We all know about the digital revolution but when did it start?  If we look back to 1947 when Bell Labs invented the transistor I suppose we could say that the Digital Revolution began, so about 60 years ago!  It took just 2 years to go from transistors on a board to the first printed circuit board and a further 8 years to get to the first integrated circuit or IC.  At the same time in 1958 the US set up the Advanced Research Projects Agency, ARPA, which ended up developing what we now know as the internet, more of that later. 

Many people still think that the effects of colours in business are purely cosmetic but appearance is very small part of the vital role it plays in impressing your customers. As simple as it may sounds, the colour thrust of your printed material whether brochures, presentations or reports, can open the initial door to your customer mind much more quickly than mere words.

Business printing covers everything from letterheads and invoices to product labels, brochures and promotional products. Traditionally it has been seen as one of those necessary evils that a business needs to survive, with much of it being provided by external suppliers: print houses and design centres.

Smarter print management – controlling costs and environmental impacts, is the title to one of the recent studies by leading business research body, the Centre for Economics and Business Research (cebr), which is commissioned by OKI Printing Solutions to examine the printing market. The study has suggested that businesses in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region could save a staggering $25,000 million by changing the way they manage their printing, and in particular by bringing more of their print requirements in-house.

OKI Printing Solutions Middle East decided in early 2007 to invest time and budget in developing new marketing activities that would bring OKI better visibility and engage customers with the OKI brand; and the ‘Drop ins Campaign’ was one of the new marketing initiatives. During this campaign: OKI investigates the printing requirements of a certain company, dumps a printer at its premises; comes back in a month and evaluates how company’s efficiency has improved!

That trusty workhouse in the corner may not be the most glamourous gizmo in your office, but it’s hard to imagine work without it. So which is the right printer for you? John Ross from OKI helps you make a well-informed purchase.

While all the business talk in the last few months has been about the global financial crisis, it comes at a time when our stewardship of the environment has become a critical issue. We are all agreed that we have to take a more responsible attitude to our consumption of energy and our carbon emissions.

Counterfeiting is a global issue that costs business billions in revenue each year. For vendors, counterfeiting of their products is something they simply can’t afford to take lightly. Usually people connect counterfeiting to fake currency; however a variety of things can be counterfeited, from designer handbags to legal documents. As far as the printing industry goes, counterfeiting is mostly linked to the supply of ribbon and toner cartridge. 

OKI Printing Solutions revealed recently a new scheme introducing an extended three-year warranty cost-free for its complete range of printers, fax and multi-functional equipment across the EMEA region. This initiative is aims at improving the customer communication channels through a simple registration process. As part of this warranty OKI will provide an all-inclusive, service on site, including travel times, and labour costs as well as parts.