New MFPs help meet cost-reduction goals and Green concerns
By Nancy Hitchcock -- Purchasing, 4/9/2009 2:00:00 AM
As companies strive to improve efficiencies and cut costs in this economy, office products buyers are taking a closer look at capabilities of new multifunction products (MFPs) which combine printing, copying, scanning and faxing in one device.
In response to buyer demand, manufacturers of MFPs are designing systems that maximize workflow efficiency by offering faster print/copy speeds and making the systems easier to operate. They are also enabling organizations to add high-quality color to their documents at an affordable price to reduce the time and expense of outsourcing print jobs. High-performance products are packaged in smaller, more affordable machines. More advanced features enable users to automate workflow by distributing scanned documents to e-mail, FTP sites, archived folders and document management applications, for instance.
In addition to developing products with efficiencies in mind, supplier companies are responding to requests for more environmentally friendly products and MFPs with capabilities to secure data.
New Products and Technology
To streamline a company's workflow, Ricoh has introduced a family of color MFPs for small- and medium-sized businesses that enables users to create quality finished documents in-house. The Aficio MP C2050/MP C2550 prints 20 pages per minute (ppm) and 25 ppm for color and black and white respectively at 1200 dpi (dots per inch).
The MP C2050/MP C2550 also features two-sided printing, security solutions, and scan-to functions. In addition, the MP C2030 delivers 20 ppm at 600 dpi and handles a wide range of papers to produce projects such as postcards, posters, and newsletters to 12×18 inches. The MP C2030 offers standard TWAIN scanning, Super G3 faxing, LAN faxing, and network printing, and offers administrative monitoring.
"In the color office MFP landscape, there's a lot of people out there with 15 to 22 ppm black-and-white devices," says Chris Markowski, a Ricoh product manager. "We wanted to provide a color-enabled alternative to let users do everything they were used to doing off their black and white devices but also give them an opportunity to do color on the same device."
For mid- to large companies seeking to produce affordable color documents, Konica Minolta launched the bizhub C652/C552 series of color MFPs. The C652 prints color at 50 ppm and black-and-white at 65 ppm, and scans at up to 78 originals per minute to enable data to be stored, shared or distributed via e-mail. The bizhub C552 offers color output at 45 ppm and provides reduced energy consumption and security features.
Toshiba expanded its color line for high-volume work with the new e-STUDIO 5530c PRO and e-STUDIO7030c PRO, which are color digital copiers with the ability to print, scan and fax. Finishing options enable users to produce brochures, booklets and publications.
Xerox has launched several new devices that focus on increasing productivity and lowering costs. The WorkCentre 7425/7428/7435 MFP adds more functionality in a more compact machine. The device not only prints and copies color to 20/28/35 ppm and black-and-white pages to 25/28/35 ppm, it also produces high-quality color documents with a 1200 by 2400 dpi resolution to 12 by 18 in. Finishing capabilities can be integrated into the imaging system.
Because the majority of office documents are still letter-size, Xerox is introducing a new compact black-and-white device that copies and prints documents to 8.5 by 14 in. at up to 55 ppm. It also provides finishing options and an easy-to-use full-color touch screen.
For small and mid-sized businesses that want to add color, the Xerox Phaser 6128MFP copies, scans, faxes and prints color to 12 ppm at 600 by 600 dpi. Features include scanning to e-mail and faxing directly from the computer.
To maximize efficiencies in work environments of all sizes, Sharp has announced numerous new MFP models. A new line of A4 MFPs—the Frontier Series—features all the functionality required for small and medium-sized offices in a small footprint. The MX-C311 and the MX-C401, the first models in the series, print color to 31 ppm and 40 ppm, respectively.
For mid-size businesses, the MX-2600N and MX-3100N features a built-in retractable keyboard that streamlines the workflow by simplifying data entry, and enabling employees to do more at the machine, such as scan to e-mail, e-mail prints and save documents to a server.
For mid- to high-volume environments, the MX-4100N, MX-4101N and MX-5001N devices feature the retractable keyboard and an 8.5-in. touch screen color display that makes it easier to store and retrieve data. The models provide advanced networking features and multi-level document and networking security features. Many of these MFPs leverage Sharp's OSA (Open Systems Architecture) technology that enables the devices to integrate with a range of enterprise applications, including document management and reporting functions. IT administrators can remotely manage the machines.
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