RICOH

RICOH is the principal brand of Ricoh Company, Ltd., a Japanese technology group founded in Tokyo in 1936. The company began as Riken Sensitized Paper, a business originating from the commercial activities of Riken, Japan’s Institute of Physical and Chemical Research. Its early business centered on photosensitive paper and related imaging technologies, but it progressively expanded into office machines, optical equipment, electronics and information-management systems. That diversification helped make Ricoh one of the most significant global suppliers of copiers and printers during the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. The company’s office-technology portfolio includes multifunction printers, copiers, fax machines, production-print systems, laser printers, projectors, interactive displays and document-capture equipment. The Aficio family became an important global office-equipment brand from the 1990s onward, while Ricoh Pro systems address commercial and industrial production printing. Beyond hardware, Ricoh supplies document-management, workflow, print-management and collaboration software. Examples associated with its software and services portfolio include DocumentMall, RicohDocs, GlobalScan, Print&Share, MakeLeaps and Streamline NX. The group also provides managed print services, business-process services, cloud and IT infrastructure support, cybersecurity-related services, data-center services and workplace-technology solutions. RICOH has also maintained a substantial imaging identity. Its compact and enthusiast camera businesses include the GR series of small, fixed-lens cameras and the THETA series of consumer 360-degree cameras. Following the 2011 acquisition of Pentax’s imaging business, camera operations were placed in Ricoh Imaging, which continues to manage the Pentax and Ricoh imaging brands. Ricoh’s earlier history also includes film cameras, digital compacts, rugged cameras and the experimental GXR interchangeable-unit camera system. The company has additionally produced or supplied electronic components, including semiconductor devices used in video-game consoles and arcade hardware, although those activities are less visible in its current brand positioning. Growth was accelerated through a series of acquisitions and integrations. Ricoh acquired Lanier Worldwide, combined several European operations, bought IBM’s printing-systems business and later acquired IKON Office Solutions. It also purchased Pentax Imaging from Hoya and acquired a majority stake in PFU from Fujitsu. These transactions broadened Ricoh’s geographic reach, office-services capabilities, production-print expertise and imaging portfolio. The group operates through regional organizations in Japan, the Americas, Europe, China and Asia-Pacific, with sales, support, manufacturing and research activities spanning many countries. Today, RICOH is positioned less as a pure copier manufacturer and more as a provider of digital workplace, information-management and production-print solutions, while retaining recognizable hardware franchises in office imaging and cameras. Its strategic themes include workflow digitization, cloud-connected document processes, hybrid work, automation, sustainability and the modernization of commercial printing. The company remains listed in Japan and operates internationally through a large network of subsidiaries and regional businesses.

Ricoh was established on 6 February 1936 as Riken Sensitized Paper, the commercialized business of the Riken Concern, which was associated with Japan’s Institute of Physical and Chemical Research. Its headquarters were initially in Tokyo, and the company’s first field was photosensitive paper and imaging materials. The business later adopted the Ricoh name and moved through successive stages of optical, photographic and office-equipment development. In 1955, Ricoh introduced the Ricopy 101, a desktop diazo wet copier designed for blueprint duplication. The machine represented an early move from consumable imaging materials into office hardware and was subsequently recognized as an example of Japanese mechanical-engineering heritage. During the 1960s and 1970s, Ricoh experimented beyond office equipment, including a short-lived watchmaking business and a partnership connected with Hamilton electric watches. The company’s manufacturing and technology relationships broadened considerably during the 1980s and 1990s. Ricoh produced or supplied copiers, fax machines, duplicators and components for other companies, including Pitney Bowes, Toshiba, AT&T and Omnifax. It also manufactured semiconductor devices used in Nintendo entertainment systems, Sega and Fujitsu platforms and arcade hardware. At the same time, its own office-equipment business grew rapidly. From the late 1990s into the early 2000s, Ricoh became one of the world’s largest copier manufacturers and built a broad international brand architecture around Ricoh, Aficio and acquired businesses such as Savin, Gestetner, Lanier, Rex-Rotary, Nashuatec and IKON. The 2000s were marked by consolidation and international integration. Ricoh acquired Lanier Worldwide in 2001 and Hitachi Printing Solutions in 2004. It obtained naming rights for sports and entertainment venues in Toronto and Coventry, increasing the visibility of the corporate brand outside technology markets. In 2007, Ricoh announced the purchase of IBM’s Printing Systems Division and formed InfoPrint Solutions Company with IBM participation. In 2008, it completed the acquisition of IKON Office Solutions for a reported $1.6 billion, strengthening its North American services operation. Ricoh also integrated European and country-level organizations to create a more unified regional operating structure. In imaging, Ricoh acquired Pentax’s imaging systems business from Hoya in 2011. The business initially operated as Pentax Ricoh Imaging and was renamed Ricoh Imaging in 2013. This transaction gave Ricoh control of a respected interchangeable-lens camera and optical-product heritage while allowing the company to continue developing its own GR and THETA products. Ricoh’s camera activities subsequently became a distinct part of its identity alongside office technology. The company faced significant restructuring pressure as conventional printing volumes changed and customers moved toward digital workflows. In 2011, Ricoh announced a large worldwide workforce reduction and planned to shift employees toward growth areas. It simultaneously increased emphasis on managed print, document capture, cloud services, software and IT support. Ricoh India’s 2016 accounting-fraud disclosure was a serious governance event within the group’s history and resulted in the resignation of senior Ricoh India leaders. Ricoh continued to expand its digital and production-print capabilities. It acquired Avanti Computer Systems in 2017 for print-management information systems and announced a partnership with Cisco in 2019. In 2022, it acquired 80 percent of PFU from Fujitsu, adding capabilities associated with scanners and information capture. Ricoh later sold Avanti to eProductivity Software in 2025, indicating continuing portfolio adjustment. The modern group operates across office imaging, commercial printing, information management, digital workplace services, IT infrastructure, cameras and related technologies, with operations organized across Japan, the Americas, Europe, China and Asia-Pacific.

