Offset giants buddy up with digital at German tradeshow

Last week’s digi:media trade show in Dusseldorf marked the start of a new relationship between Heidelberg and Ricoh, while manroland and Oce also exhibited together.

The show, which attracted 6000 visitors, was the first time that manroland and Oce have exhibited together with live demonstrations showing how offset and industrial digital printing form a symbiosis.

It was also a chance for Heidelberg and Ricoh to get cosy following this year’s announcement that where it was chosen as the German offset manufacturer’s digital partner. “I’m pleased to announce that both Ricoh and Heidelberg are moving fast to implement our global cooperation,” said Bernhard Schreier, CEO of Heidelberg. “The Heidelberg organisations in Germany and the UK are well prepared to start offering our combined solution.”

According to Schreier, nearly 100 employees have been trained. “Due to the fact that we have had strong interest and positive feedback from our customer base, those colleagues are already in close customer interaction,” he added.

Both companies are working on the rollout for the Asian market, followed by North America, China and Latin America this year. The Eastern European market is targeted to rollout by drupa 2012, closing the worldwide process.

Simon Sasaki, corporate executive vice president and general manager of the production printing business, Ricoh, also welcomed the development. “Together, Ricoh and Heidelberg are working to play a leading role in opening up new opportunities for print service providers, offering a seamless way for them to achieve their goals of a more flexible, productive and profitable future,” he said. “It’s a fresh approach that will help our customers add value to their customers, both now and into the future.”

Pictured: Ricoh's Simon Sasaki with Bernhard Schreier, CEO of Heidelberg.