Press Release Almanac: 29 October 2008

Keep up to date with the latest industry releases. This week, Fuji Xerox goes green while HP unleashes new large-format printers.

Fuji Xerox Introduces Australia's Award-Winning Line of Environmentally-Friendly Colour Multifunction Devices
HP Unveils Innovative Large-format Printing Solutions


Fuji Xerox Australia this week introduced its new line of colour multifunction devices (MFDs) designed for the environment and better business workflow and security, including the ApeosPort-III C3300/C2200/C2201 and DocuCentre-III C3300/C2200/C2201.

The new MFDs provide a powerful office platform for integrated colour printing, copying, scanning and optional faxing, and are the first in Australia to feature various environmentally-friendly technologies, such as lead-free shafts, biomass plastic, and a new, improved LED print head.

The product line has already been presented with the prestigious Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Prize in the Eco Products Category at the 4th Eco-Products Awards in Japan last year. The range is also the first in its product category to achieve Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA) Certification.

The GECA label is the only environmental labeling program in Australia which indicates the environmental performance of a product from a 'whole of product life' perspective for consumer goods.

"It's wonderful to see Fuji Xerox multifunction devices lead Australia in providing independent environmental assurance to its customer for this new range of products," said Petar Johnson, founder and director of Environmental Choice Australia.

"These models give corporate and government buyers an assurance of world class environmental performance. We believe they will be the preferred devices for an increasing number of government organisations seeking to balance high-demand business requirements with environmental needs."

Ritesh Pathak, product marketing manager for Fuji Xerox Australia, said the new line of colour MFDs is also the perfect solution for buyers seeking advanced office integration with the benefits of streamlined workflow.

"The capabilities of these devices extend beyond those of traditional multifunction solutions. Built on Fuji Xerox's successful Apeos Internet Integration based on XML and SOAP, Apeos iiX turns your MFD into a document portal and can be easily tailored to meet your specific business objectives."

"That means by connecting several business critical applications with these devices, you can increase staff productivity, improve business efficiency and care for the environment."

Environmental Features
The new range incorporates several new technologies designed for the environment.

Fuji Xerox is the first in the industry to go beyond compliance in the removal of hazardous substances by incorporating lead-free shafts. The MFD also includes a newly developed biomass plastic that has more than 30 percent plant-derived constituent (by weight) for the manufacture of specific moving parts in the machine, which results in reduced energy use and carbon emissions during manufacture.

In addition, energy consumption has been reduced to 2.2W in sleep mode, which is significantly lower than conventional colour multifunction devices. In fact, the energy efficient enhancements make the power consumption similar to that of monochrome MFDs. The line also complies with Energy Star requirements.

Superb Image Quality
The ApeosPort-III C3300/C2200/C2201 and DocuCentre-III C3300/C2200/C2201 range offers superb digital image quality, with a newly developed, compact print head that uses LED to write images on the print drum, delivering image quality of 1200 x 2400 dpi equivalent to laser systems.

Distinctive Design
The MFDs also include an easy-to-use design for greater office productivity during day-to-day operations, with user-friendly drawers and paper output trays, a quick warm up time of 35 seconds, and printing and copying speeds of up to 35 ppm in colour and black and white.

Streamlined Integration
For easy connectivity and improved productivity in complex global and local business environments, the ApeosPort-III C3300/C2200/C2201 integrates electronic and paper documents for organisations that have intense legal, operational and environmental requirements. Specific Fuji Xerox document management processes and tools enable businesses to easily customise and automate a broad range of important workflow tasks.

Enhanced Security
To ensure greater flexibility and choice to support various business functions, these devices conform to the latest industry standards for network security including IPsec, SNMPv3 and IEEE802.1x. The new range also supports IPv6 (Internet Protocol Version 6), the next generation Internet.

Extended Capabilities
Apeos Integration based on XML and SOAP extends the ApeosPort capabilities beyond those of a conventional MFD. Apeos iiX allows users to connect to various web applications and boasts a suite of software development kits for the seamless, customised integration of all business applications with ApeosPort devices, making it an intelligent portal for greater business efficiency.

