Press release: 1 September 2010

Pitney Bowes Batsumi – proudly supplying re-manufactured printer cartridges for the future

When it comes to mailstream solutions, no-one is better placed to provide expert advice and world-class technology than Pitney Bowes South Africa.

As a subsidiary of US-based Pitney Bowes, Pitney Bowes SA can draw from its parent company’s 90 years of expertise in the business. Both companies have developed an in-depth knowledge of all areas of mailing technology, from software and hardware to sorters and processes.

In 2008, Pitney Bowes SA was proud to launch its black economic empowerment (BEE) company, Pitney Bowes Batsumi, which has gone from strength to strength in the local mailstream market.

“Under the leadership of CEO, Thokozani Gumede, Batsumi has won a number of tenders since its inception. Batsumi now has among their broad range of clients, some of the major banks, insurance companies and government departments in the country,” comments Michael Springer, Managing Director of Pitney Bowes SA.

Like parent company Pitney Bowes SA, Batsumi supplies its customers with a range of mailstream solutions, including franking machines and folding machines. A large part of Batsumi’s business, however, is in the selling of consumables such as cartridges, paper, envelopes and binders.

“There is a big demand for printer cartridges”, Batsumi’s Gumede maintains, “which is why it was important for us to find a cost-effective solution for our customers, while not compromising on quality.” The solution presented itself in the form of the South African company Royce Imaging’s re-manufactured cartridges.

Gumede, who is passionate about helping her customers increase their productivity with value-for-money office solutions, enthuses about Royce Imaging’s re-manufactured cartridges, known as ‘Jetprint’ cartridges. “They represent the best of both worlds: they are affordable and they are premium quality. By using them, our customers can save up to 40%, and the savings really add up when you multiply them by the number of printers they have and the number of cartridges they go through”, she says. Jetprint cartridges are re-manufactured from the best aftermarket toner, cartridge components and ink in the industry to ensure better, more reliable performance. “They match, and even exceed, the quality of original print cartridges, and produce the same yield”, maintains Natasha de Freitas, sales manager of Royce Imaging. “And each cartridge comes with a warranty, so if there is any defect or problem, we will simply replace it. However, the percentage failure rate will be exceptionally low due to very stringent quality controls.”

JetPrint laser cartridges are developed and tested against strict criteria set by the STMC (Standardised Testing Methods Committee).

De Freitas explains: “The original cartridge runs its full cycle, and from there all of the above are calculated and measured. This test is done under strict conditions and with precisely calibrated instruments. The test is done at a 5% page coverage with an interval page printed every 1,000 pages. We then test our cartridge under those exact conditions using the same criteria, so that we can compare with the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer).

Our cartridge will not be released until it meets or exceeds OEM specifications.” Royce Imaging is the first South African company to achieve the STMC certification. “This just proves that we are far ahead of our competitors when it comes to our technology and production methods, and particularly our reliability and quality,” remarks de Freitas.

Not only are customers assured of quality and affordability, but another compelling argument for re-manufactured cartridges is that they are environmentally-friendly. “70 million cartridges are produced annually and 75% of empties end up in an already over-taxed landfill”, maintains de Freitas. “Jetprint cartridges are manufactured by re-using the empty cartridges, so it really makes green sense.”
 
Royce Imaging, founded in 1989, has been remanufacturing printer consumables since 1995. The company’s excellent growth in recent years has seen its workforce increasing to approximately 100 employees and its factory size to over 2,000m2. In 2001, the company was purchased by Reunert Limited, a JSE-listed company.

Today, JetPrint cartridges are the leading aftermarket product in Southern Africa and the company strives to maintain this position through product innovation, technical superiority and customer satisfaction. “Pitney Bowes Batsumi is proud of its association with Royce Imaging”, says Gumede. “It is one more string to our bow when it comes to offering our customers the very best in quality consumables and personal service. And it is good to be able to do our part to save the planet, one cartridge at a time!”

About Pitney Bowes

Batsumi Enterprise Pitney Bowes Batsumi was formed in 2008 in association with global mailstream company, Pitney Bowes South Africa, and is a highly-rated Black Economic Empowerment company ( Level 1 BEE-rated), supplying Pitney Bowes consumables such as print cartridges and envelopes to the South African market; and other Pitney Bowes mailstream products and solutions, with the support of Pitney Bowes, who have 10 years experience in the South African mailstream industry and 90 years internationally. Batsumi is black majority-owned by 51%, with Gumede owning 26%, Rewards(Gumede’s other co-owned incentives company) having a 25% stake, and Pitney Bowes South Africa owning the remaining 49%.

Editorial Contacts Kendal Hunt PR Consultant & Writer Kendal Hunt Communications 011 – 7045649 or kenh@mweb.co.za