New York, NY – April 11, 2003 – Océ, a leading provider of production-class printing and copying solutions, announced today that its new Océ VarioStream and Océ VarioPrint product families have achieved a new benchmark for lowest cost of ownership in the industry. The just released “2002 Cost of Ownership Study: Mid- to High-Speed Monochrome and Color Peripherals” produced by IDC provides independent industry validation of Océ’s dedication to whole-cost efficiency. According to the recently published study by IDC, Océ VarioStream continuous form products took the top spot for lowest cost per page within all the speed categories in which they compete. In fact, five Océ VarioStream models had the lowest cost per page in the fastest category of 200+ PPM, based on maximum duty cycle. Additionally, the Océ VarioPrint 5000 cut-sheet family had the lowest cost per page for cut-sheet products in its speed category. “We are excited about the results of this important study. They confirm our focus and the commitments we make to our customers to deliver the most flexible and adaptable production-class solutions at the lowest total cost of ownership in the industry,” said Carl Joachim, vice president of marketing for Océ Printing Systems, USA. “We are pleased that the IDC study and methodology independently validated what our customers have already recognized for some time. In fact, previous IDC studies recognized the same industry-leading cost of ownership for the Océ PageStream and Océ DemandStream products.” In addition to driving down overall cost of ownership, the ability of Océ systems to consistently sustain their highest rated speeds addresses customers’ critical business requirements for production-class performance. The same factors that drive down Océ total cost of ownership also improve efficiency for applications most business print today, such as bank statements, insurance policies, invoices and marketing materials. Document experts consider cost of ownership as a key indicator of value in their purchasing and operating decisions, yet it can be one of most difficult variables to determine accurately. Using a detailed quantitative analysis, the assessment of IDC research professionals provides critical information for professionals making decisions about printer investments and trying to manage their business operations for maximum profitability. “Printing costs involve more than just hardware and toner. Machine capacity, varying monthly volumes, and maintenance costs must also be factored. This report by IDC examines all these factors that make up cost of ownership, but does not addressalthough soft costs are not addressed. The results of this study show that Océ has made cost of ownership one of their top priorities,” said Riley McNulty, IDC senior research analyst. IDC is a leading provider of technology intelligence, industry analysis, market data, and strategic and tactical guidance to builders, providers, and users of information technology. Whole-cost advantages also are dependent on the reliable and versatile performance uniquely available from Océ production-class solutions. Océ PRISMA software further enhances cost of ownership by providing unified operations management for maximum uptime and efficiency and consistent cost per page. As a result, experts in commercial printing, finance and brokerage firms, insurance companies and many other industries count on Océ to deliver the cost-effective performance and rock-solid reliability that allow them to work with complete confidence and achieve their business objectives.