Oracle to buy Textura in $663 million deal

Oracle Corp. (ORCL) said Thursday it has agreed to acquire Textura Corp. (TXTR) a provider of construction contracts and payment management cloud services, in a deal valued at about $663 million, net of Textura's cash. Oracle said it will pay $26 per Textura share, sending the stock up 28% in premarket trade. Textura processes $3.4 billion in payments a month, keeping projects on time and under budget, Oracle said in a statement. "The increasingly global engineering and construction industry requires digital modernization in a way that automates manual processes and embraces the power of cloud computing to easily connect the construction job site, reduce cost overruns, and improve productivity," Oracle senior vice president Mike Sicilia said in the statement. Oracle is expecting the deal to close in 2016. Oracle shares were not yet active in premarket trade, but are up 12% in the year so far, while the S&P 500 has gained 2.5%

Massivit 3D to premier ground-breaking (LARGE-FORMAT) 3D print solutions at drupa

Massivit 3D Printing Technologies today announced that it will use drupa 2016 to provide the first public demonstration of the new Massivit 1800 printer

With a stand boasting vibrant, eye-catching 3D printed sign & display applications, drupa visitors can discover how they can utilise new 3D printing technology to produce unique and attention-grabbing large format 3D displays for a wide variety of markets.

A super-fast large format 3D printer, the Massivit 1800 is set to transform the way high-level marketing, advertising & themed projects are created. With output speeds incomparable to anything else in the 3D printing industry, the Massivit 1800 printer can produce high quality 3D pieces up to 1.8m / 6ft high. Print providers seeking to dramatically extend their product portfolio beyond 2D pieces, now have access to a profitable new and unique application capability, and an important business differentiator to enhance their competitive edge and secure their future.

See more at: https://www.largeformatreview.com/business/events/6392-massivit-3d-to-premier-ground-breaking-3d-print-solutions-at-drupa#sthash.hv1XzEvX.dpuf

Kodak’s entry into the wide-format digital printing market (or, should we call it Kodak’s “re-entry”?)

((CORRECTION (Apr 29th):  Apparently, Kodak will not be manufacturing large-format print devices; instead, like Memjet did, Kodak will be manufacturing print heads (with Ultrastream print technology) and will sign-up equipment manufacturers to manufacture and sell Ultrastream-enabled wide-format printers.))

Well, evidently, Kodak has a new entry into the “wide-format” digital printing marketplace – based on its ULTRASTREAM ink-jet printing technology....

From a Kodak Press Release:

DUSSELDORF, GERMANY, Monday, February 29, 2016 --

Kodak today announced its next generation inkjet technology platform, KODAK ULTRASTREAM Inkjet Technology, which will be showcased for the first time worldwide at drupa 2016

Built on Kodak’s proven continuous inkjet Stream technology, ULTRASTREAM will move production inkjet into the mainstream of commercial printing and packaging. This technology demonstrates the evolution of inkjet with smaller drop size and precise placement accuracy for higher resolution, clean lines and additional detailed definition.  ULTRASTREAM will set new standards, broadening the range of printable graphic arts applications and reaching new markets for high speed, high resolution inkjet printing. The technology will co-exist in the market along with KODAK Stream Technology to offer different platform options, addressing the needs of each application.

ULTRASTREAM is aimed at printers and prospects demanding a superior image quality to integrate into their application-based production systems.  This high resolution Writing System includes a modular printhead that can be implemented in varying widths ranging from 8” up to 97” to suit the specific application.  ULTRASTREAM will also be available with Kodak’s Digital Front End (DFE), a dynamic and flexible solution that meets the demands of commercial printers as they implement production inkjet in their workflows. At drupa 2016, visitors will see the ULTRASTREAM technology in an 8” configuration on a narrow-web press for labeling and small format printing, to showcase the high resolution output as a result of smaller ink drop sizes, superior drop placement and substrate interaction.

ULTRASTREAM will enable high resolution printing at an exceptional quality of 600 x 1800dpi at speeds of up to 150 meters per minute (500 feet per minute) on the widest variety of paper and plastic substrates, to address even the most demanding applications including narrow-web labels, and packaging. It will also be available in a scanning head configuration to enable wide format printing with multiple heads on a moving carriage. Kodak’s micro-milled nano-particulate inks deliver 30% wider range of color gamut, and with the extensibility of the technology can also provide spot colors and an extended color gamut to further broaden the scope of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black (CMYK) printing.

Kodak continues to improve on production inkjet’s cost of operation through ease of use, serviceability and device availability. ULTRASTREAM will deliver lower running costs, improved image quality, the ability to print on a wide variety of paper and packaging substrates with unparalleled productivity, all while offering the flexibility and value of digital printing.

Philip Cullimore, President of Kodak’s Enterprise Inkjet Systems Division, said: “Kodak has once again raised the bar in inkjet printing. ULTRASTREAM will be a ‘must-see’ inkjet technology at drupa 2016. With availability to start integration beginning in 2017, we look forward to discussions with OEM partners to plan new products built with this technology, and with printers to understand the first applications that they would like to see us address.”

