News on 24 October 2008

InfoPrint Solutions Company, a joint venture between IBM and Ricoh, today announced the expansion of its broad portfolio of workgroup solutions. This brings to market several new, lower cost products to provide users more price and performance choices. It spans the entire range of InfoPrint workgroup printers, including monochrome, color and multi-function devices, and emphasizes InfoPrint's drive to include sustainability at the heart of all new technology development.

The major announcement includes:

• A new, low-end single function color model to fill a price point under $600
• A complete refresh of its A4 single function monochrome printer line with higher performance models at equivalent or lower pricing
• New integrated all-in-one models featuring an award-winning touch screen interface
• The launch of a new color Multi-Function Printer (MFP), marking InfoPrint's first entry into the fast growing sub-$999 multi-function segment

Our objective is to help our clients increase their revenue, decrease their costs and improve their operating efficiency by offering solutions to complex print and output challenges. We accomplish this by offering a broad, competitive, product family matching the right technology to the right application, while supporting sustainability. said Paul Preo, Director of Workgroup Solutions, InfoPrint Solutions Company.

The workgroup line is also supported by InfoPrint's solutions professionals, who assess a customer's total output environment, recommend the appropriate devices, and pinpoint how these new workgroup printers can be used to improve workplace operations and reduce costs.

Ongoing excellence in technology

The product line carries forward some of the innovative features of current machines, such as confidentiality mode which allows users to submit a job from a workstation to a shared printer and enter a confidential code before sending it, meaning the printer will not print until the user goes to the printer and re-types the code.

Most models also feature the ability to plug in a memory stick to print directly from the control panel, a productivity boost for quick copies. All of the mid to high-end multi-function models feature InfoPrint's award-winning customizable user interface with a brilliant color display and innovative icon use.

The new line also showcases new form, color, detail, and usability and a space efficient design that keeps the product size to a minimum, while maximizing shipping densities. They also deliver high levels of print quality consistency throughout printer lifecycles, for both color and monochrome models.

The new models to be launched today are:

• InfoPrint 1811 and InfoPrint 1812
  Entry level models with small footprint and features typically found in higher priced printers
• InfoPrint 1822 (MT 4565)
  Wireless and fast printing with improved print quality
• InfoPrint 1832 (MT 4551)
  Fast printing with improved print quality in space-sensitive environments
• InfoPrint 1852 (MT 4552)
  Improved print quality and fast printing at an attractive price
• InfoPrint 1872 (MT 4553)
  Fast printing for heavy-volume jobs and unique application needs
• InfoPrint Color 1824
  Color printing in a compact size with networking standard on all models
• InfoPrint Color 1826 MFP (MT 4989)
  All-in-one functionality and compact size for fast color multifunction printing
• InfoPrint 1850 MFP and InfoPrint 1860 MFP
  Reliable, easy-to-use multifunction printing with or without fax capability
• InfoPrint 1870 MFP (MT 4567)
  A new all-in-one model offering higher-performance printing, copying, faxing, and scanning
• InfoPrint 1880 MFP
  High performance, departmental multifunction printer with finishing capability

Sustainability at the heart of all product lines

This new family of printers has been designed and manufactured with the environment top of mind. All models will use substantially less energy than the previous generation, and have a unique Eco-Mode setting to further reduce energy consumption. A standard duplex printing capability, high yield cartridges and reduced packaging are additional features to help decrease waste and cost. Improvements in scanning technology and the internal airflow handling reduce noise pollution, with a quiet mode feature also available to further reduce acoustical noise.

InfoPrint recently announced a partnership with Preo Software to launch Printelligence, a web-based print management system that helps businesses measure and understand workgroup and distributed printing, as well as manage print in the organization. It can reduce print volume by encouraging employees to change print behavior and educating users on the cost of print and the environmental impact of their choices. The software adapts itself to each user's printing behavior and modifies the message it delivers, based on their habits, offering advice and alternatives for each print job. Printelligence adapts its responses to individual's behavior over time so that messaging stays fresh and appropriate.