Monday, April 18, 2011

Ricoh is the Number One Manufacturer in the U.S. Copier Market

Ricoh Americas CorporationRicoh Americas Corporation, one of the leading providers of digital office equipment as well as advanced document management solutions and services, just announced that they have been ranked number one for the fourth straight year in the combined black and white and color copier segment according to Gartner's latest market share database.

Because of this, Ricoh has earned a 21.5% share of the total market for multi-function products (MFPs). Ricoh has also finished first for the eighth straight year in the color copier market with a 22.1% share. In the category for black and white copiers, Ricoh finished second with a 21.2% market share. These percentages are calculated using total market share. This includes dealer, direct and retail products.

According to Senior Vice President of Marketing for Ricoh Shun Sato, "Ricoh Americas Corporation is proud of our continued leadership position in the combined black and white and color copier market in the U.S. Our robust product offerings along with our industry-leading Managed Document Services approach provide our customers with the best solutions to help them meet their goals."

Ricoh offers a full line of digital imaging products suited for any work group environment. They offer everything including color and black and white multifunction copiers, printers, facsimile systems, scanners, digital duplicators, wide format copiers and digital cameras. Ricoh is also one of the leading providers of advanced document management solutions and services, specifically Ricoh's Managed Document Services (MDS) program. This focuses on total cost of ownership, business process improvement, security and compliance and environmental sustainability.

Source: PR NEwswire - Ricoh Ranks Number One in U.S. Copier Market

A Tech Travel Agent can get a laptop rental to you within 24 business hours in over 1000 cities worldwide. Call 800-736-8772


We have 3987 Installers, Technicians and Engineers stationed in nearly 1000 locations worldwide to serve you.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Keeping Your Copier Protected

protecting your copierIdentity theft is a serious thing and something that nobody wants to have happen to them. Most people fear identity theft such as a thief getting their credit card numbers, social security numbers or other kind of personal information. That is why people shred old credit cards, receipts and other personal documents. However, I doubt a lot of people think about becoming a victim of identity theft via their copier. Recent reports involving copier security have brought to light how some information that is stored on your copier's hard drive can be accessed by somebody other than yourself which could ultimately lead to identity theft. What is interesting is that while this news may be new to some, it is definitely something copier manufacturers have seen as important for a long time. If you own a copier, you need to know that it needs data safeguards just like antivirus software on your computer. So what kind of tools can help you protect the information flowing through your multifunction printer? IT specialists and users should definitely talk to their vendors in order to make sure that the security features that are already on their copier are enabled. Network authentication and authorization is a nifty tool that allows administrators to restrict access to people by verifying network usernames as well as passwords in a network directory. Encryption is also built into a lot of multifunction printers in order to make sure that the data stored on it is protected. These printers even have features that protect your information from a hard copy theft. If you are about to buy a new copier, make sure you choose a vendor that offers options for the removal of the hard drive before the printer or copier is disposed of or turned in after a lease. Another thing to consider is that new threats are created everyday so it is important to update your protection on a regular basis as well. New patches are generally available for multifunction printers and copiers and they are typically an easy download. Copiers are an important part of business so it is equally important that they are protected. You wouldn't use your computer unprotected so why use your printer unprotected? Source: SC Magazine - Protecting data on copiers

SMBnow.com is news of, for and by SMBs! SMBnow.com... The Small & Medium Business Magazine!

Monday, March 21, 2011

Printing Strategies for a Greener Business

Green is definitely the way to go these days if you own a business or are in charge of gathering different pieces of technology for your office. Everybody wants to be more energy efficient for many reasons, the main ones being that it cuts costs for you and your business and also allows us to have a safer, cleaner and healthier planet to live on.

Companies around the country are doing their best to be as eco-friendly as possible. One thing that many offices and companies are doing is going green with their printing. This allows companies to reduce pollution, decrease the size of landfills and increase efficiency.

