| In 1906, the Xerox Company was founded in | | | | As of 2000, Xerox completed its turnaround and is |
| Rochester, New York. First known as The Haloid | | | | once again a solidly established company with a |
| Company, it specialized in manufacturing photographic | | | | leading edge in the marketplace. Xerox continues its |
| equipment and paper. It became "Haloid Xerox" in 1958 | | | | dominance in the photocopy and document-managing |
| and then "Xerox" in 1961. | | | | sector of the industry with its current line of printers. |
| Its name is so ubiquitous that to "Xerox" something has | | | | Currently, the major players in the photocopying and |
| become a verb and part of American vernacular | | | | printing sector include printers that function in multiple |
| instead of just a company name. And in fact, its claim | | | | ways, Xerox Phaser printers, photocopiers, and new |
| to fame is as the manufacturer of the first plain paper | | | | workflow software under a new strategy called |
| photocopier, introduced in 1959. By 1961, Xerox had | | | | "FreeFlow." FreeFlow in particular has brought Xerox |
| made almost $60 million in revenue, and by 1965, | | | | into the graphic arts market and the print industry. The |
| revenues jumped to over $500 million. Its burgeoning | | | | company has also begun to sell selling digital scanners |
| profits were very welcome news for the investors | | | | and printers. |
| who had believed in and helped finance the research | | | | In addition, it continues to sell the "legacy" products that |
| and development of the product in question, which | | | | made it a household name -- but those, too, have been |
| finally made them wealthy. In fact, some of them | | | | revamped for the 21st century. Xerox still specializes in |
| became millionaires. | | | | printer sales, selling both black and white and color |
| Xerox introduced desktop copying in 1963, laser printing | | | | printers. It also sells digital presses (the newest, the |
| in 1969, and color copying in 1973. However, its product | | | | Xerox iGen 4, was launched in May of 2008). |
| line didn't just stop there. In 1970, it opened a new | | | | It also continues to sell professional printers, black and |
| research facility in Palo Alto, California and developed | | | | white copiers and fax machines, among other |
| such innovative products and techniques as the | | | | products. Xerox has also recently branched into selling |
| graphical user interface and the mouse. However, its | | | | office supplies. |
| developments remained focused on its basis for | | | | What's perhaps most notable about Xerox, though, is |
| household recognition, Xeroxing -- that is to say, | | | | that its products cover the gamut, from commercial to |
| photocopying. | | | | home use. Several of its products, for example, are |
| To that end, after a brief foray into computer products | | | | priced for the average consumer and yet produce |
| that weren't particularly successful, Xerox returned its | | | | high-quality results regardless. For example, the Phaser |
| focus to photocopying and improving design and | | | | 6110MFP is priced quite reasonably for its abilities, with |
| quality of its product line in the 1980s and 1990s. It | | | | some models under $600. Various Phaser models |
| regained a technical lead over competition by | | | | include the ability to print, copy, fax or scan; another |
| revamping its product line to include high-end laser | | | | model copies, prints or scans. Both will do so in either |
| printers with scanners attached that could be | | | | color or black and white. Put very simply, this is very |
| connected to computer networks. This gave its | | | | high quality for a very reasonable price. |
| customers ease of use by giving them a complete | | | | In conclusion, Xerox is a company that's been around |
| service in regard to document handling, including user | | | | for more than a century. It revolutionized business with |
| support, configuration, supply and maintenance. | | | | its ability to inexpensively and quickly make copies, and |
| An acquisition of the Tektronix color printing and | | | | has since gone on to become so ubiquitous that its |
| imaging division in Wilsonville, Oregon further gave a | | | | name has become part of the vernacular. It remains |
| Xerox of leading edge with its new focus on the | | | | top-of-the-line in the 21st century as it adjusts its |
| Xerox Phaser product line and its printing technology in | | | | product line to meet the changing needs of consumers |
| solid ink. | | | | and businesses alike. |
| New lease on life | | | | |
