Brother Industries Ltd., the parent company of Brother International Corp., has announced it has been
recognized as a "Leader" in the "IDC MarketScape for Worldwide Sustainability Programs and Services Hardcopy 2023 Vendor Assessment," which assesses sustainability programs and services among select hardcopy vendors through the IDC MarketScape model.

This IDC MarketScape evaluated 11 hardcopy vendors and is based on a comprehensive framework to evaluate key metrics in corporate strategies, business operations, products and business models, and governance/risk/compliance measures offered in the context of sustainability. As addressing sustainability has become an urgent issue today, we believe the report serves as an indicator that can be used by companies and other entities considering introducing printing products and services when selecting a manufacturer.

According to IDC MarketScape, "Brother is a strong contender for those SMBs looking for printing devices that can deliver on the full range of key sustainability attributes. Brother's products can help customers reduce their environmental impact through a broad range of eco-friendly product features.

"Brother should also be on the short list of vendors when looking for a supplier that is investing to drive sustainability throughout its own operations, including a keen focus on biodiversity conservation activities."

In the "Brother Group Environmental Vision 2050" formulated in 2018, the Brother Group clearly states its continuous commitment toward solving the key social issues of climate change, resource depletion, environmental pollution and destruction of the ecosystem. As a company that uses energy and resources to provide products using bio-based items such as paper, thread and cloth, Brother strives to positively and continuously act to decrease the environmental impact and increase the sustainability of its business operations. Its environmental performance is considered at every stage of a product's life cycle, from design, development and manufacturing to customer usage, disposal and recycling.

The Brother Group has identified "reduction of CO2 emissions," "resource circulation" and "biodiversity conservation" as the three priority issues for it to address, and has set the 2050 Vision and the medium-term target for FY2030 as milestones to achieve this vision and is promoting various initiatives to achieve these goals. In the sustainability evaluation by IDC, the Brother Group was highly rated on its efforts to minimize the environmental impact of its business activities based on the Brother Group Environmental Vision 2050, to promote the conservation and restoration of ecosystems, and various activities in cooperation with customers and business partners.

"We have been working to meet the needs of our customers, including those in SOHO (small office home office) and SMB (small and medium business) markets by providing products that balance sustainability with innovation," said Ichiro Sasaki, representative director & president, Brother Industries Ltd. "We believe being recognized as a 'Leader' in the IDC MarketScape assessment is a testament to our efforts in promoting sustainability throughout our operations, guided by our environmental goal, 'Brother Group Environmental Vision 2050.' We interpret this recognition as an acknowledgment of our initiatives toward reducing CO₂ emissions and circulating resources, as highlighted in our materiality, including the recycling for toner cartridges and use of recycled materials in some of our products and the acceleration of solar panel installations at our factories. We are proud of this achievement and are committed to further enhancing our environmentally conscious efforts, contributing to society, and protecting the earth."

Through its corporate activities, Brother will continue to actively work toward the realization of a sustainable society.

In other news, Brother International Corp. has announced that CRN has named Caty Di Maggio, vice president of commercial sales, and Shelly Radler, senior product marketing manager, to the Women of the Channel list for 2024.

Every year, CRN highlights women from vendor, distributor and solution-provider organizations whose vision and leadership benefit the technology industry. The CRN 2024 Women of the Channel honorees are creative, strategic leaders who are committed to using their skills to innovate and drive success for their partners and customers.

With this recognition, CRN honors these women leaders for their unwavering dedication and commitment to furthering channel excellence.

Di Maggio has more than 25 years of experience in sales and marketing for the consumer and technology industries. She has been responsible for managing business units for Fortune 500 companies, achieving double-digit growth with high profitability. At Brother, Di Maggio oversees a group of 60-plus salespeople responsible for supporting distributors and channel partners, including VAR/SI, DMR and dealers for verticals such as education, health, enterprise and government, among others. Under her leadership, the team has optimized processes and programs and allocated significant resources to increase brand awareness and market share.

For more than 20 years, Radler has been driving results and supporting B2C and B2B channels in Brother's imaging product lines. In her current role, Radler leverages her extensive market knowledge to grow the Brother printing and scanning businesses with a focus on dealers, VARs and DMR resellers. Radler is committed to developing products, solutions and programs that meet customer needs in a changing world. She collaborates with cross-functional internal and external teams to create engaging, integrated marketing campaigns and effective training, collateral and websites.

"The entire Brother team is extraordinarily proud of both Caty and Shelly, not only for their commitment and ongoing dedication to our company, but for their broader contributions to the industry, which has earned them this recognition," said Fernando Maroniene, senior director of product marketing, Brother. "These accomplished women represent the excellence that Brother stands for, and we are fortunate and honored to have them as leaders and innovators within our organization."

"It is a great privilege to honor the remarkable achievements of these women leaders in the IT
channel," said Jennifer Follett, vice president of U.S. content and executive editor, CRN at The Channel Company. "Each woman on the list has demonstrated a deep commitment to innovation and leadership that advances their organizations and drives transformation and success across the IT channel."