Kyocera Document Solutions expands expertise in advisory and solutions business

In April 2012 Kyocera Mita changed its name to Kyocera Document Solutions. As part of the accompanying strategic reorientation, the company began to expand its business with managed document services and solutions, as well as forming new country-specific or global partnerships with various software providers. The acquisition of AKI is an important component in this strategic reorientation.

To mark the occasion of the German branch’s 25th anniversary last year, the company announced ambitious growth targets, including the aim of increasing sales to 500 million euros over the next five years. AKI represents an important milestone in this growth strategy. Not only does AKI’s independent business model complement Kyocera’s existing business, AKI’s product range augments Kyocera’s portfolio of third-party solutions and will be available to all Kyocera distributors in the future. Both companies expect positive synergy from the partnership, as they have a shared main focus of developing economical, customer-oriented solutions.

Based in Würzburg, Germany, AKI GmbH has been providing advisory and software services covering the entire output management spectrum, including printing distribution, print-out editing, template management and document archiving, since 1986. The company’s main product is AKI PrinTaurus, a modular, cross-platform and manufacturer-neutral solution, which is also certified for SAP systems.

“Acquiring AKI will support the ambitious growth targets of Kyocera Document Solutions Deutschland over the coming years. In line with our corporate philosophy, AKI will remain an independently-operating company that complements our portfolio of third-party solutions,” explains Reinhold Schlierkamp, Managing Director of Kyocera Document Solutions Deutschland GmbH.

“We’re looking forward to leveraging synergies in collaboration with Kyocera Document Solutions Deutschland GmbH. At the same time, we will continue to consistently pursue AKI’s 26-year tradition of supplying our customers with manufacturer-neutral solutions for their increasingly multi-vendor environments. Providing customer-oriented, independent advisory services is a key component of our business’s success and company’s mission,” adds Martin Kellner, Managing Director of AKI GmbH.

AKI GmbH is an expert provider of software-based print management solutions. Their portfolio of products and services covers the full spectrum of output management services, including printing distribution, print-out editing, template management and document archiving.

The print management solutions provided by AKI ensure economical, convenient and secure printing in both large and small SAP environments. This also enables companies to control heterogeneous printing environments and simplify their management considerably. The main product, AKI PrinTaurus, which is also certified for SAP systems, is a modular, cross-platform and manufacturer-neutral solution. AKI’s quality management system is certified in accordance with the ISO 9001-2008 standard.

Founded in 1986, the company is headquartered in Würzburg, Germany, and has two additional development sites in Berlin and Dresden.

AKI’s customers are SMEs, public authorities and major groups, including B. Braun Melsungen, Daimler, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Gerry Weber International, Goodyear Dunlop Tires, Gesundheit Nord gGmbh, K+S, MAN Truck & Bus, the computer centre of the state of North-Rhine Westphalia’s fiscal authority, RheinEnergie AG, the public utilities of the city of Bielefeld, T-Systems and Volkswagen, among others. http://aki-gmbh.com

Kyocera Document Solutions is one of the world's leading office document solutions companies. Its range of products and services includes Ecosys printers, reliable multifunctional systems, high-quality consumables, a comprehensive portfolio of software solutions and Managed Document Services (MDS). Kyocera Document Solutions provides innovative products built on a foundation of long-life components. Its customers benefit from low total cost of ownership and high efficiency in any workplace. Its solutions portfolio and Managed Document Services division help customers to reduce costs and environmental impact at the same time as improving the efficiency and reliability of common business processes.

Kyocera Document Solutions Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kyocera Corporation, which marked its 50th anniversary in 2009. Ranked no. 604 on Forbes magazine’s 2011 “Global 2000” listing of the world’s largest publicly traded companies, Kyocera is a leading manufacturer of high-tech ceramics, electronic components, solar cells and electronic office equipment. Kyocera’s long-term growth strategy is to focus on business that supports telecommunications, information processing, environmental protection and the preservation of quality of life.