Eco-friendly printing prevents artificial as well as harmful chemicals from being used due to the fact that they can pollute the soil. If you want to print less, only print the documents that are considered the most essential documents in your company. Don't wast time printing office jokes or photocopying your butt to prank your neighboring cubicle. Use emails as much as possible too. Sending documents via email or other file types electronically allows you to send and resend the same thing an endless number of times without wasting any paper.

There are a lot of other things aside from what has already been mentioned that can help you be more green in your print management. For one, always buy environmentally friendly paper and inks. These things do exist so there is no reason for you to not use them. Invest in EnergyStar equipment. EnergyStar equipment is sometimes made from renewable resources and also uses less energy than your conventional equipment. Instead of printing out all your documents, send them in fax form to a network folder. Also consider using inks made from soy. These can easily be recycled.

By doing just some of these things, you can not only help the environment but also save you and your company a lot of money. Plus, doing the right thing just feels so much better after you do it.

Source: Office Product News - Green Printing Strategies For Your Business
SMBnow.com is news of, for and by SMBs!
SMBnow.com... The Small & Medium Business Magazine!

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Toshiba Receives BTA's Award for Superior Performance

Toshiba America Business Solutions Incorporated announced yesterday that the company has officially been awarded the Business Technology Association's 2011 Channel's Choice Superior Performance Award as a Primary Product Line Provider for the fifth year straight. This is the highest honor for the organization and also indicates that Toshiba is the number one choice among independent dealers.

This award is also based on completed surveys from over 390 office technology dealers across the country. Toshiba was also honored to once again receive Channel's Choice Awards in three of four key performance categories: Corporate Support, Distribution and Inventory. Toshiba received the awards at the BTA's Winter Break 2011 event in Orlando, Florida.

According to Mark Mathews, President and COO of the Business Technology Association, "More than anything, we are extremely thankful for the consistent recognition we have received from our independent dealers. The fact that dealers take the time out of their busy day to recognize the hard work and effort of the Toshiba team to create valuable programs, products and processes is something that we will never take for granted, no matter how many times we win."

The BTA Channel's Choice Awards are based on feedback from independent office technology dealers that represent all copier and manufacturer product (MFP) vendors in the entire industry as well as all the regions in the country. Over 400 dealers participated in the survey for this year and were asked to rank their primary and secondary vendors in four different key performance categories: Corporate Support, Distribution, Product Line and Inventory. Toshiba nearly swept the awards this year as they did in 2010 and also took home the top honor as well as three out of four performance category awards as mentioned above.

Brent Hoskins, Executive Director of BTA and Editor of Office Technology magazine, stated, "Congratulations, once again, to Toshiba for going above and beyond in support of BTA dealers. After five consecutive years of winning BTA's top award, it's clear that Toshiba is truly dedicated to providing top notch service, support, products and programs to its dealers and, ultimately, customers."

This win for Toshiba marks the company's fifth straight win for the top honor and their twelfth overall.

Source: Business Wire - Toshiba Receives Business Technology Association's Channel's Choice Award for Superior Performance for the Twelfth Time
File Server rentals are ideal if your company needs an extra storage unit for company information while you are testing various types of storage solutions.

Whether you need a short-term rental or a long-term lease, we have the right kind of server for your needs.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Control the Flow of Office Documents

office documentsIncreasing productivity should be the main focus of any company these days, especially with our economy the way it is. A perfect place to begin is by evaluating the flow of information through your company. If you are like most every other company in the world, communication most likely runs via paper and digital documents circulated between departments.

If you are looking to save money, and what company isn't, then having a good handle on your printers and other output devices for documents is critical. Each and every device is different, so each and every device will have different costs associated with them and their total costs will also vary. That is why it is important to evaluate these costs in order to find the most efficient devices to support your needs.

Document management systems are also very important. By utilizing a document management system for inputing data from scanned documents, you can save a lot of time and money while at the same time satisfying your data needs. A system like this can also eliminate the space needed for large file cabinets which also saves you money and overhead. You can also password certain files that require confidentiality for added security for both you and your clients.

