Who We Are
4B4 began trading in February 1985,
selling mainly blank 5¼" floppy diskettes
to end users, and very soon were adding other
products and services such as magnetic tape and
personalisation of media.
Clients started to request that their media
came pre-installed with their software, so we
started our duplication bureau service - beginning
with diskettes and data cartridge tapes. As
media evolved (e.g. QIC-150/525), was requested
or newly invented (e.g. 4mm, 8mm), we added
these to our growing portfolio.
With the advent of the Small
Computer Systems
Interface (SCSI) we began to
develop our own tape duplication software to
allow us to add new storage devices to our range
of services with minimal cost. Creating a common
user interface across all tape platforms simplified
the duplication process, meaning the operator
didn't have to learn about the peculiarities
of computer tape formatting, as this was all
handled transparently by the software. Having
our own software solution meant that we could
sell the system to clients who wanted to keep
their duplication services in-house.
In the early 90's CD-Recordable arrived and
we quickly purchased our first desktop CD-writers
(early writers were over £5000 each and
blank CD-Rs over £30 each!) becoming one
of the first UK duplicators to offer the service.
This side of the business has grown enormously
over the last few years to the point where lower
volume CD-R duplication accounts for over 60%
of our media output.
The advent of DVD has blurred the line between
the film/video, music and computer industries
creating new opportunities and areas of expertise.
Whilst DVD-ROM is still a relatively small proportion
of the whole DVD market, we have invested in
the latest DVD±R duplication equipment
to remain at the forefront of technology - where
our clients expect us to be.
In the current business climate, costs and
reducing unnecessary expenditure are always
a high priority and many businesses are now
looking to outsource tasks typically handled
in-house (such as print procurement, and software
distribution) to concentrate on their core activities.
Due to the nature of our business, contacts
and experience gained over the years, we have
become the 'manufacturing and fulfilment' arm
to a number of our clients - handling combinations
of everything from multimedia development, through
to manual design and printing, packaging, product
assembly and worldwide distribution. Contact
us to find out how we can help you save
money.
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