Ricoh Company Ltd. today announced it made a multimillion-dollar investment in Avanti Computer Systems Ltd., a developer of Print Management Information Systems (MIS) based in Toronto.
This marks Ricoh’s second significant investment in a printing-software company in the past 10 months after the company announced its investment in PTI Marketing Technologies in August 2012. PTI Marketing develops Web-to-print and marketing personalization applications, such as such as MarcomCentral and FusionPro, for both enterprise users and print-service providers.
“Avanti’s Print MIS capability is a perfect complement to our portfolio. In the same way we automate print workflow, Avanti automates the printer’s back office systems: inventory management, job pricing, estimating, and billing,” stated Yasuhiko Hosoe, Associate Director and Deputy General Manager, Ricoh Production Printing Business Group. “This strategic move, like our investment in PTI, further demonstrates our commitment to help companies imagine the changes that they can make to automate and improve their businesses, and most importantly, their customers’ experiences.”
Avanti currently has hundreds of MIS installations in commercial printing and in-plant operations, primarily in North America. The investment by Ricoh, which itself has been focusing on the development of new management tools for printers, will allow Avanti’s MIS applications, including job costing, tracking and billing, scheduling, CRM, inventory management, warehouse and direct mail management, to reach a broader global market. Headquartered in Tokyo, Ricoh Group operates in about 200 countries and regions. In the financial year ending March 2013, Ricoh Group had worldwide sales of 1,924 billion yen (approximately $20 billion).
“At Avanti, our priority has always been to invest in our people and our technology, which in turn, provides our customers with innovative, effective and award-winning software solutions,” stated Patrick Bolan, President and CEO of Avanti. “This strategic investment by Ricoh means that we can accelerate product development and expand into new markets, and most importantly, ensure that both current and future customers have options when choosing a Print MIS system.”
Since its founding in 1984, Avanti has been specifically focused on the development of print management software for the printing industry. At Graph Expo in September 2012, Avanti showcased version 12.4 of its Graphic Arts Management System, including its new Advanced Fulfillment module which was named as a Must See ‘Em product. The Advanced Fulfillment module includes a contract management system, where print providers can manage and track their customers’ finished goods, as well as manage the billing of those goods.
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