Digital Output - June 2008 - (Page 24)

without. Prices vary by equipment. On the Océ Arizona 250 GT UV flatbed printer, for instance, it costs $1,369 a month including a printhead or $1,000 without. Xerox Corporation offers a fee-based full service maintenance contract for up to three years from the date of purchase. Plan prices vary by printer model and whether a RIP is included. Eco-solvent printer service plans, including a RIP, can cost $3,600 while mild-solvent pricing for a year with RIP support cost $4,320. They are paid on a monthly basis. Xerox Corporation’s top tier of service offers 24/7 phone support for 349 days a year plus a national engineering team that can be on-site within eight business hours. There are also options for a two or four hour on-site response. Help Needed Nashua, NH-based BIGraphics, Inc. purchased extended warranties for three HP Designjet 9000s and a ColorSpan DisplayMaker 72 UVR. It’s a decision, Dave Merrick, founder, BIGraphics, says he does not regret. “The reason I bought the warranty for the HP printers is the simple fact that they’re solvent,” he explains. “Solvent is just very tough on printers.” Fortunately, he has not called in for added service on the Designjets. Although, he admits for peace of mind alone the added warranty protection is worth it. Merrick feels the same about the extended warranty protection on his ColorSpan. Unlike the HP Designjets, which have “adequate backup,” Merrick’s firm possesses no backup for the ColorSpan and its flatbed applications. If it went down, business would grind to a halt. And, indeed, he called on the services afforded by his extended warranty to ensure the ColorSpan stayed up and running. “It was definitely worth it,” comments Merrick. Every time Merrick considers adding a new printer to his shop he evaluates the current manufacturer’s warranty. When the original warranty expires he debates if he will opt to extend to a user service program. “I continually ask myself, ‘Do I think a printer is reliable enough that I’m willing to take the risk to maintain it and put myself on a time and materials basis?’” When shopping for a wide and grand format printer, “support does matter,” says Merrick. “It’s key, I would only consider a product if it has a good service program readily available.” For Chino Hills, CA-based M2 Display Graphics, buying extended service contracts for their Océ Arizona 250 GT UV flatbed printer and Océ 9090 eco-solvent printer was a no-brainer. “It’s like life insurance,” says Mooshiabad. “I don’t plan on it dying tomorrow, but it’s good to have a policy.” Mooshiabad shares that his decision to purchase extended service stemmed from a previous experience, when out-of-warranty equipment broke down and repair costs skyrocketed. “Now, my people can pick up the phone and get issues resolved quickly.” He was particularly keen on extending the service agreement on the Océ Arizona 250 24 Digital Output June 2008 Circle 17 on FREE Product Info Card www.digitaloutput.net http://www.sgia.org http://www.sgia.org http://www.digitaloutput.net http://www.digitaloutput.net

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Digital Output - June 2008

Digital Output - June 2008

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