Chapter 347

"Guilin Ricoh?"

Li Dongling glanced at the plan handed over by Wang Jizhi, "Is this company still alive?"

Three or four years ago, the name of Guilin Ricoh Company was famous in the domestic copier industry.

After the advertising slogan "Guilin Ricoh, in all directions" was broadcast on CCTV, it quickly took the top spot in the domestic copier industry, with sales exceeding 200 million!

If it developed normally, Guilin Ricoh would likely become a giant among domestic copier factories. But Guilin Ricoh was able to develop so rapidly because it relied on the Japanese Ricoh Company, which transferred technology and provided key components.

In the year Dongling High-Tech was established, the country further relaxed restrictions on foreign companies in the copier industry. Japanese Ricoh directly killed its way into the domestic market and set up its own sales and after-sales channels in the country.

Without any accident, Guilin Ricoh was kicked away by Japanese Ricoh. Japanese Ricoh directly occupied the magpie's nest and replaced the Guilin Ricoh copier factory. Without core components, it could not assemble machines. Soon, Guilin Ricoh copiers disappeared in the country.

As for equity incentives, bonuses, etc., Wang Jizhi didn't even need to mention it at Sitong; there was no share for him and the technical department at all.

"We can contact the team at Guilin Ricoh. If the price is right, we can move the R&D team and production line there to Yanjing!"

"Not only Guilin Ricoh, but other domestic copier and printer manufacturers can also invite their R&D personnel to join Lingyun."

"In addition, there is a batch of experienced copier R&D personnel. If we can take down Guilin Ricoh, the Lingyun copier project can save a lot of time and funds."

"The Guilin Ricoh factory is not doing very well right now!"

Placed at Li Dongling's side, Wang Jizhi hadn't even started to drill into the laboratory, and a large amount of resources and funds began to be transferred continuously. To be honest, Wang Jizhi had never fought such a wealthy battle in so many years!

At Sitong, Wang Jizhi had no people and no funds. He could only rely on himself and a few technical personnel to fight hard. In the end, they didn't get a penny from the money for selling typewriters. Sitong went public, and those technical personnel who helped as cattle and horses didn't get any benefits and were swept out of the door.

Between analog copiers and digital copiers, choosing the latter has some high risks, but if machines can be developed, it will be a complete victory!

Li Dongling proposed the R&D direction for Lingyun copiers, but Li Dongling did not mention printers, because developing printers cannot be done by Lingyun alone. It needs its parent company, Dongling High-Tech, to pull in its good big brother, Dongxin Semiconductor, and spend a few years to have a chance to get it done.

And the R&D personnel and engineers of these companies either joined overseas manufacturers such as Canon, Xerox, HP, etc., or retired or changed careers. There was nowhere else to go. After all, if R&D personnel are separated from front-line R&D for a long time, in today's world where technology changes with each passing day and constantly updates, it is difficult to have any improvement.

The route between analog copiers and digital copiers is now fiercely disputed. Wang Jizhi did not expect that Li Dongling was actually prepared to bet on digital copiers, whose technology is not yet mature.

"But now, the Guilin Ricoh copier factory still has a chance. Before Japanese Ricoh cut off cooperation, Guilin Ricoh had its own copier production line and had already achieved 70% self-production of components."

For Wang Jizhi's actions, Li Dongling also saw them in his eyes. "In addition to multi-function copiers, in the future, Lingyun copiers should develop in the direction of digital copiers and color copiers, launch small digital copiers for office use, and sell them to companies, banks, vehicle management offices, various certificate-issuing units, etc.!"

"Digital copiers are Lingyun's opportunity to overtake old copier giants like Xerox, Canon, Epson, and Ricoh on a curve!"

Li Dongling did not say this was the only opportunity, but digital copiers are indeed Lingyun's only chance to turn around within ten years.

In the short term of the next few years, Lingyun printers are estimated to be unable to avoid the fate of temporarily assembling parts, that is, core components, print heads, engines, laser drums, general-purpose printer chips, printer operating systems, software, etc. Lingyun cannot develop them all at once. It can only purchase from abroad while developing them itself.

Now the three major copier giants, Canon, Ricoh, and Xerox, have almost completely occupied the domestic copier market with patents and key components.

Wang Jizhi listened to Li Dongling's words, his brows locked, but he did not question Li Dongling's proposal. Instead, he took out the notepad he carried with him and recorded all these words of Li Dongling.

However, as long as the most critical general-purpose printer consumable chip is developed, and then a printer operating system that is not too bad is produced, Lingyun printers can basically declare localization. The remaining components can be slowly developed or purchased from domestic component manufacturers.

"In addition, we can unite with domestic printer, copier component, and consumable manufacturers to jointly develop key components, toner, and other consumables!"

