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PRINTERS
Develop is a copier-printer brand
with which some readers may be
unfamiliar. Yet, in a very short
space of time it has grown to
the point where Develop is now
figuring in the top-ten sales figures
for the UK, ahead of some other
well established manufacturers.
In fact, since 2006, Develop’s
UK sales have grown every year,
right through the worst recession in
80 years and against the backdrop
of a mature reprographics market
showing little overall growth. In the
UK, Develop is now the seventh
best-selling brand for colour
multifunctionals in the crucial 20-29
copies per minute market segment.
The Develop range of document
imaging systems is manufactured
by Konica Minolta Holdings Inc. The
company launched 14 new models in
2013 and has introduced a further
14 so far in 2014, including three
high-speed production print colour
systems.
“It’s a comprehensive range”,
says Jonathan Whitworth, managing
director of DSales (UK), the British
distributor for Develop. “The range
has been broadened to include
A4 colour and black-and-white
multifunctionals, so that any
customer fleet requirement can be
met entirely from the Develop range.”
Best sellers
The best-selling Develop ineo range
extends from the entry-level ineo+
25e, a 25ppm (pages per minute)
colour multifunctional, to the
ineo+ 8000, a high speed digital
press featuring razor sharp colour
output and image stability that has
previously only been possible using
traditional offset printing presses.
Typical of its mid-range offering
are the Develop ineo+ 454e/554e
multifunctionals. Designed to
streamline document workflows,
they deliver top-quality colour
and black-and-white output at
speeds of 45 and 55 A4 pages per
minute respectively and feature an
intuitive user interface modelled
on a smartphone or tablet. This,
combined with a customisable 9-inch
colour touchscreen panel, ensures
great ease of use and saves users a
great deal of time when carrying out
everyday document jobs.
Designed for SMEs
In addition to printers and MFPs,
Develop produces its own range of
document management solutions
specially designed for SME customers.
“Solutions are now a major factor
in any sale and Develop has some
excellent document management
software (DMS) that is unique to the
brand,” explains Whitworth. “Although
SMEs have long been aware of the
potential benefits, the cost of investing
in a DMS and associated training has
often been prohibitively expensive.
Many of the available solutions have
also been unnecessarily complex
for SME application. However, the
DSales range of software solutions
has been specifically engineered for
use by SMEs, and is offered at a more
competitive price point than has been
available before.”
Solutions include the award-
winning ‘store+find’ electronic
archiving software; ‘convert+share,’
which enables users to convert
scanned documents into a variety
of file formats and easily automate
processes; ‘Personal Print’, an
inexpensive pull-printing solution; and
ineoPRINT, a free mobile printing app
for iOS and Android smartphones/
tablets. DSales can also provide the
leading third-party print management
package PaperCut.
With the rise of electronic
archiving and the electronic transfer
of documents, scanning has become
as important a function as copying or
printing. When scanning, the ineo+
range offers a variety of electronic
distribution options in addition to
secure, easily accessible archiving.
All systems are available with a
choice of scanner and perfectly
complement Develop store+find for
the electronic capture and storage
of documents. Documents can be
scanned as .pptx files or archived as
PDF/A files.
Data security
Data security is another area where
Whitworth believes the Develop ineo
range has an advantage. “It’s become
a big issue for businesses of all
sizes, so the latest ineo MFDs comply
with the ISO 15408 internationally
accredited security standard for office
machines and have 192 or 256 bit
data encryption for RAM and hard
drives,” he says.
To prevent unauthorised access
to print jobs, devices can be secured
by user name and password; non-
contact IC swipe card; or a finger vein
scanner for biometric authentication.
Because users sometimes forget
to log-out, ineo MFDs can be set to
auto-logout after a pre-set period.
Once a print job is completed, it is
automatically erased from the hard
drive to prevent unauthorised output.
With environmental impact and
energy consumption also important
purchasing criteria, the Develop ineo
range has been carefully calibrated
to reduce operating costs and carbon
footprint. They come with various
energy-saving features and automatic
deletion of blank pages to avoid
unnecessary copying. All new ineo
systems conform to the Blue Angel
and Energy Star international eco
standards.
In conclusion, Whitworth says: “If
you’re looking to replace or upgrade
printers and copiers, you should
certainly contact your local Develop
dealership. I think you’ll be in for a
very pleasant surprise.”
Develop has grown every year since 2006 by developing print and document
management solutions optimised for SMEs
Good things Develop
Jonathan Whitworth: “The Develop ineo range of office
multifunctional systems is at the forefront of the market in
terms of technical excellence.”
