The two companies first teamed in October 2015 to form the strategic partnership SpeciaLase to introduce the game-changing DataLase IDP technology in Japan and the Asia-Pacific region. SATO held a 33.3% share of DataLase prior to this acquisition.
The DataLase IDP solution is the only one of its kind and enables high-speed, fast turnaround printing which is ideal for packaging and product customization and personalization. IDP technology allows printing of variable information to enable real-time marketing to maximize brand owner and consumer value. The system is inkless at the point of printing, thus removing the need for consumables in the production environment at the point of fulfilment.
The acquisition optimizes synergies from the DataLase IDP solution and SATO's on-site commitment and global network to deliver financial savings, environmental benefits and enhanced marketing capabilities for end users. Application in total track and trace solutions is expected to provide benefits for customers in numerous high-volume, fast-moving industries including manufacturing, logistics, pharmaceuticals and food and beverage.
DataLase CEO Chris Wyres commented, "We are pleased to announce this evolution of our strategic partnership with SATO and firmly believe this will enable our revolutionary inline digital printing solutions to be delivered to a global customer base."
"DataLase is a transformative addition to the SATO Group and we will grow its game-changing technology into one of our core businesses to add holistic value for our customers," said SATO President and CEO Kaz Matsuyama. "Embracing new technologies to tag, track and link data to everything is key to developing innovative on-site solutions that enable the streamlined work sites of the future. This acquisition expands the Auto-ID options for our customers and we consider it absolutely essential to achieving our long-term business objectives."
Daisuke Tatsuta, GM, Sato Auto-ID (Thailand) Co., Ltd., said, "This revolutionary technology enables Thai customers to achieve greater cost efficiency and competitive advantage. We are thrilled to bring the innovative and powerful IDP solutions to deliver value to Thailand customers soon."
In 2016, DataLase increased its strategic partnership portfolio across inks and coatings, substrates and print technology to deliver IDP product and packaging solutions for brands such as Ricoh, Xerox, Mundi, KBA-Metronic, Macsa ID, and Pulse Inks. Also in 2016, global print and publishing solutions provider Flint Group became the first licensee of Variprint, a revolutionary DataLase technology that enables real time messaging and variable data on packaging with a selection of monochrome colors.