Konica Minolta strengthens partnership with MGI

| 23 juni 2020

Konica Minolta and MGI Digital Technology (MGI) have expanded their cooperation with new initiatives to benefit customers in a single-source partnership approach. These will further accelerate common go-to-market activities within commercial and industrial digital printing markets.


The close strategic and financial cooperation between the two companies was first established in 2014 and expanded in 2016 with an increase of the stake in MGI to 40.5 percent. As a result, Konica Minolta added MGI products for production, label and packaging printing to its existing portfolio.

In future, a new combined logo will be applied for all dedicated common marketing activities when Konica Minolta and MGI appear as partners. The two companies are also intensifying their links in Germany and Austria. Under an expanded cooperation, MGI systems will be sold directly through Konica Minolta's distribution network. Likewise, the market leader in production printing will support MGI customers as a single point of contact for all service, support, and administration topics. Customers will thus benefit from a dense network of Konica Minolta employees for on-site support and further development of the respective customer solution.

Distribution and service for MGI systems was previously provided separately. With Konica Minolta taking over the sales and support responsibility, this gap is now being closed. While MGI related technologies and solutions are being marketed under the Konica Minolta brand, generally the brand identity and corporate design of both companies remain separate.

Digital embellishment is a key growth driver in the production printing market and at the same time a profitable way for print service providers, commercial and in-house printers to set themselves apart from the competition. UV spot coating in defined areas can be used to enhance four-color digital and offset prints with exceptional 3D haptics.

In order to enable printers to enter the world of digital embellishment, Konica Minolta introduced the MGI JETVARNISH 3D One last year. The system uses a universal varnish for various 2D and 3D effects and is particularly suitable for embellishing print products in short and medium runs. MGI's entry-level model perfectly complements Konica Minolta’s production printing systems, such as the AccurioPress.

In addition, the portfolio includes UV spot coating and digital hot foil stamping. This offers companies great opportunities to integrate into their own companies the added value at interesting conditions that was previously outsourced to embellishment companies. With systems up to A1+ size, the portfolio also offers finishing applications for other printing technologies such as offset printing. The systems' patented high precision is a unique selling point that reduces waste and production costs and maximizes productivity.

Against this background, Konica Minolta, as a long-time market leader in production printing and one of the leading providers of inkjet, embellishment, and label printing, accompanies its customers with state-of-the-art technology, software, and the latest innovations in the fields of printing and applications with forward-looking know-how and a high level of consulting competence in the development of new business opportunities.

 



About Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe

Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe GmbH, based in Langenhagen, Germany, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Konica Minolta Inc., Tokyo, Japan. Konica Minolta enables its clients to champion the digital era: with its unique imaging expertise and data processing capabilities, Konica Minolta creates relevant solutions for its customers and solves issues faced by society. As a provider of comprehensive IT services, Konica Minolta delivers consultancy and services to optimise business processes with workflow automation. The company further offers its customers solutions and managed services in the field of IT infrastructure and IT security as well as cloud environments. With regard to its office printing solutions, ‘IDC MarketScape: Western Europe Smart Multifunctional Peripheral 2018 Vendor Assessment’ stated that Konica Minolta is ‘recognised globally as a leading smart MFP provider of note’. As a strong partner for the professional printing market, Konica Minolta offers business consulting, state-of-the-art technology and software and has established itself as the production printing market leader for more than a decade in Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa (InfoSource). In the healthcare sector, Konica Minolta drives digitalisation of clinical workflows and offers a broad range of next-level diagnostic solutions. Its Business Innovation Centre in London and four R & D laboratories in Europe enable Konica Minolta to bring innovation forward by collaborating with its customers as well as academic, industrial and entrepreneurial partners. For its solutions that combine ‘smart service with smart technology’, Konica Minolta was awarded the prestigious ‘Buyers Lab PaceSetter Award for Outstanding Serviceability 2018/2019’ from Keypoint Intelligence. Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe is represented by subsidiaries and distributors in more than 80 countries in Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa. With approximitaley 10,000 employees (as of April 2020), Konica Minolta Europe earned net sales of over 2,34 billion in financial year 2019/2020.

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