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Al Bawaba
23-06-2025
- Business
- Al Bawaba
Epson Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Epson Brand
Seiko Epson Corporation (TSE: 6724, "Epson") today marks the 50th anniversary of the Epson brand. Since its inception in 1975, Epson has built a global reputation by upholding the values of creativity, challenge, integrity, and effort. Drawing on its origins in watchmaking in 1942, Epson has continuously developed its efficient, compact, and precise technologies into products that have shaped industries and enriched lives across the Our First Innovation and its 'Sons'The name "Epson" was born from the EP-101, the world's first compact digital printer, with the ambition to produce many "sons" of this original innovation. That ambition has resulted in decades of product excellence and customer trust, with a presence spanning home, office, commercial, and industrial SolutionsEpson's printing legacy continued with the MP-80, which introduced ESC/P, later an industry standard. In 1993, the MJ-500 debuted with Micro Piezo technology, followed by the MJ-700V2C in 1994, which brought 720 dpi high-resolution printing to homes at an affordable price. In 2010, Epson launched high-capacity ink tank printers based on customer feedback in Indonesia; today, Epson is ranked the No.1 ink tank printer brand with more than 100 million units sold worldwide in over 170 countries*1Epson's PrecisionCore printhead technology extended Epson's reach to develop a wide range of products, not only for the home and office but also for commercial and industrial applications. Epson's printheads are recognised for their outstanding quality and are widely used in third-party printers, making Epson a leading supplier of printheads used in industrial inkjet machines. Epson's professional large-format printers and textile solutions, like the Monna Lisa 160B, support sustainable small-lot production, while the SurePress series meets the short-run packaging needs of fast-moving CommunicationsEpson's LCD projector journey began in 1989 with the VPJ-700, followed by the ELP-3000 in 1994, offering triple brightness in a portable form. Key to Epson's projectors are high-temperature polysilicon (HTPS) panels, which ensure vibrant, high-quality images using semiconductor-grade fabrication techniques. The 2016 EB-L25000U set a benchmark as the world's brightest*2 3LCD laser projector at 25,000 lumens. Epson now leads the business projector market*3 globally, powering everything from meetings to immersive cultural exhibitions like projection mapping on Matsumoto and WearablesEpson has led in factory automation since launching its SCARA-type industrial robots in 1983. Compact, fast, and precise, these robots support flexible production across sectors such as automotive, electronics, and healthcare. Epson has secured and maintained the world's top market share*4 in terms of sales revenue in the industrial SCARA robot segment. By integrating vision and force-sensing technology, the robots now handle delicate, human-like tasks, helping manufacturers boost productivity and address labour shortages. Their use has expanded beyond factories into life sciences and research settings, where precision is horology, Epson launched the world's first quartz watch in 1969 and introduced innovations like the TV watch and self-winding quartz models. The acquisition of Orient Watch Company in 2009 expanded Epson's presence in mechanical watches. Meanwhile, Epson's quartz crystal devices – grown in-house – are essential in modern electronics, used in smartphones, drones, and infrastructure monitoring. Epson ranks among the world's top manufacturers of these components* Globally Epson's global journey began with manufacturing in Singapore in 1968 and sales operations in the U.S. in 1975. Over the decades, Epson has developed a strong international network with key production sites in China, Indonesia, and the Philippines, and regional headquarters in the U.S., Europe, Singapore, and China. Local insights have driven innovation, such as ink tank printers initially launched in Indonesia. In 2023, Epson expanded into the Middle East and Africa through a new sales company in Dubai, strengthening support in emerging Has Expanded a Global, Diverse Customer BaseEpson technologies have become essential across fields – from home printing and digital art to projection mapping and collaborative robotics. Our print solutions serve professional photographers, designers, and educators, while our projectors support both business presentations and large-scale events. Industrial robots and crystal devices help drive precision agriculture, automation, and infrastructure resilience. This wide application is anchored by our commitment to reliable, high-quality products and innovation in the Middle EastIn addition to bringing cutting edge innovation to an array of sectors, Epson is also ensuring that its commitment to innovation reaches all regions. In February 2025, Epson opened its state-of-the-art Innovation Centre at Dubai Production City, part of TECOM Group PJSC. Showcasing Epson's latest technology solutions with a mission to reimagine how technology contributes to a better future, the Centre reflects the company's vision for industry sustainability and with the latest industry tools and equipment, Epson's Innovation Centre will spearhead advances in printing, scanning, visual display, manufacturing, and lifestyle solutions. The regional hub will also enable customers and partners to contribute local insights into the design and development of next-generation technologies by providing a direct connection between the team on the ground and Epson's research and development (R&D) centres in we reflect on the past 50 years, we honour the trust of our partners and customers. Rooted in the natural beauty of Nagano, we remain committed to protecting the environment and pursuing our vision: to become carbon negative and eliminate the use of exhaustible underground resources by will continue to champion innovation that is efficient, compact, and precise – enriching lives and creating a better world for generations to The product model names listed are the names used for products released in Japan at the time.*1 As of the end of September 2024*2 As of December 2015, for already released 3LCD projector products, per Epson research,*3 Share of projectors with 500 lumens or more, excluding screenless TV products, per FY2023 Futuresource Consulting Ltd.*4 "2025 Worldwide Robot-Related Market Status and Future Prospects FA Robots," (Shipments of industrial SCARA robots in 2024 based on revenue), Fuji Keizai Co., Ltd. *5 Based on the 2023 issue of QYRESEARCH's Global Timing Device Market Report, per Epson's research
Daily Maverick
04-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Maverick
Epson doubles down on South Africa as print market transforms