Guilin Ricoh has a foundation in the copier industry. Although the technology is not as good as Japanese Ricoh, it has a mature R&D team and copier production lines, which can save Lingyun copiers a lot of trouble.

"Risks will always exist. Analog copiers are the world of Canon and others. If Lingyun enters, it still has to look at their faces, and it may not necessarily be able to eat a bite of meat. It is better to choose a new track. What if it succeeds?" Li Dongling said.

"Lingyun's first product should be developed in the direction of multi-function copiers!"

Li Dongling said that even if Lingyun doesn't poach people, it won't be long before these domestic printer manufacturers basically collapse.

"Digital copiers?"

If you want the horse to run fast, you must feed it well. Joining the Lingyun printer R&D team, in the future, you can jointly get 5% equity incentive. If the R&D is successful, then Lingyun doesn't need to talk about landing on the Nasdaq. As the company that developed the first domestic printer, if Lingyun submits a listing application to A, then the listing is almost a certainty.

Wang Jizhi shook his head and said, "If it continues like this, it won't be long before Guilin Ricoh will likely go bankrupt!"

Wang Jizhi's expression changed for a moment, and finally he nodded. He was noncommittal about the multi-function composite copier and digital copier R&D direction proposed by Li Dongling, but he agreed with what Li Dongling said about not being able to eat meat behind Canon and Xerox.

"As long as Lingyun printers can be successfully developed, Engineer Wang, you and the R&D team can get 5% equity of Lingyun. In addition, you personally can also get 2% equity incentive. If Lingyun can go public in the future, you can sell this equity, or when you retire, the Lingyun board of directors will repurchase this equity!"

"Engineer Wang, Dongling High-Tech, as well as Dongxin Semiconductor and other companies, will support Lingyun printers. In addition, if there is a chance, I will also meet with domestic software companies like Jin Shan to let them help Lingyun Company develop some software!" Li Dongling said to Wang Jizhi.

Li Dongling put down the plan and said to Wang Jizhi. For developing copiers and printers, Li Dongling is not an expert, but he is no stranger to the copiers and printers of his previous life!

This time Wang Jizhi was really surprised. Now copiers are still in the era of analog machines. Although Canon and Xerox have proposed the concept of digital copiers and even launched some concept machines, the defects are very large. The cost is higher than analog copiers, but the efficiency is not as good, and it has not been accepted by the market.

If you develop analog copiers, although you can't eat meat, you can still drink soup behind companies like Canon and Xerox. If you develop digital copiers, if you are not careful, you may lose everything.

As an old-school R&D person, Wang Jizhi is very pragmatic and does not stick to his own opinions. He has always liked to wait until the end to decide the winner. This is a habit he developed at Sitong Group. At that time, Sitong did not support self-developed typewriters, and there were many opposing voices, but Wang Jizhi gritted his teeth and did it!

Wang Jizhi likes to see the truth under his hands. Whether it can be done or not, you have to do it to know. Otherwise, just relying on your mouth, can you decide the winner?

Similarly, for Li Dongling's proposal, Wang Jizhi also decided to experiment before talking about other things.

As a senior designer at the Hanxi Provincial Machinery Design Bureau in his previous life, if you want to talk about what Li Dongling came into contact with most in his previous life, besides all kinds of design software, it was copiers and printers. Li Dongling had used every brand, and Li Dongling still remembered the changes in copiers and printers.

Li Dongling glanced at the Van Cleef & Arpels watch that Yao Luoying gave him on his birthday this year on his wrist and said to Wang Jizhi, "Engineer Wang, after I finish this meeting at Tianya Net, let's have a meal together tonight!"

Domestic local copier manufacturers have been wiped out, but three or five years ago, there were still a host of local brands in the country such as Hanguang Youmei, Jiangcheng Friendship, Xingyingkou Copier Factory, etc., but within a few years, they were beaten to pieces by the three companies Canon, Xerox, and Ricoh.

By then, those who hold Lingyun Company's equity and options will realize financial freedom, which is basically a high-probability event. Li Dongling does not believe that this big pie cannot attract technical big shots for Lingyun!

Hearing Li Dongling's words, Wang Jizhi's spirit was suddenly boosted. Lingyun's work is not easy to do, but the cards Li Dongling gave him are already many times better than when he was at Sitong Group.

When he was at Sitong, he had a deep understanding that blindly imitating Japanese typewriters would never be able to surpass the other party, would always be one step behind the other party, and would be led by the nose by the other party.

Even now, how many R&D personnel and engineers are still sticking to their posts at Guilin Ricoh is really hard to say.

Wang Jizhi didn't say much. He asked for an office and began to design and calculate on the drawings. He now has many ideas in his mind, waiting for him to verify, and he has no heart for other things.

Li Dongling walked toward the Tianya conference room.

(End of chapter)