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Yesterday, Konica Minolta Canada announced that it has acquired Pitney Bowes Canada’s document imaging solutions business. While at BrockOA, we are always preaching about the benefits change and innovation, sometimes this isn’t the case. When a manufacturer of different machines and technologies buys the company you chose to do business with, it puts you in a corner, dealing with someone you didn’t select yourself.
Change is not always good
When you chose your dealer, you based your decision on their level of service, quality of product and cost. With Konica Minolta’s recent acquisition of Pitney Bowes, your deciding factors no longer apply.
To begin with, Konica Minolta manufactures and sells their own units, while Pitney Bowes supported other brands — Konica Minolta competitors Sharp and Lexmark to be specific. Now that they have taken over, they will want to convert all Sharps and Lexmarks that are currently out there because they do not support them. No more freedom of choice in your contract. And think about it, if they had the best solution last time you were looking for office equipment, you would have selected them to begin with — but you didn’t.
If you have been a long-time client, you will have likely built a trusting relationship with the staff and service team, but they may not all be retained. That means that any training, knowledge of your account and relationships that were built will leave when they do.
Sharp benefits
When you signed a contract with Pitney Bowes, you probably found a product that meets your needs pretty perfectly. We get it, we deal the same products and they are great. If you chose a Sharp, we really get it, these devices have some fantastic features and benefits, like:
- Hide away QWERTY keyboard
- Separate B&W and Colour copy buttons
- Front mount USB dedicated to user scan/print
- Simultaneous 2-sided scanning (on selected models)
- The best data security
- Free end-of-lease hard drive cleansing
- 24/7 on-line operational help facility
And that’s not even all the perks that come with owning a Sharp. With features like these that swayed your decision to begin with, why would you want to change to something else? You are used to what you have and there is a reason you chose it. You shouldn’t have to give that up.
When a dealer is bought out by a manufacturer, what you like about what you contracted for doesn’t matter, they have their own stuff to sell. Like it or not, if you stay where you are, you will have to convert to what they want you to have, or fend for yourself. As a dedicated office equipment dealer, BrockOA offers a variety of products, devices and services to ensure your business’ needs are met. Your contracted office equipment should be making your business life better, not more stressful — and a true dealer, rather than a manufacturer, will make sure you get what you need.
