Tektronix, a maker of color printers, said Wednesday that it will give away color printers to qualified businesses in a move to expand the color printing market.
Tektronix, which is No. 2 to Hewlett-Packard in the color laser printer market, said it adopted the free PC model to the printer market with its own twist -- applicants must agree to maintain a minimum monthly printing volume and they must agree to buy the color ink from Tektronix.
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Customers can start applying on Wednesday when the Web site goes live, the company said. Applicants must be US businesses, government agencies, schools and universities, nonprofit organizations, or hospitals and are limited to one printer per customer site.
The color printing division and imaging division of Tektronix, based in Wilsonville, Oregon, said it will give away a Phaser 840 color printer, valued at US$2,499, with free shipping, as much black ink as needed and three years of onsite service and support. Tektronix does not make black-and-white printers.
"The catch is we are asking people to buy their ink from us," said James Rise, director of FreeColorPrinters.com. "The thing that was bugging us about the free PC is that there are all these catches," he added, referring to the so-called free PC programs which require customers to buy Internet access for three years, or agree to receive advertising on their PC.
Tektronix said it will allow customers to return the printer if they don't like it, or find that they're not using the color. The company hopes to offset the cost of the color ink with the three-year support contract, which is valued at $4,600.
"One of our goals is to put them in touch with this technology," Rise said. "It is not to secure revenues from the ink. It is to introduce a lot of people to color printing.... Once people try [color], they keep using it."
Businesses that want to apply for the free color printer must fill out an application. Printer applicants will be notified within 30 days if their company or organization was selected to receive a free color printer.
Copyright 1999 Reuters Limited.
