Melbourne mail house Data Direct has invested in the Canon Ocè VarioPrint i300 sheet-fed inkjet digital colour press, the first business to do so in Australia and New Zealand.

Nicholas Ficinus, CEO, Data Direct says the new Océ press from Canon Australia, which has been installed, forms a key part of the strategy for Data Direct Australia’s continued growth as well as an important resource for its sister companies.

Ficinus says, “Data Direct is at a exciting time in its evolution, with strengthened resources, capacity and connections, and a clear strategy and direction which we are implementing.

“We see ourselves not as a mail house or a print service provider, but as a multi-channel, or omni-channel, solutions provider. That requires us to have both soft digital technology which will allow us to meet and manage the needs of a very dynamic and rapidly changing market, and the integrated physical production resources which will enable us to deliver.”

[Related: Canon releases new Océ ProStream inkjet web]

Ficinus was recently hired as the CEO following a business sabbatical. He says the reason he chose this press was because it ticked all the boxes.

“I had experience in running three continuing jets with canon in my previous job so I chose to buy this because it ticks the box for high quality short run and low costs. I am able to run the only inkjet in Australia and New Zealand that can do that,” he says.

He wants to use this press for targeting essential mail either transactional or dm, publishing a myriad of intelligent marketing material and dynamic data on base forms.

Data Direct, is an established digital print and mail-house fulfilment provider based in Preston, north of Melbourne. Following a change of ownership last November, it is now a member of the family of independent companies which also includes offset powerhouse Mercedes Waratah and Data Direct Digital in Port Melbourne.

Peter Brittliff, senior manager – product marketing, Canon Australia says the Océ VarioPrint i300 uses new iQuarius technologies allowing users to print on lower cost media, such as offset coated and uncoated stocks, to achieve a higher print quality to what has previously been seen with inkjet technology.

“A series of three paper input modules, high-capacity media drawers which carry up to 12 different stocks, and automatic, on the fly printhead adjustment, allows the i300 to affect media changes effortlessly, and almost instantaneously, between and even during print runs,” Brittliff says.

Finicus says, “Every now and then you come across a technology which is truly game changing, and when I first saw this machine shortly after its international release in 2015, I remember thinking that this was one of those technologies.

“Fast forward a couple of years and, I am in a new position, in a new company and have the opportunity to capitalise on the technology that impressed me back then – and I couldn’t be happier.”

Brett Chalmers, COO at Mercedes Waratah says he is already investigating the way they can leverage the unique benefits of the technology for its own customers.

“The strength of our family of companies is in our ability to offer truly independent operation, while sharing resources for the benefit of our combined customer base. Having access to the new i300 at Data Direct Australia gives Mercedes Waratah customers all the benefits of this powerful and flexible technology– we’re almost as excited as they are,” he says. 

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