Océ Business Services Opens its Second Document Imaging Center in the U.S.

I just noticed this Press Release on OCEUSA.com…. (and see “Joel’s comments” at the end of this post)

New Center Extends Océ's Global Imaging Capabilities

NEW YORK, N.Y. (April 18, 2011) – Océ Business Services, a leader in document process management technology and services, has opened a new Eastern regional document imaging center. Together with the company's existing Western U.S. and Philippines-based imaging, coding and indexing operations, the added location extends Océ's national and global capabilities to give clients access to a seamless workflow leveraging different time zones. Océ document imaging solutions are designed to help organizations cut costs, increase efficiency, meet compliance regulations and gain a competitive edge in today's economic environment.

In one example, a leading financial services institution tapped Océ to help it reduce costs and space associated with physical content. Océ leveraged its extensive document imaging resources to provide the solution.

Océ digitized over 1,350,000 pages comprised of employee retirement and human resources related documents. The imaging initiative enabled the company to significantly reduce the costs and physical space that would have been required to store and access a huge amount of paper-based content at one of its New York City area locations. The project also helped the company improve its document retrieval and disaster recovery capabilities for the newly digitized content.

Its imaging centers enable Océ to offer high-volume offsite digital imaging management services to its clients on a global basis. The facilities operate 24X7 and can digitally image millions of pages per month as well as deliver image files and metadata compatible with virtually any enterprise content management system, database or other application. Capabilities also include Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology, enabling image files to be converted into text files that can be edited or searched.

Services provided by Océ document imaging centers range from the digitization of hard copy documents, regardless of size or format, to barcode generation and interpretation and media creation and duplication including CD and DVD. The imaging centers feature robust security protection. This includes administrative, physical and technical processes designed to help ensure the confidentiality of private health information according to HIPAA regulations.

In addition to imaging solutions, the Océ Business Services' Philippines' operation provides outsourced finance and accounting services that include forms and payables processing, billing and business analysis and reporting.

"Organizations are increasingly digitizing documents because it enables them to better concentrate on their core business while at the same time containing costs and improving operational efficiency," notes Joe Marciano, president and CEO, Océ Business Services. "With our extended global imaging capabilities, Océ can help clients meet these important goals."

About Océ

Océ is one of the leading providers of document management and printing for professionals. The Océ offering includes office printing and copying systems, high speed digital production printers and wide format printing systems for both technical documentation and color display graphics. Océ is also a foremost supplier of document management outsourcing. Many of the Fortune Global 500 companies and leading commercial printers are Océ customers. The company was founded in 1877. With headquarters in Venlo, The Netherlands, Océ is active in over 100 countries and employs more than 20,000 people worldwide. Total revenues in financial 2010 amounted to approximately €2.7 billion. Océ is listed on Euronext in Amsterdam. For more information visit www.oce.com.

Océ Business Services provides high quality managed services and technology to manage, monitor and optimize document intensive processes so companies can improve operating efficiency and performance. Océ Business Services solutions span the document lifecycle and include records management, imaging, managed print services, mail and eDiscovery. Proprietary methodologies apply Six Sigma^®. North American headquarters are in New York City and employment is about 5,000. Learn more at www.obs-innovation.com or follow us on Twitter.

Océ and Canon: Stronger together

In 2010 Océ joined the Canon Group of companies with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, to create the global leader in the printing industry. Canon develops, manufactures and markets a growing line-up of copying machines, printers, cameras, optical and other products that meet a diverse range of customer needs. The Canon Group comprises over 197,000 people worldwide. Global net sales in 2010 were more than US $45 billion. For more information visit www.canon.com.

About Canon U.S.A., Inc.

Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions. Its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), a top patent holder of technology, ranked fourth overall in the U.S. in 2010†, with global revenues of more than US $45 billion and is listed as number five in the computer industry on Fortune Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies 2011 list. Canon U.S.A. is committed to the highest levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty, providing 100 percent U.S.-based consumer service and support for all of the products it distributes. At Canon, we care because caring is essential to living together in harmony. Founded upon a corporate philosophy of Kyosei – "all people, regardless of race, religion or culture, harmoniously living and working together into the future" – Canon U.S.A. supports a number of social, youth, educational and other programs, including environmental and recycling initiatives. Additional information about these programs can be found at www.usa.canon.com/kyosei. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company's RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss.

†Based on weekly patent counts issued by United States Patent and Trademark Office.

All referenced product names, and other marks, are trademarks of their respective owners.

Joel’s comments:

In spite of the announcement that OCE Business Services has opened a “document imaging center” in New York City, I’m almost certain (even though no one could ever be 100% sure) that reprographers in New York City should not be concerned that OCE Business Services will send its sales reps out to sell reprographics services to A/E/C firms in the New York City market area!

I don’t think that OCE USA (or Canon) will do anything to interfere with the extensive relationships that it (or Canon) has with “reprographers” who primarily sell to, and service, firms in the A/E/C Industry.

Around two years ago on this blog, I posted at least one article (if not more) about the fact that OCE operates a “ReproCentrum” in Prague (The Czech Republic, for those of you who are geographically challenged.) (And, for those of you who need a translation – smile - ReproCentrum = Reprographics Center). In The Czech Republic and in all other countries in Europe where OCE conducts direct operations, OCE does (most definitely) pursue “FM” deals with firms in the A/E/C Industry. But, I was only able to find one city in Europe where OCE actually has a “Reprographics Center”, that being the one in Prague. Sales Reps who work for OCE definitely sell to A/E/C firms in the Prague market area.

Reprographers in the U.S., I think, are very aware that OCE USA (OCE’s U.S. operation and parent to the OCE Business Services operation in the U.S.) competes with reprographers for “sales and leases” of equipment, but not for “reprographics services” or “FM services”, at least not in the A/E/C market space.

I doubt that will change, even though Canon now controls OCE’s overall strategic decision-making process. And, that (OCE’s decision not to compete directly with reprographers in the U.S. for “reprographics work” or “FM deals” in the A/E/C market space) is (of course this is just my opinion) primarily because the reprographics industry in the U.S. is not fragmented, whereas in Europe the opposite is the case.