The almost $1 billion acquisition of Tektronix Printing by Xerox, which Xerox says places it just behind Hewlett-Packard in the market, will have no immediate impact locally.
Square One, South African distributor for Tektronix, will in all probability remain unaffected in the near future. But its future is, as GM of the Xerox Channels Group (XCG) SA Donald Goldfain says, "wide open".
XCG is a part of the Xerox general markets operations division.
Goldfain expects no developments until the international deal is finalised in about two months, and even then the third-party status quo is not a priority. "I would think that the international focus would be on integrating the Tektronix business into Xerox. Then third-party issues would be looked at." He has, however, met with Square One "simply to open the channels of communication".
Steve Berryman, joint MD of the Square One, a privately held company, does not expect XCG to make an offer to acquire the company, and says it is not something Square One is looking for. He does not, however, rule out the possibility and agrees with Goldfain that a number of things could possibly happen. But it is business as usual until at least the end of the year.
Although very improbable by all accounts, Berryman also does not rule out the possibility of losing the Tektronix business. "We have about 50% of the local market share, so the chances aren`t big, I would say. I expect us to work with [XCG]." However, should the Tektronix business, which he estimates as responsible for half of the group`s turnover, be lost, he believes the company will survive. "If somebody should switch off the light tomorrow, we would survive," he says. "We would have to accept it and move on." He points out that this scenario is one of the least likely.
Berryman, as a sidebar, says he was surprised at the Xerox announcement. Previously EMEA director for a Tektronix division, he says an acquisition was expected, but Xerox was not quite at the top of the contender list. "But it would be quite near the top of mine," he adds.
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