Remember when organizations used to buy their own copiers and locate them centrally so everyone had to trek there to "make copies" (spawning such comedic skits as Rob Schneider as the SNL Copy Guy)? Many then made the accounting move to leasing or having outsourced copier centers located on-site. However, copiers still remained the office “water cooler” spot well into the 90’s.
Looking at how people work in the digital age suggests a strategy of balanced deployment--the process of putting the right printing and imaging equipment in the best locations throughout your organization--so that people can work most efficiently and cost effectively. This is why distributed Multifunction devices (those that print, copy and digitally send and/or fax)) have become so popular—as they put productivity tools near the people who use them. The decision that now has to be made is between printer-based or copier-based MFPs.
The technological difference between printer- and copier-based MFPs lies in how they were developed, essentially whether functionality was originally added to a printer or a copier platform to develop the “multi-function” device. There are reasons why the acquisition of printer-based MFPs is rising, while copier-based MFPs are flat or declining. Some of these reasons are that printer based MFPs—
- Enable balanced deployment
- Are designed for actual usage volumes
- Deliver best-in-class laser performance
- Include leading network and security solutions
- Have superior fleet management capabilities
- Require less user intervention (repair calls, down time)
- Allow flexible service and support options
- Provide for lower acquisition and total operating costs
Printer-based MFPs are designed for actual usage. This might seem intuitive as most people like to have printers near their workspace in order to be able to refine output before distributing--after all, output reflects the quality of our work. However, there are tangible differences as well.
For example, printer-based MFPs are designed to optimize printing on letter-sized paper (8.5”X11” or A4)—which is what people print on over 95% of the time--as opposed to tabloid (11”X17” or A3). In other words, why pay over 50% more for copier-based MFPs with functionality one might use just 5% of the time? In the same light, why pay more for a machine with a 20,000 page per month duty cycle when your average page volume might be 6,000-10,000 pages per month?
For most people, printer-based MFPs are also easier to use and maintain. For years now, people have used their printers to make multiple original prints. In fact, the number of pages printed exceeded the number of pages copied sometime back in the early 90’s, reminiscent of other technology transitions – black and white TVs to color, film cameras to digital, etc. People have always interacted directly with their printers, using a printer to copy and digitally send (or fax) is simply adding useful functionality in an already established work-flow.
Printers are also integrated directly with network management tools, like HP Web Jetadmin, making it easy to deploy and manage MFPs on the network (like other IT devices), especially now with a Universal Printer Driver. When intervention is necessary, printer-based devices are made to be easily serviced, having cartridge-based supplies that virtually anyone can change. Service contracts are available, but aren't a necessity as they are with copier-based devices.
Overall, printer-based MFPs deliver productivity at a low cost. You only pay for the functionality that you need, with low acquisition and operating costs. More specialized functionality, like A3 printing, can always be handled within a balanced deployment model through having a centralized device for such purposes or with A3-capable MFPs implemented in a distributed fleet as part of a balanced deployment. To fill out this model, HP has developed Edgeline Technology while also selling tabloid (11X17 or A3) size mono and color MFPs--so you won’t have to go to multiple vendors to put the right digital devices in the optimal locations for your business.
Posted
10-25-2006 11:14 AM
by
Anonymous