June 10, 2003 - (http://www.oceusa.com/webex/idc) - Oce, a leading provider of production-class printing solutions, announced today that it is teaming with industry experts IDC Research and WhatTheyThink.com to produce a free online seminar on Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Presented live via the Internet, the online seminar (webinar) gives document professionals a convenient “front row seat” to learn more about this critical factor in profitability. The webinar will help participants understand why TCO is critical to managing a productive, successful print operation. In addition, participants will identify the criteria that go into TCO and evaluate digital printing systems for their TCO value. Dates for the webinar are June 17 at 3 PM EDT and June 19 at 11AM EDT. The webinar will be conducted twice to accommodate a wider range of schedules and allow more people to participate. Interested parties can register to attend the webinar of their choice at http://www.oceusa.com/webex/idc and additional information is available at the WhatTheyThink.com web site. 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. Webinar sponsor WhatTheyThink.com is an industry-leading source of the latest online news and commentary for and about the document industry. “We strongly advocate the potential of online learning, and believe we have the most savvy audience to take advantage of this medium,” said Randy Davidson, president of WhatTheyThink.com. “Now with the support of IDC and Océ, we can bring document professionals an easy and affordable way to get the latest information to benefit their business.” Professionals and novices in commercial printing, finance and brokerage firms, insurance companies and many other industries will benefit from the information in this free webinar. As organizations seek new ways to drive greater revenue and profitability, many are turning to printing technology with low TCO as a means to add value to the bottom line. Document experts consider cost of ownership as a key factor in their purchasing and operating decisions, yet it can be one of most difficult variables to determine accurately. Using both detailed research and examples from the industry, the webinar provides critical information for professionals as they make decisions about printer investments and manage their businesses for maximum profitability. “Printing costs involve more than just hardware and toner,” said Riley McNulty, IDC senior research analyst and author of the recent landmark analysis of TCO across leading printing system technologies. “Machine capacity, varying monthly volumes, and maintenance costs must also be factored. This webinar examines all the factors that make up cost of ownership to help organizations learn more about the value TCO can add to the profitability of their document operations.” McNulty will explain his research and findings, and discuss the importance of TCO and why it is imperative that the market understands the breakdown. “This is an ideal learning opportunity for busy people in the marketplace, and we are excited to be participating,” said Carl Joachim, vice president of marketing for Océ Printing Systems USA. “IDC and WhatTheyThink.com are widely recognized for the consistent value of their information, and we are pleased that the marketplace will have the chance to learn from such experts. Océ strives to help our customers achieve whole cost advantages, and this webinar will assist companies in making better choices as they develop their document strategies and pursue their business objectives.” Webinar attendees will also hear industry veteran Guy Broadhurst discuss the capabilities of the Océ VarioStream and Océ VarioPrint systems, recently recognized by IDC research for the lowest TCO in the industry. 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. Whole-cost advantages 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. http://www.oceusa.com/webex/idc