Samsung Expands Its Multifunction Printer Line

May 12, 2008 - At a recent briefing in New York City, Samsung Electronics America displayed new MFP products that it hopes will allow it to grab more market share. Back in March of 2007, Samsung launched the A4-sized SCX-6345N MFP, which is a 45-ppm device that offers standard network printing, convenience copy, scan and optional faxing. The 45-ppm unit is now joined by the monochrome 55-ppm SCX-6555N, which is also an A4-size unit. While the 55-ppm unit was the only monochrome model on display, Samsung officials said that the company plans to expand its monochrome MFP line up to 75 ppm within the next year, to be followed in the next three to five years by models with speeds of between 90 ppm and 110 ppm, which would allow the company to target high-volume production environments. Further, the company displayed the MultiXpress CLX-8380ND, which is Samsung’s fastest color printer to date. Three additional color printers were presented, the single-pass CLX-6200FX, CLX-6210FX and CLX-6240FX, which will replace Samsung’s multi-pass predecessors. 



Jay Spears, director of office automation at Samsung, said that the company hopes to grab more market share in the U.S. by offering users an alternative to higher-cost A3 copiers. Spears explained that the majority of corporate users, approximately 90 percent, print or copy their documents on letter- and legal-size paper. In contrast, only 5 to 10 percent of users print onto ledger-size paper. “Rather than spending thousands of dollars on multiple A3 MFPs with ledger-size capability, a company can strategically place one or two A3-size MFPs and substitute the majority of A3 MFPs with A4 print devices.” Another advantage that Samsung is emphasizing with its new MFP printer products is that the base price of each of the models is significantly lower than those of A3 MFPs. Indeed, a look in BLI’s database reveals that while the base price of the new 55-ppm SCX-6555N is $3,999, the base prices of three of the four A3 models are above $15,000.

New MFPs

The new SCX-6555N, Samsung’s fastest A4 MFP model, offers some enhancements over the SCX-6345. In addition to its faster speed, the new 55-ppm unit has higher-yield drums (80,000 impressions) and toner cartridges (25,000 impressions). Unlike the 45-ppm device, the 55-ppm unit features Samsung’s new color touch-screen display and bears the new MultiXpress brand name. Some other enhancements include increased paper and hard drive capacities, faster processor (400 MHz versus 300 MHz), higher monthly duty cycle (250,000 impressions versus 200,000 impressions) and a lower overall supplies cost per page (0.67¢ versus 0.91¢). 

The new MultiXpress CLX-8380ND, Samsung’s fastest A4 color printer in the market, boasts a speed of 40 ppm in both color and black. It offers some of the same features as the SCX-6555N, including the color touch-screen display and, at $4,999, is $1,000 more than the 55-ppm device and $2,000 more than the 45-ppm unit. The unit features the same controller as the SCX-6555N, but unlike the 55-ppm unit, it will be compatible with a Gigabit Ethernet card and a wireless networking interface. Both units also feature a standard 100-sheet document feeder, optional finisher and a high-capacity paper feeder. In addition, the CLX-8380ND, SCX-6555N and SCX-6345N will be compatible with the new SmarThru Workflow software, which will launch in July. According to Tony Venice, senior product manager at Samsung, the new software has evolved from a simple desktop scan application that Samsung used to include in some low-end MFPs at no cost. “As the company developed more networked MFPs, we’ve created enhancements,” said Venice. He noted that SmarThru Workflow will allow users to simultaneously scan documents to multiple destinations, including e-mail, FTP, printer, network folder and fax to folder, which allows users to access received faxes stored on the network. Using the fax to printer feature, users can then print the fax to any networked printer. In addition, administrators can create private profiles that contain the frequently used scan settings of individual users. Further, the user authentication feature will enable users to access both private and public scan profiles.

Samsung believes that its new lineup of fast A4 MFPs, because of their smaller size and use of laser technology, will help it to compete against HP’s Edgeline model Series. According to Spears, inkjet technology, while improving, still does not produce the image quality comparable to the image quality produced by laser-based systems.

Color MFPs

The three lower-speed, and less expensive, single-pass color laser MFPs displayed were the CLX-6200FX, CLX-6210FX and CLX-6240FX, products which Samsung is also depending upon to strengthen its document imaging market share. The new models take a leap forward from their predecessor, the CLX-3160FN, in regard to rated speed. Whereas the CLX-3160FN had print speeds of 4 pm in color and 16 ppm in monochrome, two of the three new color models have print speeds of 21 ppm in both color and black, and the third model boasts a speed of 25 ppm in both color and black.

The 21-ppm CLX-6200FX is an all-in-one version of the CLP-610ND. It has an estimated street price of $699 and some of its noteworthy features include duplex printing and color scanning, a maximum paper capacity of 350 sheets (250-sheet paper drawer and 100-sheet multipurpose drawer) and a front USB port that allows users to print from and scan to a USB thumb drive in PDF, BMP, TIFF and JPEG formats. The all-in-one CLX-6210FX is identical to the CLX-6200X, but features an optional hard drive, wireless support and a reversing automatic document feeder. The 25-ppm (color and black) CLX-6240FX, which is based on the CLP-660ND, has the same features and options as the CLX-6210FX, but the hard drive is standard.   

Open Architecture 

Also enhancing the company’s product line is its new open architecture platform JScribe, which is based on JavaScript, and is currently available on the SCX-6345N, SCX-6555N and CLX-8380ND models. The platform will be made available for all MultiXpress models. Software development kits (SDKs) are currently available for third-party developers to create their own custom applications to integrate with Samsung’s new MFPs. Spears noted that within the last six months Samsung has closed deals with four enterprise accounts, such as a motor vehicles department, health care institution, national insurance company and a state court system, that will use the JScribe platform. “Universities have also expressed an interest in the new software because it will allow them to attach card readers to the devices to charge students for copying or scanning documents,” said Spears.   

According to Venice, in order to enable Samsung’s customers to scan their documents into SharePoint and Documentum, Samsung teamed up with a company in Germany that developed the platform. Venice noted that while JScribe will be Samsung’s open architecture platform for the short term, the company intends to develop its own platform, which will be supported along with JScribe.

Originally posted at: BuyersLab.