The principal importer and distributor of Konica Minolta business technology products for the past 35 years, Minolta SA has only ever focused on copier, printer, and fax products, and the camera unit closure will have no impact on its business whatsoever.

In fact, Griffith says the closing down of the camera unit is set to bolster growth in its core business technology arena.

'All resources, including research and development, will now be focused on the business equipment division, which is great news for us,' he says.

Konica Minolta's business equipment division delivered a '28.1 billion (US$238 million) profit in the quarter July to September 2005, while its camera unit recorded an operating loss of '719 million.

Konica Minolta's business technology division continues to grow worldwide, and locally, Minolta SA recorded 18 percent growth in the first six months of the financial year to end December 2005.