdown 3.0 and slowly begin to reopen society, print will play a critical role in helping businesses attract guests and customers, promote safety, and compliance with government guidelines. “The C650 provides professional print quality on demand. As well as everyday business documents, the C650 is ideal for printing bespoke promotional materials and collateral, including wipe-clean or single use menus, QR code table stickers for low-touch table service, signage, loyalty cards and vouchers, freestanding and hanging banners, as well as floor and window stickers to promote social distancing and so much more,” he said. “Furthermore, the ability to print on UV-resistant, tear-resistant and waterproof materials, gives businesses complete flexibility to print what they need, when they need it.”

Added value
In addition to an extended three-year warranty on product registration, as part of its ‘Adapt Today’ campaign, OKI is offering a complimentary Business Agility pack* with the purchase of a C650 and a set of CMYK toners.

Available until June 30 2021, the pack also includes a six-month subscription to The Design Hub OKI’s user-friendly creative platform powered by Shoppa, which empowers businesses to produce professional quality, fully personalised visual communications and marketing collateral in-house, and ABBYY FineScanner Premium, the first AI-powered smart mobile scanner for scanning paper documents and getting perfect digital copies to print and store. This adds scanning capabilities to the C650, removing the need for a separate desktop scanner or MFP which would take up valuable space.

www.oki.com/eu
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C650 Key features at a glance

A4 print speed
35 ppm colour/mono

Resolution
1200 x 1200 dpi

Enhancements
Auto Color Balance, Photo Enhance via Driver (Windows PCL6 driver only)
Time to first print 6.5 seconds colour/mono

Time to first print
6.5 seconds colour/mono