Editorials

A Paperless Office is Still Popular

If you keep up to date with printing industry news and copier industry trends, then you would know that turning the office of today into a paperless office is typically at the forefront of every list or article. Businesses are realizing that going paperless at the office has many advantages including being more environmentally friendly, saving money, and cutting costs. But to truly go paperless is easier said than done. This involves the entire integration of all communication devices and documents into an electronic format. It also means that printing becomes an archaic and extinct practice at your office; a feat that is hardly easy to do—even in today’s world.

So what are some steps that you can take as a company to move you closer to the goal of becoming a paperless office? We have provided you with some easy tips to follow that will eliminate some need for paper usage and printing and also some tips that will help you accomplish this.

Toshiba Dealers and End Users Learn to Work, Print and Communicate Smarter

By Jessica Schiffenhaus, Research Editor, December 3, 2012

Over 700 attendees gathered at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas on November 13 and 14 for Toshiba America Business Solutions’ (TABS) 2012 conference. This was the second year that Toshiba coupled its national dealer meeting with an end-user conference, allowing dealers to invite clients (or potential clients) to the show to attend educational seminars, visit the product fair and enjoy the festivities. In addition to furthering business relationships, extending the invitation to customers at last year’s conference helped to increase sales, noted TABS President and CEO Mark Mathews.

On the business front, this year, MPS sales grew by 19 percent, while thermal barcode sales grew 27 percent, and the company will finish 2012 up on revenue and profitability, said Mathews. Toshiba also acquired IBM Retail Store Solutions, which will continue as Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions (TGCS), supplying accounts such as Starbucks and Costco with retail solutions from point of sale to self-service kiosks, printers, displays, operating systems and applications.

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Printing Industry Seeing Growth

According to industry experts, the printing industry has been seeing growth and will continue to see growth in the year 2012. This marks the first increase since the year 2007 and is welcomed by copier dealers and commercial printers alike. That being said, recovery may still remain inconsistent throughout the rest of the year. It is still important for those involved in the printer industry to be wary of changes and fluctuations in sales.

It has been quite a rough couple of years. The recession has made printing, and the printing needs of businesses, take a back seat in many aspects of daily business life. Even though the trends are pointing in a positive direction, the industry as a whole has yet to break the numbers that were showing a number of years ago. This peak was met in the year 2000, and it seems that the current numbers are still roughly -20% from the all-time peak in that year.

Smart Printing Tips for your Office

When it comes to printing at the office, you generally want to put in place a policy that is both cost-effective and good for the environment. This doesn’t mean that you need to start patrolling the printer room and look for rule breakers, but it may mean that you would like to start becoming more conscious of the amount of paper and usage your printers put out everyday. But of course, there is no way that you can monitor the printer usage all the time, and you would most likely be remiss in your duties if you were to give up on the issue entirely. So where’s the middle ground of becoming a responsible paper user and an all around jerk that monitors the printer room 24/7?

Luckily, we’ve complied a few important policies that may benefit your office’s need for responsible printing measures and tips that will save you on maintenance costs down the road for your equipment.

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Graph Expo Puts Focus on Digital Printing with Marketing Provider Spin

By George Mikolay, Senior Product Editor, A3/Copier MFPs, November 14, 2012

At the 2012 Graph Expo held recently, the majority of vendors sharpened their focus on solutions and services, as well as new finishing options and other accessories to existing engines. Indeed, a common theme was that while hardware will always be extremely important, commercial printers must continue to migrate not only to digital printing versus offset, but also focus on becoming a true partner and full-fledged marketing providers to their customers. There were some major engine announcements, though, including Konica Minolta’s sneak-peek at an upcoming color inkjet cut-sheet press. Developed in conjunction with Komori, the KM-1 Inkjet Press offers speeds up to 3,300 sheets per hour in simplex and 1,650 sheets per hour in duplex. Xerox also unveiled the latest additions to its Nuvera product line, with the launch of the Nuvera 157 EA and Nuvera 314 EA Production Systems, the latter of which features Xerox’s dual-engine architecture to output at speeds up to 314 duplexed images per minute.

Canon

The Canon imagePRESS C7010VPS and C7010VP Series was exhibited with the OLEC Swift UV Roller Coater, which extends the life of prints and helps prevent wear and tear. According to Sandra Pereira, product marketing specialist for Canon, UV coating can enhance a variety of materials, including direct mail, tags and labels, posters and book covers and jackets. In addition to preventing scratching and fading, UV coating protects against humidity and water damage. Designed for exclusive compatibility with the imagePRESS digital press, the UV coating is applied inline and includes a bridge unit that transports the printed image after being output. The output then enters the coater, where the solution is applied and instantly dried via ultraviolet light. The system also includes an interface with the ability to program preset functions.

Konica Minolta’s Bizhub Series Recognized with Prestigious Award

With another brilliant display of melding beauty and functionality, Konica Minolta has won the coveted “The Good Design Award 2012”, which is organized by Japan Institute of Design Promotion (JDP). This honor was awarded to seven distinct models of color multifunction printers that Konica Minolta offers the market. The award comes as no surprise, as Konica Minolta has always been well known as a steward of great design concepts that also perform very well in the field.

