MAHWAH, NJ, June 30, 2009 -- Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America (SIICA), a division of Sharp Electronics Corporation, today announced that it received six "Pick" Awards from Buyers Laboratory Inc. (BLI). The awards acknowledge "outstanding performance" and excellence "in areas of importance to IT professionals" for a wide range of Sharp products, including Sharp Printer Administration Utility version 5 (PAU5); Sharp’s newest A3 MFPs (MX-2600N; MX-3100; MX-4101 and MX-5001); and the MX-C311/DX-C311, Sharp’s first color A4 MFP and part of its Frontier Series.

"This year's BLI Pick Awards truly underscore Sharp's dedication to developing a complete line of solutions-based products," said Mike Marusic, vice president, marketing, Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America. "Our line of MFPs, coupled with our software offerings such as PAU5 can help businesses operate more efficiently and keep service costs to a minimum."

The Sharp MX-C311 and Sharp A3 segment MFPs feature a number of award-winning features that consistently draw rave reviews from customers. These features include an 8.5-inch high-resolution touch-screen color display; Sharp OSA^® development platform; and a stylish, textural exterior that compliments any office design. Furthermore, the MX-2600N, MX-3100, MX-4101 and MX-5001 include a standard, retractable keyboard that makes data entry at the MFP quick and easy.

"We put these models through their paces and they passed with flying colors," said Lynn Nannariello, BLI's assistant managing editor. "Sporting a distinctive design that includes a textured exterior and rounded corners, these highly reliable devices offer an array of features that make them very easy to use."

Sharp takes its intuitive product line one step further by adding its Printer Administration Utility version 5 (PAU5) as a standard feature. Developed with IT managers in mind, PAU5 incorporates a Remote Front Panel feature that allows an IT administrator to remotely take control of the device's front panel to see exactly what the end user is seeing. The IT administrator can remotely change settings, show the user how to perform a function, or diagnose and often rectify problems without deploying a technician. To gain enhanced levels of support, the IT administrator can also grant the service provider permission to perform this function directly from their dealership. This innovative MFP capability dramatically reduces unit downtime and service expenses.

"Sharp's Printer Administration Utility has always been an asset, making Sharp MFPs among the easiest to administer," said Pete Emory, manager of laboratory testing at BLI. "The enhancements in PAU5 further strengthen the solution, giving it some unique abilities compared to other management solutions."

In judging these awards, BLI subjects color copiers, printers and printer MFPs to a battery of rigorous lab tests. Products taking top honors demonstrate outstanding performance in BLI testing, which evaluates products for a variety of important performance aspects, including reliability, image quality, productivity, print drivers, feedback to workstations, administrative utilities, ease of use, network setup, toner yield and more.

Sharp's Marusic continued saying, "We would like to thank BLI for this recognition and will remain committed to pushing the limits of innovation in the market."

For more information about the complete line of Sharp document solution products, contact Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America, Sharp Plaza, Mahwah, NJ 07495-1163, or call 800-BE-SHARP. For MFP product information, visit www.sharpusa.com/documents.