Reflecting on the Disappearance of Dell Printers

You’ve probably heard about, used, or purchased yourself a printer from a range of brands: HP, Canon, Ricoh, Brother, Pantum. However, Dell printers may be less familiar and even strange to some users, as Dell is more commonly known as a manufacturer of PC and laptop today. However, older printer customers may know about it, or even have one at their homes. You may still manage to find some Dell printers online, mostly directory from distributors. So what happened behind the vanish of this machine?

The Scale-down

Back in 2016, as part of its strategic transformation ahead of the significant merger with EMC, Dell decided to cease selling printers and scale down its imaging business. This decision marked a notable shift in Dell’s hardware portfolio, particularly affecting the EMEA and Asia-Pacific Japan regions.

This did not mean a complete end of Dell’s sale of printer business,but it would only sell printers of other brands only, not their own brand. The company claimed “to transition our customers from Dell-branded laser printers and accessories to a partner-led imaging portfolio.” In fact, they appeared to be more confident to meet customers’ needs with their “diverse new partner-led portfolio of imaging products”.

Stuart Gilbertson of Consider IT first highlighted Dell’s move to discontinue its printer sales. After consulting with a third-party wholesale supplier, Dell’s online chat service, and his Dell Direct Account Manager, Gilbertson confirmed that printers would no longer be available in the UK.

Dave McNally, Dell’s product marketing director for imaging and print in EMEA, addressed distributors in a letter, describing this decision as a “scaling down” of operations. McNally assured that imaging products would still be available and that existing printers would receive ongoing support and repair services, either through distributors or directly from Dell’s inventory.

The Make-up

The transition was scheduled to be finished by the end of July. Despite customers’ concerns of future support of their purchases devices, Dell answered with their solutions. Even after the transition, Dell would still continue to provide a range of printing solutions, firmware, and consumables, as well as continued customer support for those with Dell printers still under warranty.

Dell anticipated that these support services and supplies would remain unaffected for at least five years, extending through the end of 2021. Warranties were to conclude after 2021, but Dell committed to working with customers to provide upgrade options to meet their support needs up to this end date, as they promised to “work with customers to provide upgrade options to ensure that their support requirements can be appropriately met up to 2021 end date.”

The Inventory

Gilbertson also observed that many Dell printers appeared to be rebranded models from Xerox or Samsung. This observation came amidst HP Inc’s acquisition of Samsung’s printer business, though the exact origins of Dell’s rebadged printers were unclear.

A ‘frequently asked questions’ section in the letter to distributors clarified Dell’s plans. The company reassured that no immediate price hikes were planned due to the scaling back of the imaging business. Dell promised to meet its obligations to support and repair products as per the terms of service and warranty agreements. In case of any issues with the supply of replacement units, parts, or toner, Dell would provide reasonable and appropriate solutions for affected customers.

For those concerned about the availability of printer inventory, Dell assured that they were selling through their existing stock, and customers could consult their Dell Account Manager for the latest information on inventory status.

Reflecting on this period, it is evident that Dell’s decision to exit the printer business was a calculated move as the company realigned its focus and prepared for the transformative merger with EMC, marking the end of an era for Dell’s involvement in the printer market.

Related:

• No More Dell-branded Printers
• Dell Cuts Printer Selling

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