Tuesday, August 24, 2010

This Week in Xerox "TWIX Notes"


Gathered from Print4Pay Hotel Members from around the world and a few moles in very good places!

- Xerox investors marked the 32nd anniversary of a date that changed the copier industry which was on 8/16/1978.
o On that date, the U.S. Federal Trade commission levied a $25.6 million fine on Xerox for anti-competitive behavior.
o The company was charged with using technical patents to lock-up the market for photocopiers and prevent competitors from getting a start.
o The company was forced to share some of the patented technology. Many of these licenses ended up in the hands of Japanese companies that quickly filled in the lower-end copy market.
o Although Xerox continued to hold onto the top-end segment for years, the loss of its patents severely shortened Xerox's ability to enjoy outsized profits for its years of R&D.

- Xerox inventor passes away. Robert W. Gundlach was one of Xerox Corp .'s most prolific inventors, while his pioneering work in the science of photocopying made him a 2005 inductee into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
o Mr. Gundlach died of aspiration pneumonia at The Shore Winds nursing home in Charlotte. He was 84.
o Mr. Gundlach was born Sept. 7, 1926. He earned a bachelor's degree in physics in 1949 from the University at Buffalo, where he did additional graduate studies in physics.
o He started with Xerox predecessor Haloid Co. in 1952, where he worked with Chester Carlson, the inventor of xerography, the science behind photocopying.
o Mr. Gundlach received 155 patents, with the technology he developed making possible advances such as desktop copiers.
o When he retired in 1995, he had 12 patent applications pending and he received his 155th in 2002.
o He received an additional eight U.S. patents outside of Xerox for inventions including a water-based heat pump system and a type of backpack.

- The city of Indianapolis has selected Xerox affiliate ACS to operate its public parking system as part of a previously announced overhaul. The contract will net the city $400 million over 50 years, but unknown what Xerox’s cut is.

-=Good Selling=-

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