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In March 2011, Kyocera introduced
its first Smart MFPs. The ECOSYS
devices were designed as
affordable A3 MFPs for small
businesses, departments
and workgroups with limited
budgets, small print volumes
and simple requirements.
Costing 30% less than an
equivalent Kyocera TASKalfa A3 MFP, but
with slightly higher running costs, they
have a competitive total cost of ownership
and are an obvious next step for someone
upgrading from an A3 printer to an MFP.
They are slower (20-30ppm) and
less highly featured than conventional
MFPs, with limited finishing, no hard disk
and – for the time being – poor solutions
integration. Existing models can be used
with Kyocera’s own secure print and card-
based authentication systems, but don’t
support the HyPAS development platform
for embedded solutions and web services.
The relative simplicity of Smart MFPs
is reflected in the touch-screen interface
featuring a wizard that leads the user
through copy/scan jobs for great ease of
use (also used on Kyocera A4 MFPs);
easier installation; and simpler
maintenance. According to Kyocera,
replacing the maintenance kit which
must be done every 200,000 pages on
the two colour models
(the FS-C8020MFP/8025MFP)
and every 300,000 pages on
the two mono models (the
FS-6025MFP/6030MFP) takes an
engineer around 10 minutes.
PrintIT
was very taken with the Smart
MFP proposition when the products were
launched, and in the Spring Issue awarded
them an Editor’s Choice on the basis that
many businesses have a need to output
A3 documents but don’t require the
functionality of a fully-fledged TASKalfa
MFP. At a time when budgets were under
enormous pressure, we felt that Smart
MFPs were an attractively economical
option for small businesses with simple
needs.
The FS-6030MFP also received a Buyers
Laboratory Inc (BLI) 2011 Pick Award in
the Outstanding Mono MFP 21-30ppm
category, though it is the colour machines
that have gone down best with customers,
outselling mono ones by 33%.
Successful launch
Smart MFP product manager Rachel
Dean told Business Info that Kyocera had
enjoyed some success with the products,
especially in the public sector and amongst
SMEs, and that they had contributed to
Kyocera’s stellar performance last year:
IDC figures show that in Q3 2011,
Kyocera sales of A3 colour MFPs were
26% higher than in the same period in
2010, with A3 mono sales 16% higher.
She added that Kyocera had
also had success selling Smart MFPs
through IT channels like the distributor
DMC. “We’ve been successful there
because it’s a product that’s easy to sell
through the channel: it has a two-year
manufacturer’s warranty as standard;
it is easy to set up and install and we
can offer the product through MDS
(managed document services) with
delivery, installation and maintenance by
one of our engineers for the IT channel.”
Another option, she explained, was
for end users to support the machines
themselves. “A lot of customers in the
public sector like to install and maintain
their own products and don't like other
people’s engineers on the office floor.
With Smart MFPs, there’s an opportunity
to do that,” she said. “It literally takes
ten minutes and you can do everything
without the use of a screwdriver, including
installing the 500-sheet finisher.”
Kyocera is continuing to develop its
Smart MFP offering and this year will be
launching HyPAS-enabled models that can
support embedded applications and web-
based services. This overcomes a significant
drawback of first generation Smart MFPs,
though Dean says it is not something
that customers have complained about.
If Kyocera can match the price of current
models, the new machines will be an even
more compelling offering.
www.kyoceramita.co.uk
So simple it’s brilliant
Kyocera Smart MFPs
What we liked:
•
low price point for A3 MFPs
•
easy installation and
servicing
•
simple user interface
•
2-year manufacturer’s
warranty through the IT
channel
Editor’s Choice: PrintIT Spring 2011
20
Editor’s Choice Awards
Print IT Spring 2011
0870 903 9500