Offices everywhere continue to explore how they can reduce their carbon footprint. However, many offices fail to realize that some of the biggest power consumers are copiers and printers.

With today’s multifunction systems, it is very easy to install a single machine that will print, copy, scan and fax. A typical workgroup consumes 481 kWh per month and costs over $600 per year to power. Now think about how many workgroups are in your company and see how more devices, may not always be better.

Reducing the power consumption of your printer and copier fleet makes both environmental and economic sense. Here are a few ways that we can help you accomplish this:

Solution 1: Device Consolidation

A practical solution for decreasing costs is consolidating devices with multifunction systems that print, copy, fax and scan. Today, there are many options available that include compact desktop systems, robust workgroup and even departmental systems.

MOUNT LAUREL, N.J., August 3, 2010- OKI Data Americas, which markets its products under the OKI® Printing Solutions brand, today announced it will be showcasing the innovative proColor Series at four upcoming graphic arts and production tradeshows to demonstrate the line’s ability to deliver short-run on-demand color output across various media types including envelopes and labels.  The proColor Series will be displayed at the following shows:

Label Expo (September 14th – 16th 2010) 
Chicago, IL
Graph Expo (October 3rd – 6th 2010) 
Chicago, IL
SGIA Expo (October 13th – 15th 2010) 
Las Vegas, NV
Graphics of the Americas Expo (February 24th – 26th  2011)
Orlando, FL

“The proColor Series is truly a line of innovative products, allowing companies to produce short-run color print jobs in-house rather than outsourcing,” said Rich Egert, Strategic Technology Providers, General Manager for OKI Data Americas.  “The tradeshows give us the ability to increase exposure of the proColor Series and conduct live demonstrations with customers to show how these products can help grow their business.”

The proColor line was launched in January 2010, disrupting the graphic arts and production market with the pro810 Series, pro910 and pro930 cut-sheet printers, pro900DP digital color press and pro510DW digital web press.

Interactions with your clients generate a lot of paper work including consultations, office visits, contracts and invoices. In order to manage the vast amount of documents and information that inundates your office, it is imperative to have an innovative and efficient system that allows for easy storage and quick retrieval. With a document management system, you will be able to access all of your documents from the convenience of your computer’s desktop without sacrificing information security. Whether you are in the medical industry, education, or other professional services, a document management system can fit your business.

With a document management system, you can easily create custom folders to manage all your company’s information. The integration of a document management system allows for a more efficient and cost effective way to grow your business and improve customer service. The system endows you with an accessible and user-friendly access point for all client records. The system takes you one step closer to a paperless environment by making it easier to replace your bulky filing cabinets with streamlined hard drives.

Document management systems capture and store the scanned documents using a simple multifunction system. You can easily convert paper documents to a digital format. Once you have a digital document, you can easily pass them from department to department and even to your clients. Retrieving documents has never been easier. Instead of sifting through hundreds of paper files, you can call up documents by keyword or date.

The health of the environment is a pretty hot topic these days. Hybrid vehicles, biodegradable packaging and reusable grocery bags are just some of the ways society has been inundated by environmental friendly technologies.

It didn’t take long for companies to realize they need to reduce their carbon footprint, too. However, in today’s tight financial economy, it can be hard to adopt expensive albeit green technology. Luckily, designing and implementing a green printing strategy can help save the environment and save money.

A green printing strategy starts with the goal of reducing the carbon footprint of office printing by targeting paper usage and energy usage. When these areas are optimized, the combined environmental and economic impact is amazing.

FAIRFIELD, N.J. – July 27, 2010 – Kyocera Mita America, Inc., one of the world’s leading document solutions companies, is protecting sensitive and confidential corporate and government data that is printed, scanned, copied or stored with comprehensive security solutions for network printers and multifunctional products (MFPs).

Kyocera’s security solutions prevent unauthorized access to confidential information retained in the network printer or MFP’s internal memory, as well as by limiting access at the device. And with the growing requirements for security in devices for government, health care and financial industries, Kyocera is at the forefront of developing solutions that eliminate the threat of a security breach. Kyocera security solutions include data overwrite technology, manual and automatic deletion, password protection, Common Criteria Certification (ISO15408) with EAL3 Level Conformance and Validation.

