Océ: “Get Back to Growth”

Dale Mortimer is the director of marketing for Océ Display Graphics Systems, which brings together leaders in wide-format technologies to offer a range of solutions specifically designed for the print-for-pay, wide-format service provider. Océ Display Graphics Systems is a business group of the Strategic Business Unit Wide-Format Systems, of Océ N.V.

Mortimer came to Océ from Extreme CCTV in Burnaby, where he served as the vice president of marketing for this manufacturer of industrial security video systems. Prior to Extreme CCTV, he was at EDM Consulting in Vancouver, where he provided business and product strategy services as a management consultant. Before that, he was the vice president of marketing for Digital Dispatch Systems in Richmond, a provider of wireless mobile dispatch systems. He’s held progressive marketing and management positions at Glenayre Technologies in Vancouver, and he has additional experience in executive and engineering management. Mortimer holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Carleton University, and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of British Columbia.

OutputLinks spoke to this Océ expert about the Océ Arizona Series, the new Océ Arizona 550 GT printer, and Océ’s “Get Back to Growth” theme.

Question:
Tell us about you and your history at Océ.

Answer:
I’ve been in technology industries for over 25 years and have held marketing management positions in Vancouver-area companies since 1995. I joined Océ Display Graphics Systems in September 2007, and I am very please to be part of this industry-leading company. 

Question:
Tell us about the new Océ Arizona 550 GT printer and its key features.

Answer:
The new Océ Arizona 550 GT printer is a high-productivity model in the award-winning Océ Arizona Series of UV flatbed printers. It is the highest capacity Océ Arizona model released to date. This new printer is capable of POP-quality prints at 40 square meters hour. It can print nearly one hundred boards (125 x 250 cm) in a single eight-hour shift. The Océ Arizona 550 GT printer uses UV curable inks and Océ VariaDot imaging technology to deliver near-photographic image quality for nearly any application. Designed as a true flatbed system it can print on a wide variety of rigid substrates up to 1.25 by 2.5 meters. It also offers a Roll Media Option for printing onto flexible media up to 2.2 meters wide and a White Ink Option for printing onto colored or clear media or objects.

Question:
Why was this product created?

Answer:
The Océ Arizona 550 GT printer is the next generation in a long line of successful printers. This particular model addresses the specific need for higher throughput and productivity, without sacrificing image quality.

Overall, the Océ Arizona Series was created to meet several demands: (1) the ability to print directly to rigid substrates; (2) combined with the ability to print onto roll-based media; (3) produce extremely high quality prints; and (4) use UV curable inks that do not require modifications for special ventilation, etc. We’ve introduced several models through the years, including the Océ Arizona 200 GT, Océ Arizona 250 GT (the first model introduced), Océ Arizona 300 GT, Océ Arizona 350 GT, Océ Arizona 350 XT and now the Océ Arizona 550 GT printers.

Question:
What value does the Océ Arizona printers and the Océ Arizona 550 GT model product bring to the industry?

Answer:
Océ Arizona printers are the market-leading print production platforms in the display graphics industry because they enable our customers to innovate their business by producing imagery on media and objects previously thought to be unprintable.

Like all Océ Arizona printers, the Océ Arizona 550 GT model was designed using an efficient cost engineering approach that makes it much more affordable than comparable systems. Print providers can own this high quality, high capacity printer for about 30 percent to 40 percent less than comparable, competitive UV flatbed systems. That reduces capital outlay for small- and medium-sized businesses, and enables them to acquire the best-in-class print quality and application versatility.

Question:
What niche of the market does the Océ Arizona Series fit?

Answer:
The Océ Arizona Series crosses many markets because it can benefit different segments. Many market segments – including traditional print/graphic arts, screen printing and photo labs – see it as a way to augment existing business by taking on short-run or semi-custom large format graphics work that would be cost-prohibitive using analog methods. Other segments already in the visual communications market see it as a way to increase throughput while maintaining exceptional image quality.

Question:
How does the Océ Arizona Series fit into Océ’s “Get Back to Growth” theme?

Answer:
The high production speed of the Océ Arizona 550 GT printer enables print providers to confidently take on peak demand and rush jobs. It reduces the risk for businesses wanting to make the transition from analog to digital printing by providing all the print quality they need at production speeds. Customers can take on more jobs, rush jobs and custom jobs that can help rejuvenate and grow their business.

Question:
What are the benefits of the Océ Arizona Series?

Answer:
Although almost always purchased for their superior print quality, all Océ Arizona printer models offer excellent value to our customers when compared with similarly productive competitive systems. They also feature the lowest ink consumption rate in the market at only 8 ml per square meter on average, realizing ink savings of up to 50% over competitive printers.

Question:
Tell us about the greatest successes of this product series.

Answer:
The Océ Arizona Series, since the original Océ Arizona 250 GT model was introduced in September 2006 through now, has outsold all competitors combined. It has garnered more industry awards than any other printer – 18 in total – including every annual DPI Product of the Year Award since the printer’s introduction.

Question:
Thank for your time! Any final thoughts? 

Answer:
We are very proud not only of our award winning product line but also the way in which we serve our customers. An integral part of the Océ value proposition is being a total solution provider to the market. That means not only do we augment our printer lineup with media and finishing systems, we also provide valuable industry expertise. We help our customers build their businesses and expanding their offerings. Their success drives our success.

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