HP unveiled the latest additions to its portfolio of large-format digital printing solutions at the SGIA '08 in the US last week, bolstering the company's efforts to target the estimated $53 billion page-value opportunity for the global sign and display market projected for 2010.

These additions strengthen HP's position as the leading provider of large-format technologies and solutions, and include:

* The HP Scitex FB7500 Printer, which delivers industry-leading productivity along with high print speeds and standard three-quarter automation.
* The HP Scitex FB950 Printer, which provides consistent high-quality point-of purchase/point-of-sale (POP/POS), tradeshow and event signage on virtually any rigid(2) or flexible media.(3) 
* The HP Scitex TJ8550 Printer, which delivers higher print speeds and quality at lower costs than its predecessor. 

"The release of these new printers further enhances our range of end-to-end solutions and provides our customers with even greater opportunities to maximise growth potential in digital print across a wide range of applications," said Shane Lucas, Director HP Graphic Arts South Pacific.

"We anticipate there will be considerable excitement in the signage print sector with the release of the HP Scitex FB7500 printer which demonstrates our commitment to provide the market with a true digital alternative to analogue flatbed screenprinting.  It is also the first printer in the HP Scitex range to feature the new HP Scitex X2 Printhead technology that was unveiled at drupa this year."

"The release of the HP Scitex FB950 with its advanced features such as the spectrophotometer and onboard camera delivers an even greater opportunity to produce high quality, visually engaging signage.  This printer will allow PSPs to offer their customers an expanded range of products and to broaden their market reach," Lucas concluded.

Convert high-quality production volume to digital
With speeds of up to 500 m2/hr (5,380 ft2/hr) and three-quarter automated loading to reduce idle time between sheets by up to 85 percent, the HP Scitex FB7500 Printer delivers the highest productivity of digital flatbed printers in its price class.

An ideal solution for close-view POP/POS applications, exhibition graphics, signage, backlit displays and posters, the HP Scitex FB7500 Printer is built on the proven HP Scitex TJ Series printing platform, and offers the added benefit of HP Scitex X2 Printhead technology, which combines silicon-based microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology and innovative piezoelectric inkjet technology.

Supporting a native resolution of up to 500 dpi in the HP Scitex FB7500 Printer, the printheads delivers the heavy ink flows required for high-speed, high-quality printing.
The HP Scitex FB7500 Printer will be available for purchase worldwide in May 2009.
High-quality prints and high productivity

The HP Scitex FB950 Printer is a robust flatbed UV printer that delivers high-quality prints and high productivity on virtually any rigid(2) or flexible media  for the production of durable outdoor and indoor applications, including POP/POS signage, tradeshow graphics, interior decorations, banners and street furniture. Designed to increase productivity and profitability with efficient media loading and the ability to print multiple sheets at the same time, the HP Scitex FB950 Printer enables PSPs to accommodate a greater range of customer requests and grow their businesses.

The printer's six HP Scitex FB250 colour inks and printheads with variable-sized drops combine to produce great image detail - up to 1,200 x 600 optimized dpi - and smooth colour transitions across a wide variety of media. Advanced features, such as an onboard camera, spectrophotometer, embedded software and a solid media feed system, ensure consistent results and worry-free operation.

The HP Scitex FB950 Printer will be available for worldwide general purchase on November 15, 2008. 

Increase speed and lower costs
The HP Scitex TJ8550 Printer features up to a 50 percent increase in print speed and up to 20 percent lower cost per print compared to the preceding HP Scitex TJ8500 Printer. With the new HP Scitex TJ8550 Printer, PSPs can confidently respond to a wide range of customer requests for the high-speed production of indoor and outdoor applications, including sheet-to-sheet or double-sided applications with the built-in HP Scitex Double-sided printing upgrade.

Additionally, HP is offering field upgradability for existing HP Scitex TJ8500 Printer owners. The upgrade kit includes hardware, software, on-site installation and training.
To complement the new HP Scitex TJ8550 Printer, HP also introduced HP Scitex TJ200 Ink, a UV-curable ink that delivers improved quality and reliability while lowering operational costs.

The HP Scitex TJ8550 Printer and upgrade kit will be available in February 2009.