Johannesburg, 18 Apr 2012
The vendor of OKI printers in South Africa, Printacom, has announced the end of official support on three impact models, which were last sold over a decade ago.
The affected machines are the OKI Microline 500 series, Microline 300 series and the previous Microline 100 series. Customers using these machines will have limited access to spares and consumables, which remain in Printacom's inventory, following which an upgrade is advised.
That's according to Emile Pitout, Technical Manager at Printacom. “It is perhaps testament to the durability of these machines that, over 10 years since the last one was sold into the South African market, they continue to be used by a number of customers where impact printing remains a necessity,” he says.
Pitout notes that the 520 and 590 were superseded by upgraded machines with model numbers 5520 and 5590, respectively.
“While we have some spares and consumables in stock, OKI has ended production. In effect, this means Printacom will supply whatever we can, but once that inventory is gone, we aren't in a position to replace it.”
Acknowledging that this may be disappointing for those who have come to depend on the reliability and performance of machines capable of running in demanding environments for such extended periods of time, Pitout says Printacom will work with affected customers to specify suitable replacements.
“There comes a time when any range needs to be put out to pasture; replacement cycles are typically shorter than the duty these printers have provided, so they have done pretty well.”
Customers with these machines should, he continues, consider upgrading to a newer model. “What we can assure every OKI user is that every one of our printers is built with the same level of quality and robustness. Considerable advances have been made over the last decade, so there is some advantage in upgrading. And all new OKI machines come with our first-of-its-kind, three-year onsite warranty,” he adds.
Pitout advises any users of the old ML100, 300 and 500 series printers to contact Printacom, adding the company will consider a possible buyback or discounted rate to upgrade, dependent on conditions including the number of devices required.
“What every customer can be assured of is that we will provide appropriate advice on which machines will be best for their specific environment, while we are committed to making the migration to newer technology as hassle-free as possible. And I'm confident that it will last for another 10-plus years.”
OKI ML100, ML300 and ML500 users wanting more information or advice can call Printacom's sales department on 0861 111 636 or (011) 553 2800.
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