An Interview with Phil Scott, Funai Corp.

In today’s segment of our Expert Interviews, we connect with Mr. Phil Scott, Head of Marketing and Business Development at Funai. The Verite 55, launched in 2015, has caught the eye of some analysts within the industry for its convenient array of features and the cost per page. While not a heavy duty printer by any means, it packs a lot of solid features into its compact frame. Value priced at Walmart and Walmart.com, it may warrant some consideration for people that are looking for a printer with a relatively small initial investment. To get more insight into how the unit came about and what we can expect from Funai we went straight to the source. The interview with Phil Scott was conducted via email and our questions with the his answers appear below:

1) The Verite 55 is an impressive unit, especially given the price. Are there any other units in the series or plans for more in the future?
Yes there are additional Kodak Verite Printers planned for release this year in addition to a longer term product roadmap that is under development. Funai does not comment on future products until they are officially released.

2) Who is the intended audience for a unit such as the Verite 55?
Home printer, home office, small office. But anyone that is dissatisfied with the high cost of ink may want to consider this printer.

3) What did it mean for you to be recognized by Buyers' Lab for the printer? Was it further confirmation that you had "gotten it right" so to speak?
Yes, we are proud to have received these awards from BLI. We prominently display two of the awards on our web site and feel it validates all the hard work done to create this high quality printer at an affordable price and even more affordable total cost of ownership.

4) Is the Verite 55 Mopria certified as of yet? If not, are there plans to do so in the future?
No, none at this time.

5) Does the Verite 55 support either manual or automatic two-sided printing?
It supports manual two sided printing.

6) What versions of iOS and Android OSs are compatible with the various functions of the Verite Printer app?

• iOS 6.1 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPad touch
• Android 3.0 and higher

 

7) What was the logic behind including $50 of ink in the box right out of the gate? Has this been met with a lot of appreciation from consumers and users?
We know the high cost of ink and the fact that they run out too fast are the biggest sources of dissatisfaction with other manufacturers printers. We feel it is important to give consumers true ink value from the moment they start using their printer. The XL cartridges in the box reinforce that promise to consumers.

8) What can we expect from Funai with regards to printing in the next 1-3 years? What do you expect to see happening in the industry as a whole?
Expect from Funai more printers with more innovations that continue to reinforce the Kodak Verite value proposition of honest ink value, ease of use, and quality.