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Dell May be Exiting Printer Business

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Dell C7765dn

Dell C7765dn

The U.K.’s Register reports that as it approaches its merger with EMC, Dell may have decided to stop selling printers as part of its hardware portfolio as it scales back its imaging business.  At Consider IT, author Stuart Gilberston stated that Dell appears to be quitting the printer business in the EMEA (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa) and in the Asia-Pacific Japan regions.

Gilbertson wrote that “after quizzing a third-party wholesale supplier, the Dell online chat service, and our Dell Direct Account Manager,” the business confirmed that printers would be dropped in the United Kingdom. Gilbertson noted that all printers, except Dell’s C7765dn, have been removed from the printer section of Dell U.K.’s Web site. Previously, the Web site showed nine available printers.

According to the Register, a letter sent to distributors by Dave McNally, Dell’s EMAE product marketing director for imaging and printing, described the cut-back as “scaling down.” The letter stated that “imaging products will continue to be available, and existing printers will be supported and repaired in the field, whether via distributors or the Dell inventory.”

According to the Register, Dell will continue to sell printers during “the transition phase” in 2016. Dell is said to have informed distributors that “during this time we will also continue to provide support and repairs, as well as making available both spare parts and toner supplies for our customers. We anticipate no change to our existing processes or interruption in the availability of this support and these supplies for at least five years from the end of 2016.” That would mean that all warranties would end after 2021. However, Dell stated that it would “work with customers to provide upgrade options to ensure that their support requirements can be appropriately met up to 2021 end date.”

There is speculation that because the Dell printers may be re-branded Samsung printers, the changes could have come because of HP Inc.’s pending acquisition of Samsung’s Printing Solutions Business.

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