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An Interview with Jeff Jacobson of XeroxAugust 13, 2014 In order to bring you, our readers, the best information in the industry, we are constantly seeking ways to dig deeper and speak to the people that develop and work with the very technology we write about. We were recently granted the opportunity to speak to Mr. Jeff Jacobson, who was recently promoted to the position of President, Xerox Technology Business. He joined Xerox in July 2012 as the president of Global Graphics Communications Operations and worked in that capacity until his promotion in July 2014. Below is the transcript of our interview which was conducted via email. 1)Obviously as an industry veteran, you have seen innumerable changes in print and graphics over the course of your career. What do you think have been the biggest wins/developments to this point? Digital and offset have found ways to coexist, and that’s good for print service providers who have made significant technology investments. We all know there are applications that are more appropriate for digital and vice versa. What’s interesting now is watching digital coexist with today’s multi-media marketing campaigns. Print makes emotional connections and memorable impressions in this fast-paced, always-on world. And applications printed digitally fuel these connections with personalized messages, colorful graphics and innovative substrates. 2) In your current position, you oversee Xerox's efforts over a number of different customer segments. Is there any one in particular where you think we will see the biggest boom over the next few years? The most dramatic impact will be in the higher volume band, where inkjet will bring the on-demand and personalization benefits of digital printing to longer runs than xerography can reach cost effectively. That will bring new momentum to the dominant trends in graphic communications today, including mass personalized, multi-channel communications campaigns; applications that combine transactional and marketing functions; and short-run, on demand books. Inkjet is the print industry’s next transformation technology and there is great potential for partner technologies to help advance the adoption of inkjet in the next few years. 3)Mobile printing as a result of the boom in the number of people working in more places at more times has certainly made an impact on the industry. What can we expect from Xerox moving forward in this arena? There’s really no technological reason not to offer mobile print because secure, convenient solutions exist. It needs to be top-of-mind for the IT department because it’s certainly top-of-mind for employees. Xerox teamed up with Canon, HP and Samsung Electronics last year to launch the Mopria Alliance—a global non-profit membership organization formed to promote, simplify and increase accessibility of wireless printing from smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices. By standardizing mobile printing technologies, the Alliance will enable mobile app developers and other industry players to focus resources on innovation and new features beyond maintaining basic print functions. The Mopria Alliance is all about simplicity. If a person is at home, in the office or traveling on the road, they want a simple, secure mobile printing experience. The Alliance embodies the freedom to print from anywhere from any device. It’s that simple. 4) Some have suggested that as printing moves forward, we are getting to the point where it’s not just about ink/toner on pages anymore, but about a whole document eco-system where access to information comes in many forms, including the cloud. What comments would you have about that, if any? Organizations large and small recognize that, and are looking for ways to simplify how work gets done. Their north star is to become more productive, mobile and secure. Where Xerox can play a pivotal role, is helping organizations manage information demands better. Whether it’s through our multifunction office/enterprise devices, our managed print services offerings or our high-speed digital print portfolio, we’re helping our clients automate, simplify and get the most value from their information. 5)Lastly, what other things do you think we will see happening in the industry in the next 5-10 years? Here’s my take on five ways print service providers can thrive in the future: |