The manufacturing halt, from June 30th, brings to an end iGen and Nuvera press production, 22 years after the iGen stormed into markets, with the first one in ANZ going in at Mike Jones' now closed CDM printing, Sydney. Xerox has also announced 15,000 job cuts but will continue its OEM cut-sheet press offerings with Fujifilm and, an as yet unamed, 'high volume continuous feed' inkjet press manufacturer.
Xerox iGen5 at Barrington Press New Jersey. Like many printers, CEO Paul Ramirez could rest easy in its performance
According to an announcement to the US stock market, Xerox is putting a greater focus on its innovative technology in workflow automation, intelligent assistant services, and personalization including its suite of Xerox FreeFlow Workflow Software, Predictive AI Pro and XMPie. These tools paired with an end-to-end approach to productivity - pre-press, on press and finishing enables Xerox to deliver more value to its clients through robust production offerings, which it claims makes the the company more successful, productive, and competitive.
Xerox continues to simplify its offerings to ensure it has the right mix of products and software that align with the evolving needs of its clients.
Xerox is preparing to discontinue manufacturing of the Xerox iGen 5 Press and the Xerox Nuvera Presses, two legacy platforms that it could be said helped create the digital Production Print industry. Order fulfillment for iGen and Nuvera is expected to continue through 2024 or while inventory lasts. Xerox will provide full support for these platforms throughout the life of contracts.
The Xerox Iridesse Production Press, Xerox Versant Press and the Xerox PrimeLink digital printers, enabled by the recent multi-year contract signed with Fujifilm Business Innovation Inc., continue serving client needs across a wide variety of applications from photo and book publishing to folding cartons. This line-up of presses, complete with Xerox technology, uses scalable production print technology suitable for a broad range of print providers – including in-plant, commercial printers, photobook producers and agencies – providing significant growth opportunities.
Where its USA-made inkjet press is comcerned, Xerox will continue taking and fulfilling orders and providing life-of-contract support for the cut-sheet Xerox Baltoro HF Inkjet Press as the company evaluates strategic options for its high-speed inkjet technology.
Accordingly, Xerox recently entered into an agreement with an unamed third-party provider of high-speed continuous feed inkjet for Xerox clients who require high-volume continuous-feed printing.
Commentary by Andy McCourt
A very sad day. For all its trials and tribulations, Xerox has done much for the printing industry by pioneering toner-based digital colour and mono printing with sturdy, well-supported solutions. Some printers, like CDM, considered themselves 'part of the Xerox family.' Had Fujifilm's takeover proposal of 2018 not been blocked by corporate raiders Carl Icahn and Darwin Deason, things might be different today and we would still have FujiXerox in the ANZ region.
A dodgy dude visits PARC in 1996My own Xerox journey began over 30 years ago when, working in London, I helped with the groundbreaking 'Publishing 2000' project on behalf of Xerox. I visited the famed Palo Alto Research Centre and learned that this Xerox-held 'private University' has enabled the PC, PostScript, DTP, Laser printers, the Mouse, Ethernet and the GUI that inspired Apple. Legions of other companies have built IT empires based on PARC inventions. Xerox recently gifted PARC to a Stanford Univerity research non-profit.
The company that gave to world photocopying with Chester Carlson's 1938 invention that became known as Xerography, has always made its own copiers and printers - until this announcement.
It's the era of 'stragic alliances' and from now Xerox will depend on these for its printers. I wish them well.
Andy McCourt
