Konica Minolta, Brother Partner Downunder

Brother International announced a brand partnership with Konica Minolta in the New Zealand market. According to the agreement, Brother NZ will sell Konica Minolta’s European Develop copier brand in the region, and expand its product range to offer printers and copiers suitable for both large and small businesses.

Brother is pleased that it can now provide balanced deployment solutions in New Zealand. This service analyzes print usage and business workflows and recommends the best solution through a mix of large and small machines. Brother is one of the few companies that offer balanced deployment solutions in the region.

Graham Walshe, Executive Chairman of Brother International (NZ) Ltd., explains, “For Brother to offer balanced deployment, we needed a partner with complementary capabilities that could enhance our product range and help achieve a balanced product line. We’ve found that ideal partnership in Konica Minolta. This partnership addresses and recognizes changing market trends, and responds to New Zealand companies who are looking for managed print services.”

Larry Jamieson, Director of Hardware Advisory Service/Supplies Advisory Service at Photizo Group commented on such partnership, “Since New Zealand is a relatively small market, a partnership between Brother and Konica Minolta makes very good sense. Brother’s specialty is the desktop market, and it has looked for ways to move upmarket. Konica Minolta is primarily a mid-to-high range office copier company. It previously had a presence in the low-end, but had shifted focus several years ago, so it really had little to offer on the desktop. What is most intriguing is an expansion of the partnership in other geographical regions. If the two entities mesh well in New Zealand, perhaps there will be similar arrangements in other countries”.