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Buyers Guides for Xerox Copiers

There is no perfect buyer's guide for Xerox copiers. There's no document that offers complete comparisons between equipment and you should always look at information that a copier manufacturer or vendor sends you several times to make sure you understand the exact capabilities of a given copier.

The best preparation for purchasing a copier is to know the questions (and sometimes answers) before you meet with a copier vendor. You should always know the number of copies you expect to make, color and black-and-white, the level of service you will require, and your budget.

If you really are looking for some written help, The Better Buys for Business, has a decent primer that discusses the costs of copier consumables, equipment, and service. It also compares analog copiers versus digital duplicators.

If you're looking for advice on purchasing a color copier, please consider talking to JJ Bender.

Xerox: More than Just Digital Duplicators?

It seems that Xerox is looking to take over the entire office, not just the digital duplicating end through products like the Xerox iGen3. On Friday, Xerox rolled out two new content management software products, the DocuSHare CPX and DocuShare 5.0. The software is designed to help corporations manage financials, streamline IT support, and improve compliance with government standards. (The complete Xerox press release is available here.) Content management software is an exploding business and the power to establish brand and customer loyalty is a powerful motivator for Xerox. Just like Microsoft, Xerox is looking to cross-sell its office products, creating a line of content management software to compliment its traditional copier business. In addition, Xerox is moving towards a wireless, networked office by making DocuShare a completely online platform. With variable data printing possible on the Xerox 6060  and Xerox 2060,  are we that far off from customer relationship software that can be synched to the Fiery or CREO controller on your digital duplicator. That's the future of commercial print shops- being able to seamlessly integrate customer purchasing habits with promotional materials to create highly targeted, custom marketing pieces. And doing all of that, without ever needing operator intervention. Xerox already has scanning software that allows users to take hardcopy documents into digital documents via its FreeFlow SMARTsend technology. The new content management software is expected to be available in April. If you're looking for digital duplicators or wondering about the future of the graphics industry, please consider talking to JJ Bender.

Pitney Bowes: A Work in Progress

A stalwart of the graphics industry, Pitney Bowes , will have a shift in its timeframe for a proposed spin-off of its Capital Services external financing business. In a release today, Pitney Bowes talked about the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) asking for three years of additional, audited financial statements. Accordingly, that would move the timeframe for the spin-off back to 2007. 

The spin-off was first announced as a possibility in 2003 when Pitney Bowes was looking at selling assets and adding shareholder value. Spin-offs have been in vogue for publicly traded companies, as large corporations look to divide their growth areas and income-generating divisions into separate entities. The highly publicized splits of American Express and Viacom have met with mixed results on Wall Street; but have brought more attention to the practice of spinning-off divisions.

In a related note, Pitney Bowes has signed a definitive agreement with De Lage Landen Operational Services, LLC (a subsidiary of the RaboBank Group) to sell Imagistics International, Inc.'s lease portfolio. The terms are estimated at between $280 and $290 million depending on accounts receivable at the time of the deal closing. The lease portfolio is a part of the Capital Services spin-off. 

Capital Services is designed to provide leasing to non-Pitney Bowes equipment in three sectors, capital equipment, vendor financing, and commercial real estate.

If you're looking into leasing copier equipment or want advice on digital duplicators, please consider talking to JJ Bender.

Copier Leasing and Copier Choices

Looking at all your options before choosing a copier lease

Every company has five main options when looking into leasing a copier. Each has benefits depending on the revenue stream and scale of the business.  Your five main copier options are purchasing, rental, outsourcing, leasing, and a cost-per-copy program.

Purchasing

The best part about purchasing a copier is that you have a tangible asset that you own that depreciates for tax purposes and can be run in whatever fashion you like. This does require capital and the need for advance knowledge of the number of prints you'll be running. This is ideal for someone who knows exactly what they will be running and has the available capital. Most people would consider purchasing a Xerox 2060 or Digimaster 9110.

Outsourcing

This can be the easiest and, at times, most costly option. Here you are simply contracting with a print shop or having your copies run at a office supply store like Staples or Kinkos. This is ideal for someone who is running low volume and might be pricing the cost of printing into the services they are selling.

Rental

Renting a copier can be a great choice for short-term, high demand times. If you run a seasonal business or need a short-term solution because of an unusually high traffic. Rentals can be the most cost effective option. They also can give you the flexiblity of a month-to-month situation. Copier rentals are best when demand is extremely high or uncertain.

Leasing

Copier leasing is a good fit for companies with limited cash flow and the need to continually upgrade technology. If you're a smaller company looking to grow or a start-up, leasing a copier might be the best bet starting out. Many copier leases have purchase options, but more importantly they give companies access to current digital technology without sacrificing resources. Today, you can even lease a Xerox iGen3.

Cost-Per-Copy

The cost-per-copy option is a good route for companies that want a cheap alternative to outsourcing their copy needs, but aren't quite ready to own equipment. It's usually an inclusive deal in which the copier service and supplies are included in the cost-per-copy. A company is only paying for each copy they make. This would be ideal on a machine like the Xerox DocuColor 12.