1. 2022PFU majority stake acquired

   Ricoh acquired 80 percent of PFU from Fujitsu.

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2. 2017Avanti acquired

   Ricoh added Avanti’s production-print management software to its portfolio.

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3. 2013Imaging subsidiary renamed Ricoh Imaging

   Pentax Ricoh Imaging adopted the Ricoh Imaging Company name.

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4. 2011Pentax imaging business acquired

   Ricoh acquired Pentax Imaging from Hoya and established Pentax Ricoh Imaging.

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5. 2008IKON Office Solutions acquired

   Ricoh completed the acquisition of IKON, strengthening its North American office-services platform.

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6. 2007InfoPrint Solutions Company established

   Ricoh and IBM created InfoPrint Solutions Company around IBM’s printing-systems business.

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7. 2001Lanier Worldwide acquired

   The acquisition expanded Ricoh’s office-equipment distribution and service presence.

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8. 1996Aficio becomes a global brand

   Ricoh began using Aficio as a global office-equipment brand.

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9. 1955Ricopy 101 introduced

   Ricoh launched the Ricopy 101 diazo wet copier for desktop blueprint duplication.

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10. 1936Company founded as Riken Sensitized Paper

    Ricoh originated as a commercial enterprise of the Riken Concern and began operations in Tokyo as a producer of photosensitive paper.

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A global business-technology provider combining office imaging hardware, production printing, document workflows, IT services and specialist imaging products.

• RICOH IM C seriesOffice multifunction printers

  The IM C family is a range of color multifunction office systems combining printing, copying, scanning and document workflow functions. These devices are designed for networked workplaces and can be integrated with software, authentication and managed-print environments.

• RICOH ProProduction printing

  RICOH Pro is the company’s production-print family for commercial printers, in-plant print departments and other high-volume environments. The line emphasizes throughput, color or monochrome output, finishing and integration with professional print workflows.

• RICOH GRDigital cameras1996

  The GR series consists of compact enthusiast cameras built around a fixed wide-angle lens and a pocketable body. The line is known for fast operation, unobtrusive form factors and a strong street-photography orientation.

• RICOH THETA360-degree cameras2013

  THETA is Ricoh’s line of consumer and professional 360-degree cameras. Its products capture spherical still images and video and are used for personal photography, virtual tours, documentation and immersive content creation.

• AficioOffice equipment1996

  Aficio was Ricoh’s globally deployed office-equipment brand, covering multifunction printers, copiers and related workflow products. Many Aficio products helped establish Ricoh as a major international supplier of networked office imaging systems.

• GlobalScanDocument software

  GlobalScan is a document-capture and distribution solution associated with Ricoh’s software portfolio. It helps organizations scan paper records and route digitized information into business processes and repositories.

• Streamline NXPrint and document management software

  Streamline NX supports print management, document capture, device administration and workflow control. It is intended for organizations seeking to manage fleets of printers and connect physical output with digital processes.

• DocumentMallCloud document management

  DocumentMall is a software-as-a-service document-management offering associated with Ricoh. It provides centralized storage and controlled access to business documents and supports digitized information workflows.

• 2008Times Square renewable-energy billboard

  United States

  Ricoh unveiled an advertising billboard in New York’s Times Square designed to operate using solar and wind power, linking brand communication with environmental messaging.

  Outcome. Public sustainability-oriented brand activation.

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• 2007Women’s British Open title sponsorship

  United Kingdom · International golf markets

  Ricoh became title sponsor of the Women’s British Open, associating the brand with one of professional women’s golf’s leading tournaments.