Documents, whether they be physical or electronic, are the key flow of information throughout your company. When you have the ability to streamline this flow of information, you can both reduce your overall costs and also improve your customer service. This also allows you to enhance your competitive advantages, improve compliance and reduce legal risk.

Source: Office Product News - Keep your Documents Moving Effortlessly
File Server rentals are ideal if your company needs an extra storage unit for company information while you are testing various types of storage solutions.

Whether you need a short-term rental or a long-term lease, we have the right kind of server for your needs.

Monday, February 7, 2011

PrintFleet Incorporated to be Featured on 21st Century Business

PrintFleet IncorporatedPrintFleet Incorporated, one of the leading print management companies in the world, is going to be featured on 21st Century Business according to Multi-Media Productions (USA) Incorporated.

PrintFleet Incorporated provides print management as well as assessment software along with a lot of other training, business development and support programs for dealers, distributors and even manufacturers that are involved in the imaging and managed print services industry.

PrintFleet provides very impressive agnostic data collection, data integrity and back end support within their line of print management software. This software ranges from simple, rapid assessment to advanced, independently hosted print management.

PrintFleet Incorporated also has award winning sales, marketing and technical support programs which allow the company to empower dealers to gain increased control of print and imaging devices within client sites. This allows them to forge strategic partnerships as well as provide total managed print solutions for their clients.

According to Chris McFarlane, President and COO of PrintFleet Incorporated, "Managed Print Services (MPS) is an exciting and rapidly growing industry. Organizations investigating in MPS are making strategic decisions to improve how their businesses manage print, copy and document resources."

McFarlane went on to say, "We are pleased to have been recognized by 21st Century Business Television and look forward to sharing how PrintFleet and our partners maximize the efficiency of print and document processes."

Vice President of Programming at Multi-Media Productions stated, "PrintFleet is a leader in their industry. We are excited to have them as a guest on our program."

Source: Office Product News

Power Point Projectors
Are Great for Business Meetings


Most business class projectors will do a good job displaying your PowerPoint presentation. If you have a small presentation group, a 2000 lumen LCD projector will be able to produce a nice and clear picture. For larger audiences you should consider a 5000 lumen LCD projector.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Fujitsu FTP-62D Thermal Printer

FujitsuFujitsu Components, one of the world's leaders in the development of thermal printers for over 20 years, has just announced their newest thermal printer product, the FTP-62D thermal print mechanism. Fujitsu's continued research in the field of thermal printer mechanisms has led them to create some of the best thermal printers in recent years, and they are looking to continue that trend with the FTP-62D, a thermal printer designed from the customer's point of view and one that has some pretty incredible capabilities.

There is a market demand right now for space-saving printers, and the FTP-62D could very well fill that demand. This compact model is a direct evolution of Fujitsu's current FTP628 printer family. This printer is designed to accommodate paper rolls that are located partially inside the printer module. This allows for the design of the FTP-62D to be small and compact so you can set it up almost anywhere. With the paper roll included you get a space-saving design that can save you up to 8mm in height, compared to your conventional printer, without compromising functionality.

What really stands out about the FTP-62D is the device's performance and capability. This device supports high speed printing of up to 100mm per second at 9.5V and is capable of handling large paper rolls in the minimum possible space. Full dimensions of the FTP-62D are 69.4mm (W) by 46mm (D) by 19mm (H) with a total weight of no more than 37g. The head pressure is controlled by a new innovative spring design that combines several functions including stable head pressure for the perfect results, a low mounting height and earthing the thermal head in order to prevent damage caused by ESD.

The FTP-62D has a minimum printing life of 100 million pulses/50km and also has label printing. If your office needs a new thermal printer as well as a printer that has great functionality and does not consume a lot of space, then look into the FTP-62D from Fujitsu.

Source: Office Product News

Put your eye on the problem with Camera Security Now. Installing security cameras since 1999, we install in the US and we can help you do it yourself.


