This morning (Tuesday, July 12, 2016) Bloomberg reported that Xerox is in talks to acquire R.R. Donnelley. Really??? Xerox has always had a hate/love relationship with many in the commercial and quick print industry. Some print providers saw Xerox as a direct competitor in managing “in-house” document centers which would move business out of the commercial space, and others did not like the fact that Xerox was selling equipment to both the commercial/print-for-pay firms while also selling to corporate end-users. Many print providers saw, and continue to see, Xerox as a valued supplier. Yet, this announcement may indicate that Xerox has decided to cross the Rubicon and position itself as a print provider rather than a manufacturer of equipment. I’m perplexed by this announcement and will be curious to see how this all plays out.
