Ricoh Company, Ltd. is a Japanese group headquartered in Tokyo. Classified in the hardware sector, it is particularly known for its printers and multifunction systems for businesses. Its scope extends beyond office equipment, however: Ricoh also operates in IT services, document software, professional printing and photography. Its corporate website, ricoh.com, presents these various activities and its international locations.
An industrial history rooted in imaging
The company was founded in 1936 under the name Riken Kankoshi, with a business focused on photosensitive paper. It subsequently developed cameras, then gradually expanded its offering to include office machines. It adopted the name Ricoh in 1963. Copying and printing became pillars of its international development, with a sales and technical presence built around the needs of organizations.
This trajectory explains the coexistence within the group of expertise in optics, mechanics, electronics and image processing. The acquisition of the Pentax photography business from Hoya in 2011 strengthened its foothold in photography. Today, the Ricoh and Pentax brands remain active in this market, notably with the premium compact cameras in the GR range and interchangeable-lens cameras.
From hardware to related services
For offices, Ricoh sells printers and multifunction devices, as well as the services needed to operate them: maintenance, consumables, fleet monitoring and usage management. These devices also serve as entry points for digitizing documents and feeding paperless workflows. The value proposition is thus shifting from the device alone to its integration into the information system.
The group offers solutions for document management, process automation and support for digital workplaces. Depending on the market, its offering also includes managed IT services and collaboration tools. This diversification addresses the needs of businesses that combine on-site work, mobility and remote access to information.
Ricoh also supplies digital presses and production printing solutions to graphic arts professionals. In industrial printing, its inkjet technologies, including printheads, represent another area of hardware expertise. These activities serve uses distinct from office printing, with their own requirements for speed, quality and media compatibility.
What next?
The main challenge is to support the transition to paperless operations without relying solely on print volumes. The creation in 2024 of Etria, a joint venture with Toshiba Tec focused notably on the development and manufacture of multifunction systems, illustrates the drive to pool industrial resources. For Ricoh, the next stage rests on bringing together this hardware base, service revenues and document automation. Repairability, equipment reuse and control of energy consumption are also important issues for its business customers.