A world of inkjet at drupa

Visitors to the Kodak stand will also see live demonstrations of the Prosper 6000C press with inline finishing. Printing at 300 meters per minute (1,000 feet per minute), visitors will see first-hand the capabilities of the Prosper 6000C, with take-home samples to inspect at their own leisure. The press will be running with a MEGTEC automatic roll splicer and multiple inline finishing solutions for two different applications; magazines and catalogs printed on lightweight coated paper and finished with a Manroland web systems FoldLine, as well as commercial applications that will be post coated with an i-WEB post coater and finished with a VITS multicut variable servo sheeter. Flexo, gravure and offset printers should also not miss the Extended Gamut + Varnish (XGV) technology demonstration for flexible films produced on narrow-web. Featuring seven of Kodak’s S-Series Printing Systems printing on flexible films, which are capable of printing CMYK and an extended gamut of CMYK plus orange, green and violet to match a broader spectrum of Pantone Colors used in label or package printing, the demo will also have an additional station printing water-based digital varnish. This demonstration will utilize environmentally friendly, aqueous inks, bonding on to flexible films, which is unique in the industry.  With Kodak’s Stream inkjet technology – running at up to 200 meters per minute -  this system is ideal for integration into traditional print processes to create a hybrid system that maximizes the advantages of both digital and analog printing for a variety of film based packaging.

Visitors are also invited to explore opportunities to create new applications by integrating Kodak’s 49” inkjet technology Writing System in their production processes. This wider Writing System brings the world’s fastest inkjet printing to the wide format market, including home décor and signage. The This is Inkjet! Loft on the Kodak drupa stand will represent an apartment decorated with Kodak Stream digitally printed products including laminate flooring, countertops, furniture, wallpaper, napkins and water bottles to name a few.   The ability to print customized designs in short runs, eliminating inventory with just-in-time printing while achieving the durability and robustness comparable with gravure printing, will change how home décor and other wide format printing is delivered in the future.

Staples Parts With Its Print Solutions Business

The beginning of a note on Investopedia….

Staples (NASDAQ: SPLS) still intends on buying its office supplies retail rival Office Depot (NASDAQ: ODP) despite the FTC's attempts to block the merger, and it recently announced it was selling its print solutions business for an undisclosed sum to help further that end.

The print solutions division offers printing services to businesses, including business cards, brochures, labels, and packaging options. The business will be acquired by Taylor's communications subsidiary, which was formed last year after bidding on Standard Register, a communications services company for financial services, healthcare, retail, and industrial markets that went bankrupt after over 100 years in business.

Staples copy and print business has been a key performing segment and has grown to account for nearly 10% of its retail sales with gross margins well in excess of the company as a whole.

Read the full note at this link:

http://www.investopedia.com/stock-analysis/042116/staples-parts-its-print-solutions-business-amzn-odp-spls.aspx?partner=YahooSA

Xerox Revenue Down

Part of a post that appeared today on The Motley Fool

What: Shares of Xerox Corp. (NYSE:XRX) fell as much as 13.6% Monday after the company announced mixed first-quarter 2016 results and weaker-than-expected guidance.

So what: Quarterly revenue fell 4.2% year over year, to $4.28 billion, notably including a 1% increase in services revenue to $2.5 billion, and a 10% decline in document technology revenue, to $1.6 billion. That translated to a 16.9% decline in adjusted net income, to $231 million, or $0.22 per share. Analysts, on average, were anticipating slightly higher adjusted earnings of $0.23 per share on slightly lower revenue of $4.24 billion.

Recall in late January Xerox unveiled a plan to separate into two independent, publicly traded companies: an $11 billion document technology company, and a $7 billion business process outsourcing company. At the time, Xerox told investors it expected the transition to be complete by the end of this year, along with a transformation program anticipated to deliver $2.4 billion in savings over the next three years to both companies. Xerox confirmed today that the separation is still on track to be complete by the end of this year, and that it has determined the "optimal transaction structure" is a tax-free spinoff of the business process outsourcing segment. As such, Xerox will incur one-time separation costs of roughly $200 million to $250 million this year, as well as total restructuring and related costs of $300 million.

RGS Fast-Tracks Large-format Color Printing Services with Two HP PageWide XL 8000 Printers

RGS ReproGraphic Solutions, a digital imaging and document management services company for the design and construction industry, installed two HP PageWide XL 8000 Printers in its Las Vegas, Nevada location to expand and increase its large-format color printing capabilities. Since the installation in January 2016, the company has been able to enhance the services offered to its customers, providing faster color printing as well as high-quality presentation graphics, while increasing efficiency. With the HP PageWide XL 8000 Printers, RGS has been able to far exceed the print quality of its previous technology, while streamlining operation.

RGS, a member of the RGS Group of Companies, selected HP large-format printing technology to handle all of its large-format color printing services because of its quality, speed and versatility. The HP PageWide XL 8000 Printers enable the company to produce business presentations, architectural renderings, posters and other color projects on a wide media range up to 40 inches at breakthrough speeds, while setting a new technical document quality standard with crisp lines, fine detail and smooth grayscales. In addition, RGS installed HP DesignJet Z6200 and Z6800 Photo Production Printers to provide power and flexibility for high-quality signs, displays and roll-up banners. With more efficient, faster large-format color printing, RGS can generate new revenue streams and excel in the service and quality that their customers have come to expect.

“The RGS production team has definitely put the HP PageWide XL 8000 Printers to the test, and we have been very impressed by the combination of quality and speed,” said Billy Hamilton, CEO, RGS Group of Companies. “Prior to installing the HP PageWide XL 8000 Printers, processing files for color jobs took hours, and now we can process the same files in a fraction of the time. We have been extremely satisfied with the results of these products for our market, and our customers are happy, which makes us happy.”