Automatic Information System
In last few years, the development of multi function devices has changed the concept of office automation. In this article, we shall see how the Multi Function Devices have emerged? How the range of quality products with various price ranges has provided flexibility to select the devices?
Multi Function Devices (MFDs) or all-in-ones came into existence about five years ago when printer and copier manufacturers realised the increasing need for converged devices amongst IT users, on the home as well as enterprise front. Irrespective of the size of the needs, the product can be chosen. Keeping in mind issues like lower costs, quality of service and device, and space constraints, the vendors decided to merge standalone devices like printers, scanners, copiers and faxes into one box and create this new product category. The product has defined the office automation system.
The evolution of the MFD
MFDs have developed from copiers, printers and, in some cases, traditional fax machines. Initially sold as individual entities, vendors soon realised that they were reaching a saturation point in their product markets and some new innovation was needed. Therefore, companies like Xerox and Canon added printing, scanning and faxing capabilities to their copiers and pushed them as multi-functional devices to take care of all the documentation needs of a user. On the other hand, companies strong in printing capabilities like HP and Lexmark added features of copying and scanning to protect their market shares. The success of this move can be gauged by the fact that over the last four years, stand alone printers, scanners and faxes have been relegated to target and specialized user segments, while the regular market for these products has been taken over by MFDs.
Today, the market for MFDs is defined by the technology from which the device has evolved and the user segment. For instance, a copier-based MFD that works on laser technology is targeted at the SME and large corporate segments, while inkjet-based devices that have actually evolved from printer technology are popular in the home and the small and medium enterprise segment.
From printouts to office automation
MFDs leverage the concept of 'the office automation' rather than just printouts. Traditionally, documents in an organization were referred to as paper documents. But the term covers both paper and electronic versions. Increased printing speeds have been made possible due to higher processing power and faster data transfer speeds; Faster communication speeds and larger spooling capabilities avoid loss of critical data and long waiting periods. In simpler terms, there has been a convergence between 'hard' and 'soft' copies. This has resulted into a office automation system.
Office Automation System
The emergence and convergence of technological devices have automated various functions of the office. It has become simple and fast to carry out different office work through existing devices.
Let's look at an example to understand this idea better. Let's suppose there is an important paper document you need to mail to your client as a digital file. Earlier, it would have meant scanning the entire document and sending it across as a bulky image involving a loss of a lot of precious time and energy. But with many existing MFDs that have e-mail capabilities, all one has to do is to scan the paper document and provide the device with the e-mail address of the client. The device will automatically convert the document into a PDF file and mail it.
Documents, either in paper or electronic form, make up the information base of a company and managing them is a cumbersome task. MFD companies are now launching various solutions to make this task easier. Better known as 'document management solutions', these are tools that enable users to store, easily locate, retrieve and exercise control over document-based information.
Availability of MFDs
Let's take a closer look at what different companies have to offer in the MFD segment.
Canon: One of the pioneers in the product segment, Canon offers a wide range of models, both for the enterprise as well as for SMEs. The compact iR2016J comes with a price tag of Rs 84,995, as well as innovative on-demand fixing technology, enabling an energy saving sleep mode to be automatically initiated when the device is not in use.
Xerox: Xerox may a synonymous with photocopying but that has not stopped the company from making its presence felt in the MFD segment. Its Workcentre PE 114E (price: Rs 17,000) offers the convenience (high quality printing, copying and scanning in one computer machine with 8 MB memory. Its Scansoft Omni Page SE and Scansoft PaperPort OCR software allow customers to convert and edit paper documents in electronic format.
Epson: With the acceptance of digital requirements growing in homes for small business, along with a PC penetration, more and more home users are interested in low-end MFDs that them more capabilities than a lone machine. Epson's Photo I, priced around Rs 21,595 and 0, priced at Rs 8,789, are targeted segment. They enable full colour, order-free printing and copying. Photo lab quality at 5760 dpi print option and image quality of 1.5 pl ink size, they allow creative printing and copying on CDs and DVD media so intended for the home segment CX 3700 (price: Rs 6,229).
Ricoh: Ricoh's 3035 and 3045 multifunction document management systems are designed to simplify document creation and production while enhancing office productivity. Their features include Internet fax, IP fax, LAN fax, paperless fax (inbound fax to folder) and Multiport (3 G3 line fax) LDAP support. On the security front, they provide data overwrite security feature, Windows authentication, LDAP authentication, user code authentication, notes authentication, address book encryption and password encryption. The Ricoh 2020 and 2020D digital imaging systems can scan documents and integrate them into the network, print files and reproduce existing hard copy documents, and send and receive faxes directly from the system or workstation. Their control panel provides high performance network printing, and has standard support for PCL5e/6 and optional Adobe PostScript3.
Samsung: Samsung’s SCX-4200 and SCX-4321 MFDs are laser-based and priced at Rs 11,700 and Rs 14,500, respectively. Their ID Copy feature allows copying of both sides of an ill card or small document onto a single sheet of paper. The SCX-4200 MFD comes equipped with OCR (Optical Character Reconnaissance).
Future for MFDs
While most MFDs from leading 4 are similar in features, they differ of the solutions offered with the vendors are focusing on software solutions to create this differentiation.
Benefits of MFDs
Security: Addressing the concerns over document security, MFDs allow users to accounts on them. Features such as separate mailboxes and passwords make sure document reaches the right person.
Cost savings: MFDs save on costs, space and power.
Performance: With better memory address ability, MFDs offer better compared to standalone devices.
Maintenance: Most MFDs in the market today come with self-diagnostic capability and user alerts. They can be configured to alert the administrator in case maintenance or required.
