Three new models launched by OEM aiming to gain 20 percent of market by 2015.
Epson has released three new wide-format printer models – the SureColor SC-T7000, SC-T5000 and SC-T3000, all of which are aimed at SMBs, with the printers expected to appeal to customers in the engineering and scientific sectors, reports Biz Community.
The OEM aims to focus the printers towards the CAD and engineering markets, with hopes to “snag 20 percent of this vertical market by 2015”. All three models are said to offer “fast, reliable printing on coated and non-coated media” up to 1118 mm, 914 mm and 610 mm wide and have been designed based on direct feedback from architects engineers who indicated the needs for printers “that make accurate, smudge and water-resistant large-format prints quickly and cost effectively”.
Commenting on the new printers, Vernon Mellors, LFP Business Account Manager of Epson South Africa said: “Since the 90s, the focus point has been almost exclusively on photographic, fine art and commercial printing. The company has never built a product that’s been geared specifically for the engineering, architecture and construction space, as the timing wasn’t quite right.
“Three years ago, we took a look at this specialised sector again and realised that we had the technology to build on the feedback we received in our research and create a printing solution specifically tailored to the needs of these professionals.”
The T-series printers are also described as “ideal for the corporate sector, government and SME sectors” due to their built-in, user-friendly features and ability to accommodate a variety of materials, with Mellor adding that while most customers are expected to come from engineering and scientific sectors, “around one fifth” will come from “business graphics and education fields and a small percentage [from] commercial printing and other users”.
The printers are also designed to cut costs and reduce time wastage, and Epson has also created a support centre operating from 6am to 6pm, offering next-day service from a technician should new parts be needed.
“We’re new to this market but we think we have the right mix of performance, quality and user-friendly features and the range also has the brand’s promise of quality,” Mellor concluded.