Consistency is the word to describe the growth story of Epson in the Philippines. To hold its ground, Epson found a way to speak to its consumers in a language that has become the vernacular of all: Technology.
Toshimitsu Tanaka, president and country manager of Epson Philippines Corp., notes being the market leader in printers for two years is no easy feat.
Tanaka doesn’t believe in growing roots in just one place. He wants to keep moving and thriving on higher ground.
Thus, Epson decided to expand to other fields especially in the industrial segment, where the company already provides printer/copier technology, laser light source projectors and smart headsets. The company’s growth path was not formulated for mere survival, but as a show of force on how technology can constantly improve the ecosystem of business, Tanaka says.
“We want consumers to discover more of our products. We are more than just printers, there are several other gems to be found using our technology,” says Tanaka.
Epson Philippines is planning to build a separate P4.7-billion plant in Batangas in order to expand its manufacturing capability. The target is 2017.
Tanaka says the plant will increase the export business of Epson Philippines. This will mean more jobs for Filipinos, thus also allowing the firm to answer the demand for quality products.
The proposed plant will be the firm’s second plant in the country. The first is the P4.5-billion plant in the same location which manufactures printers and projectors distributed to 24 countries.
“Our aim is to be indispensable. We must continue to develop new products. Innovation is mandatory. But the key is to find the specific market to focus on and grow from there,” he says.
New technologies
Tanaka describes the story of the Epson brand, which marked its 40th year last year, as a journey of good research and great technology.
“If we were only competing in the Philippines, then it would have been easier. But we’re also trying to keep pace with the world, so more work has to be put into every product we create,” he says.
He says the thrust has always been to develop energy efficient products, but with sleek designs.
Epson also has to answer the specific needs of both SMEs and industrial companies. It says the answer to these is transformative technology, which allows clients to utilize a simple yet more efficient technology in doing their businesses.
An example of this is the Workforce Pro WF-R8591 that uses the Replaceable Ink Pack System (RIPS). What makes this printer special is that it uses a technology that transfers ink into a medium with laser-like precision. It also consumes less energy (it can be powered by a stationary bike) and can print over 75,000 pages in 20 days. Epson’s ink packs also have longer shelf lives.
The industrial hand-held label printer or Labelworks LW-Z900FK, meanwhile, is recommended for warehouses, hospitals and factories that have high demand for labeling cables, port servers, tubes and packages.
The industrial smart headset, on one hand, is Epson’s take on the smartglass. Epson has been in the business of developing smartglasses for five years now.
Epson Moverio BT-2000 is equipped with a 5-megapixel camera and offers connectivity via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. It’s potential applications include training for aircraft maintenance or remote teleconferences for joint monitoring. It can also be used in hospitals and warehouses.
The mobile and versatile point-of-sale (POS) receipt printer, meanwhile, is a must-have for a startup company. The TM-M30, for example, can quickly pair up with either the iOS or Android systems.
Reliable
For the new generation signage printers, the Surecolor-S series is a reliable large scale printer that can only match the skill level of customers.
The laser light source home projector EH-LS10000 is the world’s first dual laser 3LCD home projector. This projector can last up to 13 years and is maintenance free up to 20,000 hours.
The Office Papermaking system or Paperlab, meanwhile, is the world’s first dry process paper recycling machine. To lessen a client’s carbon footprint, Epson has devised a way to “upcycle” used coupon bond papers to create new papers.
The “upcycled” paper can be used up to five times. Epson is targeting government and banking institutions to use this technology.