As a member of the Tarsus Technology Group and the sole authorised distributor of OKI printers and printer consumables in South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa, Printacom Technologies has built a partner channel that delivers customised solutions to clients by understanding their specific sectors and partnering with them to create value.
With over 20 years’ experience in the IT industry, including retail, distribution and product management, MD Bernice Hynard was appointed in early 2019, with her sights firmly set on business growth and even greater engagement with the channel.
“Our business success is about strategy,” she says, “and how we put that into practise at vendor level. OKI is a reliable brand with 35 years of service and knowledge behind it. That’s the part everyone knows and we believe it’s time to show that the brand is far greater than the solutions it provides.
“In an economy where organisations are looking to tighten belts, Printacom offers a range of OKI products that are competitive on every level and some that offer what others don’t right now.”
Here she introduces Printacom’s Business in a Box, which is – quite literally – a purchase that is a business. “We’ve created an opportunity for entrepreneurs to run their own printing business by providing everything they need to get started. From initial training and software, to the mugs and t-shirts someone may want to print, it’s all in the box.”
Hynard says Printacom has thought through each aspect, ensuring the new business has all it needs to succeed. “For example, printing your design from the transfers provided onto a dark material often distorts the image and changes the shades of colours. Our solution is WhiteToner, which designers can use either as a standalone colour or to give the design a white undertone to print true colour on.”
Business in a Box includes installation of printing equipment, training in all aspects including software, and all support required thereafter. “Importantly, we really believe this can create an income for people ready to take advantage of opportunities like events and the gift market.”
Innovating at the speed of business
Ensuring that requirements are met with best-of-breed equipment for SMEs, education facilities, legal firms and other operations that may spend vast amounts of money outsourcing their basic print needs, the OKI A4 mono printer is a workhorse that prints 52 pages per minute at a fraction of the cost of outsourcing.
“It’s not just the outsourcing that costs businesses money,” says Hynard, “but the time spent waiting for work to be delivered, or making changes and having to re-brief a job. All of this adds up, so if an organisation is spending more than R10 000 a year on outsourced mono printing, the A4 mono could pay back their investment in 12 months.
“What we are excited about, though, is the way OKI has moved with the times and included a clear toner printer to ensure security. Ultraviolet light shows up the toner so companies that need added security on packages and documentation can determine, for example, where their parcel came from when the sender uses the clear toner to print the information or a watermark.”
With a range of machines able to print on plastic and waterproof materials, OKI appeals to the healthcare and agricultural sector for packaging solutions. “For those in retail advertising and promotions, our OKI A3 machines can print up to 1,2 metres, making point of sale (POS) banners and ads that often need changing on the fly manageable in-house.”
Hynard’s enthusiasm for OKI’s end-to-end print solutions is matched only by her drive to ensure the partner channel is supported for growth and success.
