OPN Blogs

November 17, 2008 -- A new study from the Photizo Group captures the nuances and preferences of the Western European Managed Print Services (MPS) market. The Western European MPS Decision Maker Tracking Study™ is the first dedicated research into managed print services in France, Germany and the UK. The first-of-its-kind study is available now.

"The practice of managed print services can be adopted by companies anywhere, but priorities, concerns and preferences can and do vary, according to our research. As vendors pursue MPS opportunities, this information can guide their efforts in productive directions. Companies in these countries considering MPS contracts will also benefit from understanding how others in their markets are evaluating and adopting MPS," said Ed Crowley, founder and president of the Photizo Group.

From BLI

November 11, 2008 - In 1971, Bill Hewlett, co-founder of HP, said, “The deepening concern for preservation of the environment involves the whole basic question of man on this earth: How may the earth’s resources be preserved?” From recycling computer printouts and punch cards in 1971, to creating a hardware recycling program in 1987 and initiating the HP Planet Partners program in 1991 to reclaim and recycle used HP print cartridges, processing them to recover plastics and metals for new products and diverting millions of tons of waste from landfills, HP has been involved in the environmental movement for decades.

From BLI

November 7, 2008 – In the days leading up to Graph Expo, Océ North America hosted a press and analyst event at its all-new Customer Experience Center in Boca Raton, FL, to discuss new offerings and technologies in its production printing and wide-format portfolios. The theme of the event was “Continuous Innovation” and there was plenty of innovation on display in the state-of-the-art 18,000-square-foot facility.

Designed to showcase the products offered by the company’s Production Printing Systems, Wide Format Printing Systems and Document Printing Systems groups, the Customer Experience Center allows current and prospective Océ customers to see the company’s full range of hardware and software solutions in action. The impressive demonstrations included the company’s digital press machines such as the VarioPrint 8750, which can produce ten 200-page books per minute; Océ’s ultra-high-speed cut-sheet and roll-feed production printers; its roll-feed and flatbed wide-format printers for CAD and graphic arts user; and its PRISMA software solutions.

From BLI

Looking to save small businesses money while also allowing them to print in an environmentally-friendly way, Lexmark displayed a slew of new products at a recent briefing in New York City. The results of years of investment in research and development, a total of 16 base models were on display. Designed with an eye toward the environment, more models, such as the X543/X544 and the T Series, in the launch include standard duplexing, higher-yield print cartridges and a smaller footprint, according to Drew Zande, worldwide product marketing manager at Lexmark. Zande also noted that the units feature a new industrial design, whereby paint is no longer used. In addition, the company announced that it will be the first manufacturer in the digital imaging industry to offer a supplies guarantee for color laser products, guaranteeing that the price of the consumables will not increase while the customer owns any of the new units so long as customers purchase the consumables directly from Lexmark. In addition, the company announced an enhanced rewards program with the new devices, whereby Lexmark will ship to customers one free print cartridge for every 10 Lexmark cartridges returned. By enrolling in the program, and returning Lexmark genuine toner cartridges, customers will receive one free imaging kit for the C540 and X540 color laser series. Officially launched in the U.S. at the end of October, the units are set to be available for sale in Europe, Asia and Latin America by later this year.