Card printer manufacturer series: Evolis grows rapidly
Printer manufacturer goes from startup to leader in 15 years
19 October, 2016
category: Contactless, Corporate, Financial, Government, Health, Smart Cards
Q: The other strong recollection of my first experience with Evolis was that the printers looked great. Unlike most in the market, they had a level of style and visual appeal not yet seen in our space. Was this a strategic decision or just lucky to have an industrial designer on the team?
JeanGab: Right from the beginning of Evolis, we were looking to stand out in terms of design, user friendliness and quality. We knew the first impression that one gets of a product and its visual appearance is important. At a time when all competitors offered cubic printers with “IT equipment” colors, Evolis launched a printer with sleek and modern design that was also very easy to use. Yves Liatard, our industrial designer and fifth associate, made this possible. Our ambition to offer visually attractive products continues today with the recent makeover of our flagship range Primacy and Zenius.
Q: In an industry where most of the products perform at least adequately – they can all print a card – what differentiates Evolis from the competitors?
JeanGab: We are recognized worldwide as the expert for card printing systems. Our solutions stand out through an extremely high printing quality and technical reliability as well as constant innovations through our design, software suite and the expandability of our printers.
Evolis was the first to offer a print head replacement system called Push & Twist that works without tools or adjustment. We were the first with an encoder that is upgradeable on-site, the first to launch a half YMCKO ribbon and the first to offer a three-year warranty for most of our models. This spring we launched the first color touch screen for dye sublimation card printers that enables the user to manage the printer without being in front of the computer.
The stability of our sales strategy is also a differentiating element. Our distribution network has been built up over the last 15 years as a 100% indirect business. For this reason, we put a lot of efforts into channel support, through the production of marketing tools and the implementation of marketing actions with our partners.
Last but not least, the expertise of Evolis in specific project management is widely recognized by system integrators, resellers and end users involved in large scale projects including identification, security, transportation, government, banking and retail. Our dedicated project team and our production site is able to deliver tailor-made printing systems for large scale projects in record time, such as the 8,400 units deployed for Tanzania’s 2015 presidential elections.
Q: What does the future hold?
JeanGab: We have in our DNA the ability to adapt ourselves to different markets and contexts. We have done it many times, and the products that we are currently developing will address new needs. We take risks, and we continue to invest.The next years will be marked by product launches, new banking and government projects, deployment of our diversification strategy, notably with the release of the price tag solution for the retail sector, and investment in our entry level product Badgy distributed through the IT office channel. It is all about giving ourselves the means to expand upon new opportunities.