Ricoh Makes Strategic Investment in Avanti Computer Systems Limited

TOKYO and TORONTO – July 11, 2013– Ricoh Company, Ltd. (Ricoh) today announced that it has made a multimillion dollar investment in Avanti Computer Systems Limited™, a leading provider of Print Management Information Systems (MIS) solutions for the print industry. Avanti provides Print MIS software that helps commercial and in-plant printers streamline their workflow, resulting in greater productivity, customer satisfaction, and improved profit margins.

With hundreds of installations throughout the commercial print and in-plant marketplace, Avanti will now be able to bring its MIS tools, including job costing, tracking and billing, scheduling, CRM, inventory management, warehouse and direct mail management, to an even broader global market. Avanti’s core technologies are uniquely positioned to complement Ricoh’s offerings with advanced solutions for mixed environments with wide format, digital cut sheet, continuous forms, offset, and fulfillment and kitting operations. Ricoh is committed to providing printers with alternative solutions that support open industry standards and connections to key production print technologies across vendors.

This is the most recent investment by Ricoh to expand its reach across the print industry in an effort to ensure customers have access to the critical information they need, when they need it. Ricoh previously invested in PTI Marketing TechnologiesTM, a leading provider of marketing automation solutions for both enterprise users and print service providers. Ricoh is continuing to make these investments to further enhance the development of new management tools to help enterprises and commercial printers on their continued path toward efficiency and growth.

“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. The investment also speaks to our “imagine.change.” initiative – by enabling commercial and in-plant printers to streamline their businesses and seek efficiencies to lower costs, and improve their bottom line,” said Yasuhiko Hosoe, associate director and deputy general manager, Ricoh Production Printing Business Group, Ricoh Company, Ltd. “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.”

Ricoh enables companies of all sizes around the world to help expand their businesses with tools such as data intelligence, document management software, industry-leading digital printers, and other solutions – all aimed to provide them with a sustainable, competitive advantage.
“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,” said 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.”
In addition to Ricoh, Avanti will continue to actively market its products through all channels, including its current partner vendors.

About Ricoh
Ricoh is a global technology company specializing in office imaging equipment, production print solutions, document management systems and IT services. 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 (approx. 20 billion USD).
The majority of the company's revenue comes from products, solutions and services that improve the interaction between people and information. Ricoh also produces award-winning digital cameras and specialized industrial products. It is known for the quality of its technology, the exceptional standard of its customer service and sustainability initiatives.
Under its corporate tagline, imagine. change. Ricoh helps companies transform the way they work and harness the collective imagination of their employees.

For further information, please visit www.ricoh.com/about/