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MFPs
workflow-oriented operations
where they are doing something
specific. That is where we see
expansion.”
Managed Print Services
Another major focus for Bourland
is Managed Print Services (MPS).
“There are two major growth
areas in our business,” he said.
“One is software and the other
is managed print. This is true
in enterprise customers and
SMBs. Everyone is interested
in changing the way they buy
technology and financing it
around fixed or variable costs.
“SMBs that used to
acquire technology don’t
want to do that any more.
They don’t want the risk of
technology becoming obsolete
or the burden of supporting
technology themselves so they
are increasingly looking to
MPS agreements as a way to
acquire and leverage the latest
technology in a more cost-
efficient, managed way.”
Lexmark’s priorities – and
those of its customers and
MPS channel partners – are
well served by its new range of
laser devices, which as well as
providing solutions integration
have a consistent interface for
easy operation and support.
“New products launched
this year (2012) have the
same platform and interface.
The same Flash and Java
technologies are used on
Dedicated devices
The ability to integrate
solutions has clear benefits
for business processes.
It also makes it easier for
manufacturers to develop
products for specific markets.
Integrated Security
The launch of HP’s Flow MFPs
(see page 18) is an interesting
example of hardware that has
been modified to meet a specific
customer requirement –
viz. robust, high volume
scanning. MFPs can also
be modified by embedding
specific software solutions
on the devices.
Next year, for example,
Xerox is bringing out a range
of Xerox WorkCentre and
ColorQube MFPs with McAfee
Embedded Control software that
automatically protects devices
against malware and viruses.
When one is detected, the
software provides an immediate
alert and an audit trail to track
the time and origin of security
threats.
Integrated DICOM
Meeting the needs of customers
in the medical sector, Oki has
embedded a DICOM (Digital
Imaging and Communications
in Medicine) print server in
its A4 and A3 LED printer
range. DICOM is the primary
international standard for the
handling, storing, printing and
transmission of medical imaging
and other related information.
The embedded DICOM print
server removes the need for
conversion software or external
print servers and enables
customers to make use of LED-
based print solutions that Oki
claims are significantly faster,
more flexible and cost-effective
than existing DICOM solutions
based on film or solid ink
technologies.
Medical organisations will
no longer have to settle for
expensive printing on specialist
media and devices. Instead,
x-rays, nuclear medicine, MRI
and CT scans and ultrasounds
can be printed in high definition
colour on a range of media
including paper for non-
diagnostic purposes such as
medical discussions or for
patients to take away.
The DICOM printers can
also be used as day-to-day
office printers, cutting down
on the number of devices and
consumables needed. There
are four products in the DICOM
range: the C610 DM and C711
Sharp MFPs can already be
configured to connect to the
cloud, but 2013 will see even
tighter integration
DM, both A4; the A3 C831 DM;
and the A3+ C910 DM.
Integrated Cloud
Sharp is focusing on integration
of a different kind. In 2013, it
plans to bring out new MFPs
offering easy integration with
cloud applications and other
devices, such as interactive
whiteboards, smartphones and
notebook computers, via a new
cloud portal.
Existing Sharp MFPs based
on the OSA 4.0 solutions
platform can already be
configured to connect directly
to software-as-a-service
applications running in the
cloud, including document
management solutions from
Docuware, Docuversal and
DrivveDM.
The new series of ‘Cloud-
Ready’ MFPs offer even easier
integration including the ability
to add a soft button to the
touchscreen display that would
take a user directly to a Sharp
B2B Cloud Portal giving easy
access to a number of SaaS
solutions from Sharp itself and
carefully selected partners,
including document management
and collaboration services.
“The idea of the Sharp
Cloud,” explained Chris Hale,
solutions product marketing
manager, Information Systems
Division, Sharp UK, “is to give
someone the ability to set up
a meeting and a space where
they can share documents with
participants from inside and
outside the organisation. If
necessary, they could set it up
so that documents would be
taken down once the meeting
was finished. Integration with
an interactive whiteboard would
enable those in attendance to
make changes to documents
and create and save new ones in
the cloud.”
Hale added: “We see the
cloud together with an upsurge
in BYOD and mobile use as a
major thrust in the usage of
print devices and MFPs. The
fact that an MFP has scanning
as well as faxing, printing and
copying means that it becomes
an important part of interactive
working practices in offices. We
see mobile usage and cloud
usage as a big part of our
future.”
screens from 4.3 to 10in, giving
users all the ease of use of an
iPad, with scan previews and
print previews. And we provide
an SDK so third parties can
design applications to run on
them.”
The inclusion of touchscreens
and apps on lower end devices
like the Lexmark MX410 is
significant because it extends
the solutions capability to
smaller businesses and
workgroups.
“In almost completely
revamping our laser offering, we
had two goals,” said Bourland.
“First, was to expand the
solutions capability throughout
our line even on fairly low-end
lasers. This is important in
retail environments and small
footprint environments where
they need the smallest device
possible but still want solutions;
and second, we are always
focused on improving the duty
cycle and reliability and making
devices easier to maintain by the
customer and Lexmark itself.”
www.lexmark.co.uk
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