01732 759725
BUSINESS INKJET
Following a lengthy interlude since
their launch last year, Epson has
finally started to sell its Workforce
Pro RIPS inkjet devices through a
network of 26 dealers, including ASL,
Bytek Ltd, Contrac, Sapphire Print
Solutions and Scan DB.
Replaceable Ink Pack System (RIPS)
devices have been specially designed for
managed print services (MPS) and come
with extra large ink sacks containing three
years worth of ink. The black ink pack has
a capacity of 75,000 pages and each of
the three colour ones contains enough ink
for 50,000 pages.
There are four colour models in the
RIPS range, an A4 printer and A4 MFP, and
an A3 printer and A3 MFP.
Vertical focus
Mark Allen, reseller product manager,
Business Imaging at Epson UK, told
PrintIT
Reseller
that the first 26 dealers had been
chosen for their ability to deliver managed
print services and for their expertise in key
verticals.
“We are looking for dealers that
understand key verticals. For instance,
we took on Scan DB because it has a
relationship with White Consulting Limited,
which won a tender to supply broadband
and cashless catering into schools via the
E2BN framework. ScanDB supplies all of
the reprographics for that framework.
We haven't even started a mailshot or
campaign on that yet and we have already
got something in the region of eight
schools proposed for Epson RIPS,” he said.
Allen believes the attractions of low
running costs, energy efficiency and a
small environmental footprint make RIPS
particularly compelling for education
customers, pointing out that the products
were very well received at BETT. He adds
that RIPS is also generating a good deal of
interest among commercial and healthcare
organisations, including the NHS, PCTs and
doctors surgeries – a key focus for Sapphire.
In the last 6-8 weeks, Epson has sold
200 RIPS devices in the UK, with only
Germany shipping more units.
Channel recruitment
To help drive further sales, Epson is
planning to extend its existing network,
especially in Scotland and Wales – the
Irish market is already covered by Bytek
Ltd. However, Allen argues that dealer
recruitment is not a priority.
“Potentially we are going to take on
more dealers, but we probably don't need
to at the moment, as we are doing the
numbers we want to be hitting. But if the
right dealer comes on board and they can
service the product, then, yes, we will talk
to them,” he said.
While Epson could broaden the
distribution of RIPS to resellers that don’t
have their own servicing, with Epson
providing maintenance on their behalf,
Allen says that for the time being Epson
remains committed to the servicing dealer
channel.
“RIPS has always been a servicing
dealer product,” he said. “It just fits
that market. They have the expertise;
they understand those markets; and the
product has been designed around them.
We do have non-RIPS products, the PDL
devices, which we try to push through the
IT reseller channel. But RIPS boxes are
designed for the servicing dealer channel.”
Dealer benefits
As an alternative to laser products,
RIPS has a number of benefits for
dealers, including low running costs,
Epson has established an MPS dealer network for its RIPS business inkjets
RIPS tide
the opportunity to increase margin and
minimal need for servicing.
“That's one of the big benefits,” said
Allen. “There are not many replaceable parts
– no imaging unit and no developer unit.
RIPS is a low servicing product that could
happily run for the lifetime of a contract
without needing a change of ink pack.”
He adds that there are also opportunities
for dealers to expand their product offering
by taking on other Epson products.
“I'll give you an example. ScanDB has
been asked by E2BN whether there's an
opportunity for wide format products to
compete with HP. Our SureColor TS range
is not only well priced, it's a modular box,
so a school could have it just as a printer
for around £2,000 to £3,000, which is a
very competitive price. I think dealers are
absolutely gobsmacked about what we can
bring to table,” he said.
“It's quite heartening when a dealer
comes in and has a look at our wide format
range and the different types of printing
we do – our receipt printing for instance.
They are quite taken aback at the extent to
which we are at the forefront of print.”
Product development
RIPS is currently limited – there are only
certain segments that the workgroup
devices fit into – but Epson is already
gathering feedback from the channel and
feeding it into the European marketing team
to influence future product development.
“We’ve had some requests to put in
smaller ink bags,” Allen said. “And one of
the dealers came back to us and said 'Do
you have single-function mono RIPS, as
ideally we would like to look at addressing
just mono fleets of printers and refreshing
some HP accounts?'. The roadmap will
change and RIPS will definitely adapt. But
the machines we've focused on to start
with are absolutely perfect.”
Mark Allen, Reseller Product Manager,
Business Imaging, Epson UK
In the last
6-8 weeks,
Epson has
sold 200 RIPS
devices in
the UK, with
only Germany
shipping
more units.
14
Epson:
Workforce Pro RIPS
