SMB colour costs can be cut further

The call comes hot on the heels of research that claimed over 50% of SMBs in the region are 'kept awake at night worrying about the cost of colour printing.'

"I do think there needs to be some sense of responsibility in marketing. To claim that people are being kept awake at night by this issue is, I think, going too far. Sure you can save money, particularly by looking at an Oki solution that slashes costs by up to half when compared to others in the market," said Oki Printing Solutions Middle East general manager John Ross. "But to claim that people are having sleepless nights over print costs? I do hope that nobody believes that to be quite the case."

Oki's colour printers, the winners of multiple 'Editors Choice' and other awards from Middle East magazines, including Manufacturer of the Year from PC Magazine Middle East, can slash the cost of acquiring and maintaining colour print capabilities by up to half compared to its laser printer competitors and by much more compared to the highly expensive ink jet solutions often presented to SMBs by other printer manufacturers.

"Most SMB's get what we call 'sticker shock' when you look at the cost of running an ink jet desktop printer. At something like Dhs200 for every new set of cartridges, it's easy for a business user to spend something like Dhs 1,200 on ink every year. When you put five or six users together, we can save you real money as well as open up new printing capabilities such as bringing business cards, leaflets and other print jobs in house."

Oki is holding an open day for UAE based small to medium businesses where different technologies, approaches, applications and cost models will be made available for SMB customers - including models that demonstrate how Oki saves money over other printers using UAE street prices for printers and consumables. "So we save money for companies, that's great. But it's no use claiming that businesses haven't got bigger things to worry about than the cost of colour printing. We're saying we understand that, but that we can help SMBs make some simple decisions that save money and maximise opportunity," said Ross: "But without scaring them into giving us their attention."

The Oki Open Day is being held at the Bur Juman Hotel, Bur Dubai, from 1-7pm on the 22nd May 2007. "Everyone's welcome and we'll have coffee for anyone who has been sleepless recently," said Ross.