Innovative French inkjet digital web and sheetfed manufacturer Impika has been purchased by the Xerox Corporation, and will now be part of Xerox’s communications division.
Xerox has been reseller of Impika products since 2011. There is an Impika already in Australia, at Sema, which was supplied by Fuji Xerox last year.
When contacted by Australian Printer, Fuji Xerox Australia declined to comment on the financial side of the deal, however Simon Lane, chief marketing officer Fuji Xerox Australia says he is delighted with the acquisition.
Lane says, “We have always focused on providing solutions that work for our customers’ applications, and we have been fortunate to have in our portfolio best of breed of platforms from Fuji Xerox and Xerox Corporation.
“We have also enjoyed a great relationship with Impika over the past few years, so having the Impika technology under the Xerox umbrella complements our parent company Fujifilm’s global leadership in inkjet head and ink manufacturer, further reinforcing our ability to deliver end-to-end printing solutions for our customers.”
The acquisition of Impika fills a major hole in the Xerox portfolio, it was somewhat caught on the hop by the arrival of high speed digital inkjet at drupa 2008 and has since then struggled to find the right strategy for web printing. It has its own Sugi 480/960 toner based solution, but the purchase and incorporation of Impika puts it in the same inkjet web market as HP, Kodak, Oce/Canon, Screen, Fujifilm and KBA.
Impika has a range of aqueous water based inkjet presses based on proprietary technology. Its product lines include the iPrint, a range of continuous feed production printers that print at speeds up to 375 metres per minute. A range of graphic communications digital press called the iPress prints at resolutions of up to 2400x1200dpi.
Jeff Jacobson, president, Xerox Graphic Communications Operations says, “A hallmark of Xerox’s long-term success is our focus on innovation, and Impika has demonstrated an innovative approach to advanced production inkjet printing that complements Xerox’s technology.”
Jacobson says, “We have established leadership in serving the graphic communication marketplace. With Impika as part of our broader set of solutions, we’re bolstering our brand strength and better serving the market with digital products, solutions and resources to meet the needs of print providers so they can satisfy their clients and grow their businesses.”
Paul Morgavi, president and chief executive officer, Impika says, “We’ve succeeded in developing one of the industry’s most formidable product lines. To continue our growth, we need to be part of a leadership organisation that has broad global distribution and service, a strong brand, and the same customer-centric culture that we champion. Xerox is a logical fit for our growing business and for our customers, who will benefit from Xerox’s shared focus on innovation to advance digital colour printing.”
