After spending some time with KPG at drupa and gaining an understanding of the company’s overall strategy [see story], I had the opportunity recently to visit its corporate headquarters in Norwalk CT and discuss the company’s strategy in more detail with senior KPG executives. In my conversations, I focused specifically on KPG’s sales strategy, its progress with the RealTimeImage acquisition and monitor proofing, its new Color Fidelity System and the Canon relationship announced at drupa. If you missed Part One – Click Here.

KPG’s Schloff reports that the Canon relationship is going well. He says, “We started the relationship through the Matchprint Professional Server, where we delivered our color value proposition to Canon’s 1100 series engine. That relationship was announced at Seybold 2002. From there, our intent was to have them launch Matchprint Professional Server to all of their channels, and to bring the Canon color engines to our channels.” Schloff reports that KPG is currently selling in the US and Canada and launching Japan and countries in the European Union.”

When asked whether KPG would be taking on any Canon black & white products, Schloff said, “One of the things we are hearing from our customers and sales people is that they would appreciate our participation in black & white to broaden the solutions we can offer. We are walking from black & white opportunities today and we are considering whether to enter that market. There are no definitive plans as of yet, but it is interesting to us and potentially synergistic.”