Carl Langsenkamp, Director of Public Relations at Xerox, said it is “not likely that we will be investing in adding newer higher speed, solid ink A3 models to our office portfolio of printers/MFPs”.
The OEM manager was responding to an email from Andy Slawetsky of Industry Analysts, who said he had received many emails rumouring that the solid ink ColorQube line was being retired. However, Langsenkamp also said the company “remains committed to supporting both existing and prospective solid ink customers” and mentioned it would continue to market its A4 solid ink MFPs, the recent additions of the ColorQube 8580 and 8880 among them.
Slawetsky said Xerox will probably “sell out remaining stock of the A3 ColorQube MFPs and not refresh the line”, as “Xerox reps never seemed to warm up to the products”.
“Perhaps it was too “different” than xerography (laser printing) or they didn’t think customers would like it. Maybe they just didn’t want to have to explain the differences and benefits over laser. Or, maybe Xerox just never comp’d the reps enough to make them want to sell it”.
The analyst says predicts the devices will start being phased out within the first half of 2016.