Specifically, Konica Minolta’s color multifunction printer bizhub series was highly evaluated for the user interface of the device. This interface allows users to operate seamlessly and consistently among various devices making it outstanding in terms of both functionality and design. Paving the way for the future, Konica Minolta’s devices have always been staples of innovation and end-user compatibility.

3 Ways to Cut Your Business's Energy Costs

If you own a business, it's time to start saving on your energy costs. First, spending less money on energy means that you're improving your bottom line. And second, reducing energy usage lessens your business's strain on the environment – whether you get your power from energyproviderstexas.com or from your local cooperative.

You may be wondering how you should go about cutting your energy costs – after all, there is so much you can do. Here are 4 ways to start:

1) Turn computers off

Computers use a lot of energy. This applies to machines that are in idle or sleep mode. And it also applies to standalone monitors that connect to docking stations. Leaving energy intensive equipment on when you're not using it – especially in an office setting where many machines are present – can seriously impact your energy costs. And it adds up quick. The simple solution is to turn computer equipment off when it's not in use.

Canon Expands Wide-Format Line, Adds Innovative Capability

 By Joe Tischner, Wide Format Test Specialist, November 2, 2012

At Graph Expo last month, Canon U.S.A., Inc. added five models to its product line, which, thanks to the Océ acquisition, is the broadest in the industry. One is the 60-inch 8-color imagePROGRAF iPF9400S, designed for production-level commercial photography and retail signage applications. The other models, which use a 12-color LUCIA ink set, are the 24-inch imagePROGRAF iPF6400 and iPF6450, the 44-inch imagePROGRAF iPF8400 and the 60-inch imagePROGRAF iPF9400, each designed for photographers, fine art printing and proofing applications.

Particularly noteworthy is the imagePROGRAF iPF6450, which accommodates both cut-sheet and roll paper. Previewed to the industry press in Japan this spring, this model is available with an optional spectrophotometer, developed exclusively for this product by X-Rite, that, working in conjunction with a built-in color densitometer (which Canon calls a multi-sensor because it does much more than a densitometer), has the ability to provide consistent color output across a fleet of compatible Canon devices that may be located anywhere in the world. Although competitive devices are available with spectrophotometers, they ensure consistent color output for only that one device; maintaining consistent output across multiple devices requires the purchase of a spectrophotometer for each one, significantly driving up cost. What’s unique with the iPF6450 is that only one spectrophotometer is needed within an organization for consistent color across all compatible Canon wide-format devices (i.e., any of the company’s iPFX400 series devices, which include the iPF6400, iPF6450, iPF8400 and iPF9400).

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Sharp to Dealers: Actions Speak Louder Than Words

By Daria Hoffman, Managing Editor, November 1, 2012

We recently spoke to Mike Marusic, senior vice president of marketing and the Business Solutions Group for Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America (SIICA) to get an update on what it’s doing to combat the since-refuted speculation published by Japanese online publication Nikkei late this summer that the company might sell its copier and appliance businesses (See below for what we’ve learned about the back story on Sharp’s financial troubles). Sharp Corporation in Japan issued a statement the very next day in Japan categorically denying the rumor and SIICA immediately sent out a letter explaining that to all of its dealers.

Since then, Sharp Corporation has secured a $4.6 billion loan to cover its operating costs through June of next year according to reports in Reuters.

Still, Sharp has faced some upset from its dealers and not surprisingly there have been cases of competitor sales reps spreading rumors and trying to win away customers. Marusic points out that it’s difficult—and awkward—to defend against a false rumor. “You can tell people over and over, it’s not true, and it can sound a little hollow. Talk is cheap,” he said. So he encourages dealers to look at what Sharp is doing: supporting its dealers and expanding its business. Rather than hunkering down and cutting back on programs, it is supporting its dealers with new programs, introducing—and selling out—new products, holding road shows to support the launch of the new products and scheduling its 2013 Dealer Sales Meeting.

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Consolidate Your Office Devices Today

Consolidating the devices that you currently operate in your printer fleet is always a means of making your office more efficient and more affordable in the long run. Instead of walking into a crowded printer room full of outdated equipment, why not invest in a long-term strategy designed to promote cost savings and low-maintenance costs? It is becoming increasingly popular to rid the office of the “one machine for one job” mentality and switch to a multifunction system that promotes all the staples of office work into one functioning machine.

In short, printer and device consolidation aims to reduce and optimize the number of devices in an office’s printer fleet to decrease the cost of hardware, consumable products (paper, ink, toner, etc.), electricity, and overall maintenance. Even though this type of implementation may seem like a no-brainer, many businesses are still reluctant to the idea of consolidating their devices for easy and efficient use. What some businesses aren’t aware of is how small of an investment the switch actually is and how many benefits arise from making the switch to a multifunction system.

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