AGFA buys Gandi

[National Sign Co. - Print]

Agfa now owns Gandinnovations.

This should be interesting...

 

[DoubleDown]

Heck yeah...now if we can just afford the M Press Tiger Have no idea what I'd use it for...just to have it around.

 

[rfulford]

I imagine Agfa will get whatever use they can out of the UV flatbeds from Gandi but not really develop them any further. Support for solvent will be gone much sooner. This is just my opinion of course.

 

[DoubleDown]

Well most of the times these companies buy up other companies (HP buys NUR, Scitex, Colorspan, etc) to fill product lines they don't have. My guess is Agfa will rebrand several of the machines and keep them going as well as take some of the technology and use it. Most of HP's machines are someone else, they are just rebranding or improving on.

 

[rfulford]

From what I hear, HP actually improved on the colorspan line and they are continuing to upgrade some of the Nur products like the FB6100. Agfa on the other hand seems to rebrand more hardware for digital printing than they develop. The Anapurna M series is the rebranded dilli neo titan IRRC. The sherpa was a mutoh falcon. I am not really sure about the M-Press. I think it uses Agfa Heads and tech from Thieme?

 

[DoubleDown]

Yep, you are correct.

 

[SignManiac]

HP did in fact improve on ColorScams 9840 industrial flatbed with the new FB950. This is the first printer we've had that actually works.

Prior to this machine we had installed a RasterCrapper 720 hybrid along with two ColorScam hybrids, none of them ever worked right at all.

I guess HP has the resources (money) to get the job done right. I believe AGFA is another major player with the same resources so it shouldn't hurt.

 

[wonsngis]

Maybe now all the 3rd party ink guys will stop coming in here crying that Gandi is going to disappear so we'd better switch to their ink. I've had 3 visits in as many weeks.

 

[Tony Teveris]

Canon buys Oce

 

[RoCo]

I actually just heard last week that Gandi was possibly on their way out. So Canon bought Oce? So another copier company bought the copier company that bought into wide format digital?

 

[wonsngis]

I don't believe there was any ever reality to the rumor that Gandi was just going to disappear. They've been in financial trouble, yeah, but they were far too valuable to be left to die. A merger/buyout has been on their horizon since long before their bankruptcy.

 

[RoCo]

Haven't been keeping up with much industry news as of late, so just hearing about Gandi being in trouble was news to me.

 

[SeaWriter]

soon it will be down to the just the big 3? EFI, HP @ Agfa. or unless Roland or someone buys EFI. This does show Agfa wants to get serious. Don't worry you see the Gandi brothers again.

 

[wonsngis]

Don't worry you see the Gandi brothers again.

Yup- that has happened before. History has a way of repeating itself.

 

[Rodi]

Doesn't screen own INCA?

 

[MachServTech]

And now you throw Canon into the mix with their purchase of Oce who owns Onyx and Oce's relationship with Gandi....

The only thing Canon is missing to be a serious competitor to HP and Epson is solvent or UV wide format.....wonder what might come of this?

 

[MachServTech]

Doesn't screen own INCA?

I thought that was Fuji?

 

[bbeens]

Rodi is correct. Screen does own Inca.

 

[wonsngis]

Rodi is correct. Screen does own Inca.

I'm pretty sure it's fuji

http://www.fujifilmsericol.com/products/inkjet/presses/FujifilmSericolUSAUVDigitalPresses.htm

...or, then again

http://www.incadigital.com/company/

 

[bbeens]

Fuji Sericol are the only distributors in North America - but the do not own Inca. The company is named 'Dainippon Screen' http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-132930410.html

Bryan