LONG BEACH, Calif., March 26 -- Epson, the leading supplier of point-of-sale (POS) printing solutions, today announced the signing of an OEM agreement with Dallas-based Fujitsu Transaction Solutions Inc., a total IT lifecycle solutions supplier for North American retailers. As an authorized Epson Acclaim OEM partner, Fujitsu will purchase product directly from Epson and is entitled to Epson's advanced technical support, marketing support, education and services. Under the terms of the agreement, Fujitsu will resell Epson's best-of-breed TM-H6000 and TM-H6000II multifunction printers and the TM-T90 thermal receipt printer as a part of Fujitsu's TeamPoS point-of-sale system. Epson has developed a custom case for the TM-H6000 printers, created to match the color and design of Fujitsu's POS system. In addition to customized cases, Epson's technical engineers provide product integration services at Fujitsu's distribution facility enabling rapid assembly, packaging and shipping of systems to its large dealer network in the US. Lastly, Epson provides end user sales support and extensive training for Fujitsu's sales team. Fujitsu forged this strategic partnership because of Epson's customer-driven approach and leadership in developing point-of-sale technologies. "According to Andersen Consulting, infrastructure management and support are the single largest IT operating expense for retailers. So streamlining support through greater knowledge and access to technical resources can bring huge benefits to Fujitsu's retail customers,'' said Ron Omohundro, executive vice president and general manager for Fujitsu. "Epson printers have been a key component of Fujitsu's retail offering for many years. The Epson Acclaim OEM partnership gives us access to a new level of technical and product support, as well as greater pricing discounts. By passing these benefits along to our customers, Fujitsu offers another way to provide an IT lifecycle solution that lowers total cost of ownership for retailers.'' According to Bud Weist, director of sales and marketing, Epson System Device Group, "Our strategic partnership with Fujitsu demonstrates Epson's focus on top quality service that enhances the customer's revenue stream. This partnership is a testament to Epson's ability to deliver value-added printing solutions and advanced technical support that solve problems for our partners.'' As an Epson Acclaim OEM partner, Fujitsu gains the benefits of Epson's Acclaim strategic partners program, including Epson's responsive technical support service, comprehensive web-based education and joint marketing support. Epson provides Fujitsu developers with easy access to high-level technical support and to the EpsonExpert strategic web-based developer program. In addition, Fujitsu is invited to participate in Epson's annual Business Partner Conference that unites Epson executive management and business partners in an intensive session focusing on strategic issues. All of Epson's Acclaim partners have access to marketing programs including a wide range of joint marketing options from marketing toolkits to a partner solutions showcase at key industry tradeshows.