It's easy to think that the home printer heavyweights would fade into the obsolescence ether as the world goes paperless. As it turns out, business is booming. Epson, the global imaging and printing giant from Japan, is significantly strengthening its commitment to South Africa, recently unveiling new offices in Cape Town following the launch of an Innovation Centre in Johannesburg. This expansion underscores the country's strategic importance within the expansive Middle East, Turkey, Africa and Central and West Asia (META-CWA) region. 'The decision to build a strong presence in South Africa is partly thanks to the organisation in southern Africa and the talent of the South African people that we brought into the organisation,' explained Neil Colquhoun, president of Epson META-CWA, referring to the company's move to insource back-office functions rather than outsourcing. Epson's local team, already touching 80, is expected to grow to about 100 within 18 months, handling not only commercial operations for SADC and English-speaking Africa but also critical back-office functions such as finance, IT and supply chains for the entire META-CWA region. This will also double the size of Colquhoun's regional team that operates primarily from the Dubai base. The company's demographic profile reflects a young, diverse workforce with a median age of 39 and an average of about 30. Women constitute 47% of Epson's regional employees, with half of the senior management team being female. 'We're really, really proud of our demographic profile,' Colquhoun noted. 'It distinguishes us in the tech industry, which traditionally skews male.' An EcoTank in every home Epson's regional growth strategy centres on its EcoTank printer technology, which now accounts for about half of the company's global business. The ink tank principle has proven particularly successful in emerging markets. 'We've sold over 100 million EcoTanks worldwide – more than the rest of the market combined,' Colquhoun said. The source of this market advantage is a proprietary Micro Piezo technology, a heat-free printing method. 'This is completely unique to Epson – we own the core technology and don't sell or licence it to others,' he said. 'It results in very low power consumption, which is critical in countries like South Africa because of load shedding. Theoretically, you could power an Epson printer with a bicycle dynamo.' The additional benefits include reduced maintenance, faster printing and longer device lifespans. 'It's cold technology, which means you're not stressing the parts. This results in lower intervention requirements compared to laser printers, which struggle with heat and dust issues.' A departure from tradition An important thing to understand about the printer game is that the rules are to not sell but lease, with expensive maintenance contracts that place a premium on call-out fees. Colquhoun has other ideas. He describes EcoTank as a 'complete game changer' due to its dramatic impact on printing costs. Unlike traditional cartridge printers, EcoTank models come with a large volume of ink – equivalent to about 79 cartridges – providing about three years of printing straight out of the box based on average use. He tells Daily Maverick that the cost per page for consumers is 'a no-brainer'. While a cartridge might print a few hundred pages for about $20, a bottle of EcoTank ink can print 8,000 pages and costs significantly less. This 'unparalleled' value proposition means customers, especially those with high printing needs like families with school children, are no longer 'scared to print because they know it's expensive'. Over three years customers can save about $1,000 (R18,461) depending on use, and in some markets this translates to saving more than 90% on printing costs. Another stealthy attack on jobs Colquhoun says the benefits extend to channel partners as well. The low maintenance and intervention required for EcoTank printers compared with laser printers (which often need cleaning due to dust) allows partners to reduce fixed costs associated with fuel and maintenance teams (read: cut down on manpower). He estimates that roughly one in three, or even two out of three, visits can be reduced, freeing up personnel for other tasks. This creates a win-win scenario across the value chain, benefiting customers, partners and even the national grid and environment through reduced energy use and emissions. While Epson bets big on converting users to its ink tank system, the broader print industry continues to evolve. Yesh Surjoodeen, southern Africa regional director at HP (Epson's biggest rival), acknowledged the industry's reinvention but pointed to growth linked to 'automation, diversification, supply chain resiliency and sustainability'. Surjoodeen highlights the need for the industry to diversify offerings, embrace digital technologies in a hybrid approach and meet consumer demands for personalisation and sustainability. While not dismissing print, HP's focus seems geared towards adaptation through services, AI integration and subscription models, particularly in the PC space. What this means for you Compare ink tank systems (like Epson's EcoTank) with traditional cartridge models (common with HP) when thinking about making a business purchase. Ink tanks generally mean a higher upfront printer cost but lower long-term ink expenses, while cartridges are often the reverse. Evaluate your printing volume to see which model fits best. Maintenance needs: Epson claims its heat-free technology requires less intervention than laser printers, but the call-out fee might be higher. Energy use: Newer technologies may offer lower power consumption, affecting running costs – heat-free also means more flexibility in energy sources (you could run it off DC power). Vendor strategy: Suppliers have different focuses – some push low running costs, others drive the service integration or AI feature agenda. Align your choice with your business or personal priorities. The pirate problem The issue of counterfeit ink and toner also presents a challenge, with Epson and HP taking slightly different public stances on combating it. Epson focuses on educating consumers to use genuine consumables, employing marketing and IP protection tools like QR codes for authenticity verification, and pursuing legal action against counterfeiters using its logo. HP, heavily reliant on cartridge sales, strongly promotes its anti-counterfeiting programmes, warning that counterfeit and clone cartridges 'mislead consumers, undermine trust and can damage printing devices' while infringing on their IP. HP says it champions 'rigorous IP protection' to ensure value and reliability. As Epson expands its physical presence and pushes its ink tank technology revolution, the broader industry navigates a future where print coexists with digital and sustainability becomes the main focus. Either way, print will still be with us for the foreseeable future. DM