Kyocera marked five years of security excellence and industry-leading certified and validated security solutions with the hiring of Peter Cybuck as senior director of security and software solutions. Bringing more than 25 years security experience to Kyocera, Cybuck manages the planning and marketing of security and advanced MFP software solutions for the Company. He is currently involved in additional Common Criteria evaluations and Protection Profile development projects, as well as in the planning, development and introduction of new security solutions for document imaging devices.

Keying in data off of business forms is often a very monotonous and time-consuming process. Plus, the more the processes are rushed, the more errors are made.

Fortunately, you can utilize your multifunction systems to automatically enter routine data. Data Capture software has the ability to read data from scanned documents and translate it into your business applications. It can also index the scanned documents for easy retrieval later on.

Data Capture software uses Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology to translate scanned text into editable text. When the document is scanned using a multifunction system, it is routed to a folder where it is processed.

In today’s work environment, expenses rarely go unchecked. It is very common for a department of a company to be required to create monthly or quarterly expense reports. However, tracking printing costs can be quite the task. Therefore, many companies simply lump the expense in with other various office costs such as supplies or furniture. Although this may seem like the easiest way to complete expense reports, it may also be the most expensive.

Print management software is an easy way to control, monitor and report the printing done by your company. Not only will your monthly reports be made simple, but you will become more aware of where your budget is spent. You will also be able to use access controls to limit printing to certain departments and set up defaults to save ink and paper.

FAIRFIELD, N.J. – July 21, 2010 - Kyocera Mita America, Inc., one of the world's leading document solutions companies, today announced that Better Buys for Business, a leading independent authority on document imaging equipment, has recognized Kyocera’s TASKalfa 552ci color multifunctional product (MFP), with a 2010 Editor’s Choice Award. The TASKalfa 552ci was recognized for its ultra-reliability, highly productive output speeds and flexible output capabilities.

Better Buys for Business noted the remarkable speed of the Kyocera TASKalfa 552ci color MFP, printing at speeds of 55ppm (pages per minute) in black-and-white and 50ppm in color. The TASKalfa 552ci also received high marks for its fast warm-up speed, 225,000-page monthly duty cycle and long-life components. Kyocera was also noted for its powerful and scalable software solutions platform, Hybrid Platform for Advanced Solutions (HyPAS), designed to extend the value of Kyocera’s MFPs through both Java and Web Service applications.

In the office, it seems we are always in a hurry. For this reason, very rarely does anyone take the time to fix a printer. Instead, they are forced to find a different device so they can complete their task in a time-efficient manner.

Furthermore, IT departments rarely have the time or resources to fix mechanical issues in office devices. But still, they are forced to take control of the issue and organize some sort of fix, whether it is an easy paper jam or having to schedule a repair from a local company.

Often this type of situation is multiplied many times a week or even in a single day. It is not wonder why an unmanaged print environment can be a drain on the productivity of your office. Luckily, there is a better way. Managed Print Services Programs continually monitor your printer fleet and deliver valuable productivity benefits to your business.

Proactive Service: Managed Print Service means there will be someone monitoring your printer fleet for you. If a printer is out of service, it can often be fixed before it becomes an issue for your business’ productivity.

There is no doubt most offices have taken advantage of the benefits of wireless internet. Without having to deal with cumbersome cables, employees are able to conduct their work throughout the office, increasing collaboration. Now you can increase the productivity of your business even more with multifunction devices with Wi-Fi connectivity. A wireless device allows documents to be printed from portable laptops, digital cameras or other devices within range.

Through the use of a built-in Wireless Network Interface Card (WNIC), printers are now more mobile and versatile than ever. By replacing the standard USB connection, you allow for minimal cabling to connect the device to electricity. Not only does this provide mobile printing, but it also makes reallocating your devices quick and easy. 

Wireless multifunction devices still have all the features of a standard device and also reduce clutter and dangerous cables in offices. With access to a central printer connected to a Wi-Fi hub, hundreds of employees will have printing capabilities without having to share cables.

When it comes to designing and customizing the layout of workspaces, wireless devices offer expanded flexibility. Most wireless multifunction systems can work within a radius of about 150 feet.