If you're looking into any of these options or just want more information on leasing a copier, please consider JJ Bender. 

Interquest: Analysis of the Electronic Printing Market

Interquest is a unique consulting firm. They run seminars and offer educational materials on electronic printing and digital equipment.

They are one of the few places that offers a breakdown of cut-sheet versus continuous production equipment. Some of their studies come with a hefty price tag ($1,095); but the information seems directly relevant to commercial printers and quick printers alike.  For example, not many consulting agencies have experience with the Xerox Igen3 and the Oce 8090. 

They also discuss facilities management and print on-demand. We are always looking for new educational resources and Interquest has managed to produce market research reports that are relevant to today's print shop owners.

If you're looking for digital production equipment, please consider JJ Bender.

Color Copy News on Used Digital Copiers

We were glad to be featured in the February 2006 edition of Color Copy News.

In an article about, 'Looking at a Used Color Copier,' Jeffrey Bender, the President of JJ Bender, discussed service and financing options with Larry.

Jeffrey talked about the three service options available to any customer looking at previously owned digital equipment: self-service, manufacturer service, and third party service. Ultimately it is a question of what the needs of a given customer are with regard to volume and knowledge level. Jeffrey also alluded to the fact that equipment vendors in the resale market will often gaurantee that a machine be eligible for manufacturer service if the customer requests that option.

If you're looking for a fair, informed look at copier pricing and capabilities, a good place to start is the Color Copy News by Larry Hunt. It's one of the most widely read and respected newsletters in the copier industry.

If you're looking for advice on a previously owned digital copier, please consider JJ Bender.

Xerox taking the show on the road

Are you ready to go digital now and take the plunge on a digital color copier? Xerox is hoping to convince commercial print shop owners with a mobile presentation co-sponsored by Enovation and EFI.

Launched in Februrary and continuing through the end of this month, the 'Go Digital Now' Tour focuses on the Xerox 240 and Xerox 250 digital color copier and printer. The traveling exhibit allows users to demo machines and get more information on the digital gear as well as the EFI's Fiery Network Controller and Fiery EXP250 server.

The Xerox 240 has been a popular seller since its introduction because of its compact size and robust engine. Widely considered as a first step into the digital marketplace, the Xerox DocuColor 240 runs high speed color and black-and-white.

This is one of Xerox's first attempts to go after office managers and quick printers with the same machine. If you're looking at the Xerox 250 or color digital copiers, please consider JJ Bender.
 

What are people running on the Xerox DocuColor iGen3 ?

First and foremost, thanks to everyone at OutPut Links. They posted our release about this site and we had a nice spike in traffic. They do a great job of outlining industry news and trends- it's a site worth your bookmark and time.

On to the Xerox DocuColor iGen3 at hand. We've been hearing about three major areas of business products and developments from users of the iGen3.

1. On-Demand, Online ordering

The idea that you can create customized pieces in small batches has taken off. The reach of the Internet has allowed commercial printers to dramatically increase their customer base. The flip-side is that pricing has become increasingly competitive on the Internet and margins with print runs on digital copiers should always be closely watched.

2. Book Production

The Xerox iGen3 was built to compete with the offset press. The move to digital printing is a slow erosion of the plate-based offset system as custom or electronic publishing has exploded. It's fascinating to watch the number of printers offering book production services.

3. Insert Advertising

As companies search for new ways to cross sell their product and cut through the advertising clutter, the inclusion of personally addressed, direct mail pieces has seemed a great alternative. Look for signs of variable data printing, the next time you open a credit card statement.

If you're looking for a Xerox iGen3, we hope you'll consider JJ Bender.

Hello From the Good Folks at JJ Bender

If you're visiting here for the first time, we welcome you. We hope this will turn into one of your regular sites to visit.

In the archives and on this page, you'll find useful information about copier leasing, variable data printing, product updates, discussions of peripherals and supplies, and a closer look at the Xerox iGen3.

We strive to present information as we encounter it, using what we have heard in the marketplace and the knowledge we possess after more than 25 years in the graphics industry.

We'll always look to new product announcements and even corporate earnings to present a look at the rapidly changing and, always interesting, digital color market.

If you need help with digital copiers, please consider talking to us at JJ Bender. If you have any feedback or want to see new information in this space, drop Jonathan Bender a line at jonb@jjbender.com.

Xerox iGen3 as a friend of the environment?

The Xerox iGen3 is the latest digital production press from Xerox and it's a monster. It weighs nearly three tons, sits over 30 feet long, and can hold more than 40 pounds of dry ink at a time. But the Xerox DocuColor iGen3 might be the biggest friend the environment has ever had.

The digital production press was designed to be eco-friendly as up to 97 percent of the machine's components are considered recyclable or remanufacturable. An astonishing 80 percent of the waste generated including Xerox iGen3 toner can be returned to Xerox, reused, or recycled. In addition, the Xerox iGen3 dry ink is non-toxic and has a transfer efficiency rate of close to 100 percent, thus less waste is generated.

The end result is a state-of-the art digital press that is a remarkably efficient and environmentally-friendly machine.

If you're looking for a Xerox iGen3, please consider JJ Bender.