END OF ERA FOR XEROX AS IGEN CANNED

Xerox is halting its production print manufacturing operation, bringing to an end a 24-year run as a digital press manufacturer in the commercial print sector.

From 30 June it will stop manufacturing its iconic iGen digital colour press, and its Nuvera monochrome digital press. It will continue to take orders for the rest of the year while it still has stocks.

Instead, Xerox will market the Iridesse and Versant production print presses, both of which are manufactured by its former partner Fujifilm. Along with Iridesse and Versant, Xerox has signed also a deal to distribute a continuous feed digital colour press from an as yet un-named manufacturer.

It is also considering the future of manufacturing of its Baltaro sheetfed inkjet press, which has never been available in ANZ. Xerox has not in fact distributed any production print presses in ANZ since the end of its Fuji Xerox partnership with Fujifilm two years ago.

In commercial print, the company will focus on its workflow automation software, including FreeFlow Workflow Software, Predictive AI Pro and XMPie personalisation, designed to enhance the rebadged OEM presses in complete solutions packages.

The iGen was originally launched at drupa 2000, where its then CEO, Anne Mulcahy, predicted that Xerox would be bigger than Heidelberg in commercial print. Xerox will not be at drupa this year.

The change in strategy comes as Xerox went into loss, taking a financial hit in first quarter figures, just released. Revenue was down by US$213m to US$1.5bn, with a pre-tax loss of US$150m compared with a profit of US$85m for the same period last year, and a net loss of US$113m, compared with a net profit of US$71m last year.