USB Security on Lexmark Printers and MFPs

Go out and buy a computer today and you will find that it is nearly impossible to find one that doesn't have at least one USB port. These ports allow you to pop in a flash drive or some other compatible technology, which opens up the possibilities for both you and your computer. However, USB drives are not solely restricted to computers. A lot of copiers, printers and multifunction devices have USB support as well. What you may not know is that in order to have USB support, you have to have a slight measure of security exposure because anything that can be used for good can also undoubtedly be used for bad.

A plethora of Lexmark laser printers and multifunction printers have support for USB drives so it is definitely necessary to look at all the potential security consequences that come with such support. A full whitepaper from Office Product News talks about all the security considerations that you should take into account if you are looking at a printer or MFP that has USB support. In addition to that, the whitepaper explains all the different protective measures that have been incorporated to address such concerns.

USB devices are used to connect an infinite amount of devices to different technologies and are able to perform a lot of different interactions once connected. Unfortunately, the USB ports that are found on Lexmark devices are a lot more limited than ones you would find on computers or laptops due to the amount of security risks that arise from putting USB support on a copier, printer or other multifunction device.

When you use the USB drives on Lexmark devices this happens:

The device finds and displays all the image files and flash files by name that are located on the flash drive when it is inserted into the Lexmark device.

If you select a flash file to print, the firmware in the printer will update as long as the firmware updates are allowed in the security settings.

Lexmark devices also allow you to scan data to the USB drive directly if the drive is available in a supported scan format.

This definitely gives you something to think about, especially if you have a printer with USB support. Internet and document safety is becoming more and more important, especially with the recent rise of hack attempts on big name corporations and government websites. If you want to check out the full whitepaper, you can do that here.

Source: Office Product News - Security and USB Ports on Lexmark Devices

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Merizon Group Incorporated Acquired by Xerox

Xerox Corporation, one of the biggest manufacturers of copiers, printers, multifunction devices and related products in the world (and one of the most well-known), has just announced that its Global Imaging Systems subsidiary has acquired Merizon Group Incorporated, a copier and printer distributor, in the latest in a series of office services company acquisitions. The terms of the deal have yet to be disclosed by either company.

Xerox stated that the purchase built on the company's strategy of quote "creating a nationwide network of locally-based companies focused on improving document workflow and office efficiency." Xerox's Global Imaging Office Technology Division is responsible for the selling of printers, copiers and other office products for Xerox and has bought multiple companies in states like Iowa, New York, Illinois, Virginia and Florida this year alone.

Merizon's MBM division, which is based in Appleton, Wisconsin, is responsible for the distribution of Canon, Samsung, and Kyocera Mita brand printers, copiers, multifunction devices and other office products. The MBM division will start offering Xerox's printing products, as well as the company's print services, to its customers said the company in a recent statement.

Xerox is definitely looking to expand its business, especially with these recent purchases in Iowa, New York, Illinois, Virginia, Florida and now, most recently, Wisconsin. If Xerox keeps it up, we can expect some pretty big things from the company come 2012.

Source: Bloomberg Businessweek - Xerox buys Merizon for undisclosed sum

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Ricoh's New MP C2051 and C2551 Multifunction Devices

Ricoh has just unveiled a pair of new powerful devices that offer industry leading productivity as well as functionality while offering reductions in energy use at the same time. These new devices, known as the MP C2051 and MP C2551, offer key specification improvements and also offer many former options as standard along with some new accessories.

Some of the new key improvements that come with these devices include:

• An increase in RAM capacity from 768MB to 1.5GB, HDD from 60GB to 160GB


• Faster warm up times as well as faster recovery times out of sleep mode


• Leading Energy Star TEC levels


• Able to print PDF/JPEG/TIFF files from USB or SD card


• Scan from the device directly to your email

In addition to that, there are also some new features that have just become standard on these devices which include:

• Quota setting in order to provide User Account Volume Limits


• VM Card


• HDD Data Overwrite Security


• HDD Encryption

If you or your business is looking for a way to manage your printing and documents while saving time, money and resources all in a way that is eco-friendly, the combination of Ricoh's software, hardware, service and support should make for an excellent mix. Ricoh prides itself on providing complete solutions and the expertise needed to make sure every aspect of this part of your business is working at full capacity.

Optional software solutions are provided by Ricoh that are designed to assist you in managing your documents so you can capture, store, retrieve, deliver, revise and manage all of your documents easier.

Source: Office Product News - New MFDs improve functionality, reduce energy use

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Be Aware of Energy Costs

When people factor printers or copiers into their budget, they generally focus on things like ink, paper, maintenance, etc... However, what they do not think of is energy costs. Many people forget that in order for their copier or printer to work it has to have some source of power, and in the office world printers and copiers are usually some of the biggest energy hogs in the office.

Granted, it is hard to total the exact cost of powering your office printer or copier but let's put it into a scenario. If you use your printer or copier for two hours each day in the office and each office has 50 copiers and 500 printers, then your energy costs can be as high as $50,000 a year. That is definitely a lot of money, but thankfully it can be reduced.

One easy solution is consolidating devices. This is especially useful for offices that may have a printer, copier and fax machine right next to each other. If you throw out all of those devices and switch to a multi-functioning system instead, you can immediately cut your power usage. If you have laser printers scattered throughout your office, you can combine these into multifunction systems as well, which are generally less expensive to operate than a personal printer.

You should also look for multi-functioning devices that are energy star compliant. These types of devices have different modes that allow you to cut down on power usage. They can shut themselves off automatically at night and restart themselves in the morning and can also go on standby when not in use. These are all great ways to cut your company's energy costs, so if you are worried about your energy bill continuously rising, then work on incorporating some of these ideas into your business.

Source: Office Product News

A Copier Rental is a quick way to mass produce important documents for potential customers at an event or conference. Renting office equipment is simple and easy and it can also save you loads of time and money. Rentacomputer.com has been offering copier rentals to more than 1000 cities worldwide for over 20 years.