In early 2004, The EAGLE prepared an assessment for a major distribution company recommending that the next big change in the digital print revolution would be with production based, mid-level laser presses that would begin to do yeoman work in corporations and organizations. These presses, we believed would take the place of both offset and faster digital presses (Xeikon, DocuColor, NexPress, etc.) and bring in house more and more work that had always been done by print-for-pay companies.

The next big change in the digital print revolution is production based, mid-level laser presses doing yeoman work in corporations and organizations. These presses will take the place of both offset and faster digital presses.

Nobody in the distribution community outside of the copier dealers seemed at all interested in this assessment. It would take time, money, patience and hard work to develop such a business. It would require educating - and convincing - laser printer manufacturers about the benefit of a new and different channel, and it would require teaching print-related dealers how to compete differently, and with different customers, than they had been used to selling.