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PRINT.IT
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The Panorama programme
Reading, Writing & Rip-offs
aired on September 24 was
not the exposé of the copier
industry that many had
expected/hoped for/feared
(delete as appropriate). The
programme did highlight
some instances of massive
overcharging for MFPs (a
£1,512 model with a lease
cost of £42,000 and a
£10,995 MFP that ultimately
cost £174,787), but the main
focus was on IT equipment
and the actions of a couple of
companies.
One of the alleged practices
was the offer of ‘free’ laptops
and a promise to pay all lease
payments. Once the supplier
stopped making those payments,
the school found that it was
liable for the debt – and that
the laptops had been leased for
much more than they were worth.
PrintIT
has been told of a similar
scheme where printers are
offered ‘free’ with the promise
that lease payments will be met
from Government grants.
The programme raised a
number of questions for both
buyers and sellers of equipment
and finance. For the former,
it was a useful reminder a)
that there are some highly
unscrupulous people out
there; and b) that in the right
circumstances a determined
sales person can be hard to
resist, especially by someone
who has little experience of
the complexities of service and
leasing agreements.
Trust
The Nationwide Association of
Photocopier and Print Suppliers
(NAPPS) said that the programme
underlined the importance
of creating a community of
suppliers that consumers can
trust. It hopes to do this by
holding members to a code of
practice and by providing a forum
for complaints.
Welcome as this may be,
you have to wonder how much
protection such measures
provide. Panorama also
questioned the role of the banks
that provided finance for the
deals it investigated. As members
of the Finance & Leasing
Association they will have signed
up to a Code of Practice stating
that they “will trade fairly and
responsibly with customers and
will promote responsible trading
between intermediaries and
customers”. In the cases looked
at by Panorama, this clearly
didn’t happen.
Buyers who fall for scams
must take their share of the
blame. Businesses don’t have the
same protection as consumers
or the luxury of a cooling off
period, so it is essential to have
procedures in place to prevent
rogue procurement. Nor is there
any shortage of independent
advice available – some of it
provided by the FLA and NAPPS,
both of which are working with
the National Association of
School Business Managers to
prevent further instances of mis-
selling in the education sector.
The sad truth is that many
who started watching Panorama
thinking ‘There but for the Grace
of God go I’ will have ended up
screaming ‘How on earth could
they have fallen for that!’.
autumn 2012
THE PRINT, MFP & SOFTWARE MAGAZINE FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROFESSIONALS
Editor:
James Goulding
07803 087228 [email protected]
Advertising Director:
Ethan White
01732 759725 [email protected]
Publishing Director:
Neil Trim
01732 759725 [email protected]
Group Sales Manager:
Martin Jenner-Hall
07824 552116 [email protected]
Advertising Executive:
Brett Blake-Morris
01732 759725 [email protected]
PRINT.IT is, published by
Kingswood Media Ltd., Amhurst House,
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Tel: 01732 759725. Email: [email protected]
No part of PRINT.IT can be reproduced without
prior written permission of the publisher.
© 2012 Kingswood Media Ltd.
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Comment
| Beware of Greeks bearing gifts
OKI has become the first
company to launch A4 and
A3 toner-based printers
into the ‘white printer’
sector that to date has
been the preserve of inkjet,
dye sublimation or transfer
film-ready technologies.
The C711WT A4 printer
offers 4-colour (CMY and
white) printing at 8ppm in
transparency mode and 34ppm
using plain paper. The C920WT
A4/A3 printer is designed for
higher volume applications, at
10ppm and 31ppm respectively
(A4), with higher capacity toner
cartridges.
OKI Europe product
marketing manager Paul
Ingram said: “The new OKI
white toner-based products are
versatile, easy to use and, as
there is no drying time required,
enable much faster and more
cost-effective printing. At the
same time, the robust solid
print output is just as good as
foil blocking,
making it
a credible
in-house
solution for a
wide range of
white print applications.”
The printers are suitable
for T-shirt printing; ceramic
decoration; film printing for
packaging; signage for glass
or window displays; and many
other applications.
www.oki.co.uk
Ricoh has launched two
wireless colour MFPs
based on its Liquid Gel ink
technology. The combination
of 4-in-1 functionality, wireless
connectivity, front access
and a small footprint makes
the Aficio SG 3100SNw/SG
3110SFNw suitable for use
in retail outlets and offices
where space is at a premium.
Both models have print
speeds of up to 29ppm and
a first copy out time of 6.5
seconds.
One of the interesting
features of Ricoh’s Liquid Gel
devices is the ECOnomy Colour
mode, which, unlike draft
printing modes, distinguishes
between text and graphics
on the same page, printing
the former in solid black but
reducing the amount of ink
used to print the latter.
Even so, running costs at
1.9p per B&W page and 8.3p
per colour page are significantly
higher than some business
inkjet printers.
www.ricoh.co.uk
Bulletin
contents
03
Bulletin
09
Business Inkjets
12
Cover Story
14
Print Management
15
Competition
17
OKI MPS
18
Canon MFPs
21
CRD in Croydon
22
Wide Format Printers
First white toner
printer
Ricoh launches new Gelsprinters
Sixth generation of ECOSYS
Kyocera Document Solutions has released the sixth generation
of devices based on its ECOSYS technology. The new range has a
30% lower TEC (Typical Electricity Consumption) than the previous
generation and a printer drum designed to last for 500,000
pages for lower running costs. The FS-4300DN, FS-4200DN,
FS-4100DN, FS-2100DN and FS-2100D have print speeds of 40
to 60 pages per minute and come with a Private Print function
as standard. Options include a Data Security Kit that prevents
sensitive data from remaining on the printer hard disk after a
print job.
www.kyoceradocumentsolutions.co.uk