Call us toll free 877-422-1907 between 8am EST and 5pm PST M-F. Talk to an expert about your serious security camera needs.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Be Aware of Energy Costs

Energy CostsWhen 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.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Save Money by Outsourcing Print Management

Outsourcing Print ManagementPrinting goes on a lot in your average office, however, many company heads do not realize just how much they are spending on office printing. In most offices there is absolutely no effort to manage and control printing costs. The good news is that there are a lot of things out there that an outsourcing company can do to help, like implementing new remote print monitoring technology. This can really help you measure and control printing costs.By reading printer usage data from your printer, you can create a platform for a three step process that can save you a lot of money.

The first step is understanding your current costs. Take some readings of your printer volumes. This information can be used to determine your usage patterns. Then the company you are outsourcing to can look at the supply costs of your vendors to determine your total cost of ownership.

The next step is outsourcing the management of your printers. This will give you immediate cost reductions. Switching to a cost-per-page payment plan which includes printer supplies, help desk support and onsite service will guarantee that you are paying only for the things you actually need. A single invoice will make it easy to manage all of your expenses.

The final step includes your outsourcing company reviewing your quarterly usage patterns. They will then help you discover ways to reduce both your short term and long term costs by updating old technology and exploring electronic document management for your business. If you want to immediately cut costs and operate efficiently, then this is the system you want to use.

Source: Office Product News
SMBnow.com is news of, for and by SMBs!
SMBnow.com... The Small & Medium Business Magazine!

Monday, December 20, 2010

Think Before You Copy




Have you ever wondered what exactly happens to the digital image of the document you are copying after all of your copies have been rendered? Most likely not. At least it seems that the average person who is copying those last minute documents doesn’t think about the copy machine after they are finished using it or question the fate of the digital image that the machine makes in order to produce the copies. Most of use just make our copies and assume that the digital version of our document simply gets relegated to the void.


The truth is, however, almost every copier since 2002 contains its own hard drive, and unless someone takes care to wipe that hard drive, the digital replications of the hard documents being scanned simply get stored. This wouldn’t be a worry if all documents being scanned and copied were trivial ones, containing information useless to most people. We all know, however, that copiers are nearly indiscriminately used to copy trivial and sensitive information alike. This means that when someone copies or scans social security numbers, bank statements, medical records, etc., there is a corresponding digital copy being stored on the hard drive of the copy machine.


Armen Keteyian reported in a CBS news article that John Juntunen, owner of the Sacramento-based company Digital Copier Security, took CBS News to a warehouse in New Jersey in order to see how difficult it would be to purchase a used copier loaded with documents, and Keteyian reports that it is actually pretty easy. For about $300 each Juntunen bought four machines, which he would then pull the hard drives from and scan them using forensic software available to anyone for free. Juntunen found everything from police reports, to pay stubs with names, addresses and social security numbers, and $40,000 in copied checks. Warehouses storing these used copiers are a plentiful wellspring for identity thieves.


This is alarming, or at least it should be. Despite Juntunen’s efforts to raise public awareness and concern for the problem, however, his message is mostly falling on deaf ears. One cannot help but wonder why this is, but I will mostly attribute it to the prosaic and mundane nature of the task of copying documents. After all, why would the hapless secretary who is trying to wrap up her final task on a Friday afternoon (which happens to be making a few copies) give a second thought to the security of the document she is copying, when what is really occupying her mind is what pair of shoes she should wear for girls' night out? The bottom line is, despite how mundane the tasks involving copiers might be, the security threat is very real and not as remote as it might seem. So it is highly prudent that individuals and businesses first of all be mindful of what they are about to copy; if the document contains sensitive information, but it is not absolutely compulsory that it be copied, then simply do not copy it. If the document must be copied, however, one should take measures to ensure that the machine they use is secure. Businesses especially can take such measures and regularly wipe the hard drives of their copiers.

SMBnow.com is news of, for and by SMBs!
SMBnow.com... The Small & Medium Business Magazine!