Lexmark Celebrates 20th Anniversary

- Lexmark recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of the launch of their first desktop b/w laser printer. Here is a quick history:
- Lexmark was formed in 1991, when IBM sold off its imaging division to investors
- The name Lexmark came from the fact that IBM had a facility in Lexington, Kentucky that made devices that put marks on paper.
- Current Lexmark, CEO, Paul Curlander, was the product manager for
computer printers
- The division originally focused on making typewriters (Selectric, WheelWriter, etc.)
- In 1981, IBM launched the IBM PC and a dot matrix printer
- In 1969, Gary Starkweather invented first laser printer at Xerox PARC.
- In 1971, Xerox produced first laser printer.
- In 1976, IBM installed its first laser printer, the 3800, a huge floor model, at
F. W. Woolworth’s data center in Milwaukee, WI. Many of these high speed models are still in use today
- In 1984, Hewlett Packard launched the first Laserjet, which was a Canon-made
8ppm model, 300x300dpi, which weighed 75lbs.
- 1985, first IBM laser printer was a table top model, the 3812, selling for $7000 each, and was developed in Boulder, Colorado.
- In 1988, HP launched the first DeskJet inkjet printer.
- Paul Curlander and team of 100 in Lexington, KY were tasked with making small, lightweight, desktop model, which became the IBM 4019 featuring:
- First model able to print on envelopes
- First model to print pages in order
- First test print made at 5:09pm on 4/14/1987 by Harry Cooper
- On 5/6/1987, test unit was printing pages with text and pictures
- Approved for production by Marvin Mann, the first Lexmark CEO
- Original selling price of $2600.00
- Launch date of 10/10/1989
- Sold 100,000 in first year
- Won Product of the Year by PC Magazine
- Toner cartridges are still made and sold for the 4019
- On 10/24/1994, Lexmark launched the Optra series, its first non-IBM labeled printers

- Lexmark announced it signed a 4 year, multi-million dollar managed print services contract with Kingfisher, a global home improvement retail group. The deal includes install of new b/w and color laser MFPs/printers at 330 stores.

-=Cheers=-