1985-2008: 23 Years of Quality in Duplication

Who We Are

4B Martinvest 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.