Conclusions
MFDs have become the essential device for home and small office segments. They have to grow as complete office automated system.
Multi Function Devices (MFDs) or all-in-ones came into existence about five years ago when printer and copier manufacturers realised the increasing need for converged devices amongst IT users, on the home as well as enterprise front. Irrespective of the size of the needs, the product can be chosen. Keeping in mind issues like lower costs, quality of service and device, and space constraints, the vendors decided to merge standalone devices like printers, scanners, copiers and faxes into one box and create this new product category. The product has defined the office automation system.
The evolution of the MFD
MFDs have developed from copiers, printers and, in some cases, traditional fax machines. Initially sold as individual entities, vendors soon realised that they were reaching a saturation point in their product markets and some new innovation was needed. Therefore, companies like Xerox and Canon added printing, scanning and faxing capabilities to their copiers and pushed them as multi-functional devices to take care of all the documentation needs of a user. On the other hand, companies strong in printing capabilities like HP and Lexmark added features of copying and scanning to protect their market shares. The success of this move can be gauged by the fact that over the last four years, stand alone printers, scanners and faxes have been relegated to target and specialized user segments, while the regular market for these products has been taken over by MFDs.
Today, the market for MFDs is defined by the technology from which the device has evolved and the user segment. For instance, a copier-based MFD that works on laser technology is targeted at the SME and large corporate segments, while inkjet-based devices that have actually evolved from printer technology are popular in the home and the small and medium enterprise segment.
From printouts to office automation
MFDs leverage the concept of 'the office automation' rather than just printouts. Traditionally, documents in an organization were referred to as paper documents. But the term covers both paper and electronic versions. Increased printing speeds have been made possible due to higher processing power and faster data transfer speeds; Faster communication speeds and larger spooling capabilities avoid loss of critical data and long waiting periods. In simpler terms, there has been a convergence between 'hard' and 'soft' copies. This has resulted into a office automation system.
Office Automation System
The emergence and convergence of technological devices have automated various functions of the office. It has become simple and fast to carry out different office work through existing devices.
Let's look at an example to understand this idea better. Let's suppose there is an important paper document you need to mail to your client as a digital file. Earlier, it would have meant scanning the entire document and sending it across as a bulky image involving a loss of a lot of precious time and energy. But with many existing MFDs that have e-mail capabilities, all one has to do is to scan the paper document and provide the device with the e-mail address of the client. The device will automatically convert the document into a PDF file and mail it.
Documents, either in paper or electronic form, make up the information base of a company and managing them is a cumbersome task. MFD companies are now launching various solutions to make this task easier. Better known as 'document management solutions', these are tools that enable users to store, easily locate, retrieve and exercise control over document-based information.
Availability of MFDs
Let's take a closer look at what different companies have to offer in the MFD segment.
Canon: One of the pioneers in the product segment, Canon offers a wide range of models, both for the enterprise as well as for SMEs. The compact iR2016J comes with a price tag of Rs 84,995, as well as innovative on-demand fixing technology, enabling an energy saving sleep mode to be automatically initiated when the device is not in use.
Xerox: Xerox may a synonymous with photocopying but that has not stopped the company from making its presence felt in the MFD segment. Its Workcentre PE 114E (price: Rs 17,000) offers the convenience (high quality printing, copying and scanning in one computer machine with 8 MB memory. Its Scansoft Omni Page SE and Scansoft PaperPort OCR software allow customers to convert and edit paper documents in electronic format.
Epson: With the acceptance of digital requirements growing in homes for small business, along with a PC penetration, more and more home users are interested in low-end MFDs that them more capabilities than a lone machine. Epson's Photo I, priced around Rs 21,595 and 0, priced at Rs 8,789, are targeted segment. They enable full colour, order-free printing and copying. Photo lab quality at 5760 dpi print option and image quality of 1.5 pl ink size, they allow creative printing and copying on CDs and DVD media so intended for the home segment CX 3700 (price: Rs 6,229).
Ricoh: Ricoh's 3035 and 3045 multifunction document management systems are designed to simplify document creation and production while enhancing office productivity. Their features include Internet fax, IP fax, LAN fax, paperless fax (inbound fax to folder) and Multiport (3 G3 line fax) LDAP support. On the security front, they provide data overwrite security feature, Windows authentication, LDAP authentication, user code authentication, notes authentication, address book encryption and password encryption. The Ricoh 2020 and 2020D digital imaging systems can scan documents and integrate them into the network, print files and reproduce existing hard copy documents, and send and receive faxes directly from the system or workstation. Their control panel provides high performance network printing, and has standard support for PCL5e/6 and optional Adobe PostScript3.
Samsung: Samsung’s SCX-4200 and SCX-4321 MFDs are laser-based and priced at Rs 11,700 and Rs 14,500, respectively. Their ID Copy feature allows copying of both sides of an ill card or small document onto a single sheet of paper. The SCX-4200 MFD comes equipped with OCR (Optical Character Reconnaissance).
Future for MFDs
While most MFDs from leading 4 are similar in features, they differ of the solutions offered with the vendors are focusing on software solutions to create this differentiation.
Benefits of MFDs
Security: Addressing the concerns over document security, MFDs allow users to accounts on them. Features such as separate mailboxes and passwords make sure document reaches the right person.
Cost savings: MFDs save on costs, space and power.
Performance: With better memory address ability, MFDs offer better compared to standalone devices.
Maintenance: Most MFDs in the market today come with self-diagnostic capability and user alerts. They can be configured to alert the administrator in case maintenance or required.
Conclusions
MFDs have become the essential device for home and small office segments. They have to grow as complete office automated system.
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