  Outcome. Historical sports-marketing program.

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• 2005Ricoh Arena naming rights

  United Kingdom

  Ricoh obtained naming rights for Coventry’s stadium and entertainment complex. The venue carried the Ricoh Arena name until 2021, apart from a temporary Olympic-period naming change.

  Outcome. Long-running venue branding agreement that ended in 2021.

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• 1981Stoke City shirt sponsorship

  United Kingdom

  Ricoh served as shirt sponsor of Stoke City during the early 1980s, using football sponsorship to build consumer visibility for the corporate brand.

  Outcome. Historical sponsorship; no longer active.

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• 2022Acquire majority stake in PFUM&A

  Ricoh pursued stronger capabilities in scanning, information capture and digital document processes.

  What changed. Ricoh acquired 80 percent of PFU from Fujitsu.

  Aftermath. The transaction broadened Ricoh’s information-management and document-input portfolio.

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• 2011Shift resources toward growth businessesStrategy

  Changes in office-print demand created pressure to reduce dependence on traditional hardware sales and improve operating efficiency.

  What changed. Ricoh announced a worldwide workforce reduction of up to 10,000 positions by March 2014 and planned to reassign 15,000 workers toward growth areas.

  Aftermath. The decision reflected a broader transition toward services, software, digital workflows and higher-growth technology businesses.

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• 2011Enter the Pentax imaging businessM&A

  Ricoh sought to reinforce its camera and optical-imaging position while broadening beyond office equipment.

  What changed. It acquired Hoya’s Pentax imaging systems business and organized it under a new imaging subsidiary.

  Aftermath. The subsidiary was renamed Ricoh Imaging in 2013 and continued to manage Pentax and Ricoh camera activities.

  Reported transaction value. Approximately 10 billion Japanese yen (2011 reported deal estimate)

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• 2008Acquire IKON Office SolutionsM&A

  Ricoh aimed to increase its direct sales, service and managed-print presence in North America.

  What changed. Ricoh announced and completed the acquisition of IKON Office Solutions.

  Aftermath. IKON’s customer-facing network became an important part of Ricoh’s North American office-technology operations.

  Reported acquisition value. 1.6 billion USD (2008 announcement)

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• 2007Expand into enterprise and production printing through IBM transactionM&A

  Ricoh sought to strengthen its position in higher-volume and enterprise printing beyond conventional office copiers.

  What changed. It announced the purchase of IBM’s Printing Systems Division and a three-year joint venture that created InfoPrint Solutions Company, in which Ricoh held a majority share.

  Aftermath. The transaction expanded Ricoh’s production-print and enterprise-printing capabilities.

  Reported transaction value. 725 million USD (2007 announcement)

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• 2016Ricoh India accounting-fraud disclosureControversy

  Ricoh India acknowledged an estimated accounting-fraud issue reported at approximately ₹1,123 crore. The disclosure was followed by the resignations of managing director and chief executive Manoj Kumar and chairman Tetsuya Takano.

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• 2024Ricoh joins MSCI KLD 400 Social Index

  Ricoh was included in the MSCI KLD 400 Social Index, an index associated with environmental, social and governance screening.

  Other
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• 2022Ricoh acquires majority stake in PFU

  Ricoh announced the acquisition of 80 percent of PFU from Fujitsu, broadening its capabilities in scanners, information capture and related technology.

  M&A
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• 2019Ricoh announces Cisco partnership

  Ricoh announced a partnership with Cisco Systems focused on connected workplace and business-technology capabilities.

  Other
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• 2017Ricoh acquires Avanti Computer Systems

  Ricoh acquired Avanti, a Toronto-based provider of print-management information systems for production-print customers.

  M&A
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• 2011Ricoh announces global workforce restructuring

  Ricoh announced plans to reduce its worldwide workforce and reallocate personnel toward businesses it considered to have stronger growth prospects.

  Other
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• 2011Ricoh acquires Pentax imaging business

  Ricoh acquired Hoya’s Pentax imaging business, creating a dedicated imaging subsidiary that later became Ricoh Imaging Company.

  M&A
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• 2008Ricoh completes IKON Office Solutions acquisition

  Ricoh completed its acquisition of IKON Office Solutions, adding a major North American office-technology sales and services platform.

  M&A
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• 2007Ricoh announces purchase of IBM Printing Systems Division

  Ricoh announced a transaction involving IBM’s Printing Systems Division and the creation of InfoPrint Solutions Company, expanding its presence in production and enterprise printing.

  M&A
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• 2001Ricoh acquires Lanier Worldwide

  Ricoh completed the acquisition of Lanier Worldwide, strengthening its international office-equipment distribution and service network.

  M&A
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1. Ricoh
2. Ricoh official corporate website
3. Ricoh Imaging official website