Xrite has merged with GMB

[Edmund_Ronald]

Some days bring surprises. Today's news is that Xrite has merged with GMB. See my blog. What next ?

Edmund

[Andy_Biggs]

I wonder how this will affect Colorvision?

[Edmund_Ronald]

Post deleted by Edmund_Ronald

[AlanRew]

Edmund,

Interesting news.

Current users of either the X-Rite Pulse or the GMB Eye-One device will no doubt have some anxiety about the future development and/or support for these devices. Let's hope that the combined company does not abandon either set of users or force them (by withdrawing products) to buy the alternative offering.

What worries me more in the long term is: where's the competition? What's to stop the combined company charging higher prices for the same kit? The competition previously offered by the Pulse IMO forced GMB to improve the Eye-One bundles e.g. better ruler/backing board, reduced prices. But now the two companies have combined, where's the incentive to improve customer value?

Regards,

Alan

[MichaelTapes]

Alan,

My Gretag Rep has assured me that should a Gretag product be discontinued (no plans as of now) it will be supported for at least 7 years. Most large companies go by that legal boundry, and GM will do at least that should it be necessary.. I will post more public information when the official documents come my way.

[ QUOTE ]
But now the two companies have combined, where's the incentive to improve customer value?


[/ QUOTE ]

Regarding customer value improvement. That is driven by the desire to sell more.

[Neil_Poulsen]

Another question is whether or not there will be a worthwhile upgrade path to any new products for users of current products.

[Edmund_Ronald]

[ QUOTE ]
Another question is whether or not there will be a worthwhile upgrade path to any new products for users of current products.

[/ QUOTE ]

I expect compatibility across instrument platforms will improve even further as the teams exchange information more fully - so the PMP guys will get to use the wonderful DTP70 chart-eater fully in spectral mode, and the Monaco Profiler users will be able to make IO wipe its arm over thick substrates. If you look at the existing product lines, interoperability is already pretty good actually, Xrite's free ColorPort utility can generate targets for the i1, and I think do the reading too. Gretag's PMP can access the DTP70, but I think it's only reading in LAB mode at the moment and there are some platform dependencies.

This should be a no-pain merger from the users point of view, at least short-term.

Edmund