Inkjet & Digital Printing
Konica Minolta strengthens its presence in the Caucasus and Central Asia Opening of new subsidiaries in Georgia and Kazakhstan
Friday 15. November 2019 - Konica Minolta strengthens its presence in the Caucasus and Central Asia and informs about the opening of its offices in Tbilisi, Georgia, and in Almaty, in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The official opening in Georgia was on 12 November 2019, the opening in the Republic of Kazakhstan takes place today.
Georgia: Help Caucasian business to move to a higher stage using a modern approach to document workflow automation
Konica Minolta has been working in the Caucasus market for a long time. Until recently, the hardware and solutions were supplied through an indirect channel. The level of business maturity and success of dealers demonstrated that the Caucasus market was ready to open its own official office. Therefore, Konica Minolta Business Solutions Georgia started its activities in Tbilisi, Georgia, on the 31st of May 2019. The Caucasus region contains the territory of three countries: Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. The office in Tbilisi will be responsible for business growth and providing Konica Minolta solutions in these countries. Konica Minolta Business Solutions Georgia is a subsidiary of Konica Minolta Business Solutions Czech.
In the first phase, Konica Minolta Business Solutions Georgia will provide solutions for industrial, production and office printing and software for improving document workflows to the Caucasus market. Starting next financial year, the company will provide solutions for Digital Workplace (DWP) and intelligent video solutions.
Konica Minolta Ukraine, based on its own experience, will support their Georgian colleagues during their first years in the market. “Over the past few years, the Georgian market has been demonstrating dynamic growth. The market’s representatives are responding positively to the innovative solutions of Konica Minolta. For example, there is one print company chose the intelligent quality optimiser IQ-501 in Tbilisi a year ago. Moreover, the market is interested in solutions for industrial printing. We have hosted several fruitful meetings with potential customers. And now, we are going to organise a big demo-tour to European digital image square (DIS) of Konica Minoltas industrial solutions,” Konica Minolta Ukraine’s director of marketing, Yevhen Shilyaev, says. “The main differences which highlights us among competitors are full integration into the customers business, consultancy, and solving systematic issues. We are building a relationship with companies at the plane ‘Partner – Partner’, not ‘Customer – Provider’, and have the goal to be the trusted advisor which helps to achieve our customers success systematically.”
“According to the results of the next financial year, we plan to get the key position in the MFPs market of A3 format. We also have the goal to form a market for print outsourcing. Currently, this approach for the sales of print services is in the beginning stage. Our advantages within the market are our own storage and logistics, a team of service engineers and direct sales representatives, unique approach and, most importantly, the company’s investments. Our approach consists of service business development, providing print outsourcing, and creating the customers print infrastructure audit. We will follow the experience gained during the business’ transformation in Ukraine,” Konica Minolta Ukraine’s director of regional sales, Serhiy Nizik, who is responsible for direct sales development for the company, adds. “We are a company which offers outsourcing services and uses them actively. Therefore, we invest in the infrastructure of the country. Moreover, we understand that we have to build this infrastructure and help Caucasian business to move to a higher stage using a modern approach to document workflow automation, as it works in Europe.”
Kazakhstan: Steady increase of interest towards effective IT solutions among the representatives of Kazakh business
Same like Georgia, until now, the products and solutions of Konica Minolta have been present on the market of Kazakhstan thanks to different distributors being company’s partners. The office, situated in Almaty, will be responsible for company’s activities performed on the market of Kazakhstan and other countries in Central Asia, most of all Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Konica Minolta Business Solutions Kazakhstan is a subsidiary of Konica Minolta Business Solutions Poland.
Konica Minolta is entering the market of Kazakhstan and Central Asia after completing a huge process of the companys digital transformation: From a vendor of solutions for office and production printing to a provider of IT solutions, offering a wide range of services and products in the area of workflow management and IT infrastructure, such as intelligent video surveillance systems or solutions using the concept of AR (Augmented Reality). Leaving aside the sales distribution model, the opening of Konica Minolta’s office in Kazakhstan is a logical stage in executing the strategy of extending company’s presence in the region. Konica Minolta counts on the steady increase of interest towards effective IT solutions among the representatives of Kazakh business.
Konica Minolta, being the market leader in manufacturing the equipment for production and industrial printing (including textile and label printing, machines for digital refining), is planning to come onto the Central Asian markets with the best solutions in the field of professional and industrial printing.
Konica Minolta Russia, based on its own experience, will support their Kazakh colleagues during their first years in the market.
“Kazakhstan is currently making good progress in the area of digitalisation. The share of clever economy is increasing, and industrial companies (especially the mineral industry) as well as financial and political sectors are in a great need of effective solutions for a digital transformation,” says Alexandr Suvorov, Director-General of ??nica Minolta Business Solutions Kazakhstan. “We really appreciate the innovative potential of Kazakhstan and as a global vendor we consider it necessary to establish our strong presence on the local market, the growth of which is expected to occur in the near future alongside the global tendencies regarding the expanded role of IT in all areas and the increased role of Kazakhstan in cross-border Euro-Asian economic processes.”
“We have observed that the demand for new technological solutions in the area of industrial printing on Central Asian markets is increasing. For instance, our technologies of selective varnishing and foliating have been very well received here,” says Pavel Shalaginov, Director-General’s Assistant in Konica Minolta Business Solutions ??zakhstan. “Recently, Konica Minolta has delivered the JET varnish 3D machine to one of the biggest printers in Uzbekistan. The opening of our office in Almaty will allow us to expand our supplies and services to the entire region.”