MBA partners with Ricoh in a new landmark multi-million pound investment deal

• British printer is the first to put pen to paper for 3 of Ricoh’s new inkjet technology platforms
• Commitment forms part of the firm’s £5 million investment to extend its customer offering
• Investment driven by changing consumer communication habits 

London 14th March 2016 – MBA and Ricoh are proud to announce a new partnership with the acquisition of the first of three Ricoh Pro TM VC60000 continuous inkjet digital presses. This represents the first commitment in the UK to this new colour inkjet technology. 

The announcement is part of MBA’s £5 million strategic investment programme to provide its clients with a state-of-the-art communication platform across all direct and digital channels.

As a result of its unique multi-drop inkjet technology, Ricoh believe the ProTM VC60000 will open up new markets for British printers by setting a new benchmark for quality in its class. The modular based system is the most versatile colour inkjet system available on the market and sets a significant milestone in the evolution of variable digital printing – elevating it to a level not previously experienced through inkjet technology.

MBA’s investment is made in tandem with an expanding IT infrastructure and equally as important, the personnel to support the ethos of offering its clients more choice. Over a third of the company’s three hundred strong staff are now engaged in data, digital communications, analytics and R&D.

Bachar Aintaoui, CEO of MBA Group explains: “The digital revolution has transformed how consumers research services and products.  Whilst others are chasing a number, in an increasingly price driven market, we feel it is essential that companies demonstrate why their services or products are more valuable”. 

Aintaoui continues to point out: “To facilitate the price aware and privacy cautious consumer, companies must be able to navigate the ever changing communications landscape, taking advantage of new channels available to reach customers. This is exactly where the MBA Group is able to help companies”.

The investment will allow MBA to connect customers across any channel, within the context of their communications lifecycle.

The Ricoh Pro TM VC60000 will support the modern day needs of marketers and the expectations of today’s customers. Its new inkjet technology with dynamic variable drop size provides exceptional print qualities. Combined with productions speeds for duplex images up to 100,000 A4 images per hour, this unique press provides an efficient solution for high quality variable content.

Stephen Palmer, Director Production Print Business at Ricoh UK & Ireland, says: “This represents a first announcement of a careful and greatly considered launch plan in the UK of this technology. We are proud to lead the change for the graphics art market. It is in the Ricoh DNA to be as ready for customer installs as possible and since the introduction at New Dawn in November 2014 we have worked towards this point with MBA. We’ve combined our 30 year experience to constantly evolve innovative technology, allowing us to continue enhancing client value and increase client satisfaction as they grow and change for the future.”

MBA’s investment with Ricoh will begin to roll out in March and continue throughout the spring of 2016.

Ricoh Pro TM VC60000 Features Summary: 

• Premium print quality with Ricoh print head and multi-drop ink technology and an effective optical resolution up to 2400x400 dpi (actual resolution 1200x1200 dpi)
• High productivity with fast speeds able to produce up to 40 million impressions per month 
• Versatile with a broad range of media support that include uncoated, coated offset, digital, treated, recycled and ground wood. Optional undercoat unit and protector coat station ensures high quality output on lower grade papers and a durable “scratch and scuff resistant” layer on coated papers. 
• Flexible with the Ricoh-patented TotalFlow Print Server R600A — Ricoh’s Digital Front End with narrative support for a wide range of file formats together with JDF and advanced colour management support. 
• Future proofed with ongoing development plan and continuous upgrade path 
• Compatible with Ricoh Process Director and Process Director Express 
• Extends Ricoh’s high volume inkjet portfolio, complementing the existing IP5000 series.