MELVILLE, N.Y. - Canon Solutions America, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Canon U.S.A., Inc., today announced that Matrix Imaging Solutions, a longtime upstate New York print service provider, has installed the Océ VarioPrint i300, the company's first foray into the inkjet landscape. With its latest investment, Matrix is poised to once more solidify its position as one of the most recognized and established print brands in the region, while helping provide its customers with new business opportunities.

Known as pioneers in the transactional document arena, Matrix has evolved into a multifaceted print service provider with an ability to design and create effective communication materials for customers of all sizes.

As the print provider watched the development and cost-effectiveness of inkjet continue to progress, Matrix recognized the demand for an investment in a product that was available in sheetfed mode without the need for specialty papers. The print leader's answer came in the form of the Océ VarioPrint i300 inkjet color digital press, and they haven't looked back since.

"We needed an everyday press that could provide us with dynamic application flexibility while also maintaining the kind of high quality output Matrix is synonymous with," said Alan Olivero, president of Matrix Imaging. "Furthermore, perhaps what stood out most with the VarioPrint i300 was its ability to allow us to offer transactional document customers with color options. That factor alone will help Matrix expand its application versatility."

As a testament to its reliability, Olivero and his team first gave the Océ VarioPrint i300 an opportunity to prove its worth with an eight million impression direct mail campaign. Noting the combination of speed and quality, Olivero was impressed with the output and recognized the value in acquiring the game-changing inkjet press.

"With an affordable color option and offset-like quality, we recognized right away that this inkjet press is next-generation technology that can help Matrix differentiate itself for years to come," added Olivero. "Adding to that is its ability to print on coated and gloss stock—we truly feel we can use it for any type of job or request from our valued customer-base."

With a customer-base that requires quick turnaround times and an ability to maximize uptime, Matrix  relied on the Océ VarioPrint i300 for its automated maintenance routines which help secure uninterrupted production; simultaneously helping maintain print quality, productivity, and uptime. This, along with the presses ability to provide advanced input and output technologies, has enabled Matrix to enhance its workflow and meet the industry's increased needs around shorter runs and faster turnaround.

As today's print market continues to evolve rapidly and print providers like Matrix feel the pressure to keep pace, inkjet is seen as a bridge to the future and a solution that answers the call. The confluence of technology advancements, changing markets, and business requirements places pressure on print service providers to respond nimbly and better serve the needs of customers. The Océ VarioPrint i300 inkjet press, as seen with Matrix Imaging, can be the solution. It closes the gap between the application flexibility and efficiency of sheet-fed presses and the economy and productivity of web-fed systems, without compromising quality. iQuarius technologies, a breakthrough in sheet-fed versatility and inkjet productivity, enable print providers to handle new and more diverse applications—and do so profitably.

"Suffice to say, introducing customers like Matrix to Canon inkjet technologies is a way for us to not only develop new business collaborations, but to educate leading-edge print service providers on what is possible with inkjet, both now and in the future," said Francis McMahon, senior vice president, Marketing, Production Print Solutions, Canon Solutions America. "We look to Matrix (and all our customers) as much as they do to us in an effort to continue advancing our technologies and adapting to the ever-changing industry demands."

As experienced on a sales, service, and executive level, the collaboration between Canon Solutions America and Matrix Imaging transcends the installation of an inkjet press and software solution. Still very much a new business relationship, the two companies both described each other as "class operations" and identify with the customer-first approach to business they have in common. This mutually beneficial collaboration is perhaps best exemplified by the transparency exhibited by both parties, as witnessed by Canon Solutions America's all-encompassing analysis of Matrix's operating system. While the technology is very much at the forefront of the emerging alliance, it's the trust that solidifies it.

"We know with Canon Solutions America we have an ally we can trust moving forward to help us open our company to new business opportunities," noted Olivero. "There's no doubt that we not only expect Matrix to grow through this advantageous collaboration, but our customers as well."