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.

Unmanaged office printing can easily consume up to 3% of annual revenues according to the Gartner group. Therefore, if you are searching for an area to trim your company’s overhead, your print environment is a great place to start. To control and reduce this expense there are a few strategies you can integrate.

Consolidate Devices

If you look around your office there are probably areas that have a laser printer, a copier and a fax machine sitting right next to each other. This presents a great cost-saving opportunity. Each of these devices has a separate cost of operation that comes from stocking unique supplies, supporting the network, handling repairs and service and electricity. With today’s skyrocketing energy costs, it is possible that it actually costs more to power your devices than it costs to put supplies in the devices!

You can combine devices with multifunction systems that print, copy, fax and scan in a single unit. These reliable systems can handle applications from desktops to workgroups to departments. Consolidating devices with multifunction systems could provide instant and long-term cost reduction for your organization.

Re-Route Print Jobs

Some of your printing devices are less expensive to operate than others. For the most part, high-volume networked systems have a lower operational cost than smaller desktop devices. While desktop devices may be necessary for productivity or privacy reasons, larger print jobs could easily be routed to network devices to reduce costs.

New software makes it easy to re-route print jobs automatically. You can assess your basic needs and set routing rules. For example, print jobs over 20 pages could be sent to a networked multifunction system. The end user would simply print their job exactly like they normally would. However, with this software a pop up window would let them know that their job was routed to the workgroup device as a cost-saving strategy. Applying print routing to your organization could create cost savings of 30% or more.

Introduction
Server virtualization is an ever more important tool for reducing cost, increasing availability, and enhancing business agility. But for many organizations, the savings that come from server consolidation are the primary reason for server virtualization.

Many of virtualization’s additional benefits—including built-in, cost-effective high availability (HA) and disaster recovery (DR)—require external shared storage with a comprehensive feature set to support them. Without proper planning, it is all too easy to see the savings from server virtualization be misdirected toward inefficient storage systems. IP SANs are frequently seen as overcoming cost and management limitations of traditional storage area
networks (SANs) and are becoming very popular in virtualized server environments.

Advantages of scale-out iSCSI SANs
HP StorageWorks P4000 G2 SAN Solutions are iSCSI-based and use storage clustering—a form of scale-out storage that creates a scalable storage pool by aggregating the critical components of a number of storage systems into a single pool of resources or storage cluster (Figure 1). The cluster accepts and responds to iSCSI requests as a single system. In an HP P4000 G2 SAN all physical capacity is aggregated and is available to all volumes created on the SAN.
When more storage is needed, additional P4000 storage nodes can be added to the SAN cluster online; the SAN seamlessly, non-disruptively reorganizes its storage to incorporate the new node into the cluster.

Built-in support for HA and DR implementations, superior, scalable performance, and straightforward management that any server administrator can understand and put into use make HP P4000 SANs the preferred choice to support virtualized infrastructures. This white paper describes the advantages of scale-out iSCSI storage in four areas—cost, high availability and disaster recovery, performance, and management—and illustrate how the HP P4000 SANs provide better overall support for virtualized environments.

Mahwah, NJ, July 8, 2010 -- Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America (SIICA) today introduced the new MX-M623N and MX-M623U monochrome hi-speed document systems to its extensive lineup of multifunction products (MFPs). These new higher-volume MFPs are designed to help businesses maximize their document workflow efficiency while providing outstanding performance and ease-of-use. The MX-M623 models follow the recently introduced MX-M753, another model in Sharp’s hi-speed monochrome MFP lineup released this past Spring.

Engineered to increase workflow productivity, the MX-M623 and MX-M753 devices come with an 8.5-inch high-resolution touch-screen color display and a powerful 800 MHz multi-tasking controller that processes complex jobs quickly, even while documents are being scanned. Moreover, the MFPs produce copy/print speeds of 62 and 75 pages per minute (ppm) respectively, while feeding up to 110 lb index stock through the paper trays, providing power and reliability to handle professional-level printing needs.

The customizable Home Screen and My Menu simplify use by bringing access to Sharp OSA® applications and commonly-used features to the forefront of the display for one-touch operation. The MX-M623N and MX-M753N also offer a standard retractable keyboard, simplifying jobs that require repetitive data entry tasks such as email-distribution, archiving or scanning to a document management application, while also enabling quick interaction with network applications.

“Customers in high end workgroup markets need easy-to-use machines that can handle large and complex jobs quickly, while also maintaining a high level of efficiency and a low cost of ownership,“ said Mike Marusic, vice president, Marketing, Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America. “The high-performance engine, customizable functions and seamless integration of the OSA 3.5 development platform enable users to set up the devices in a way that meet their own personal business needs. Adding these new models to Sharp’s high-volume MFP lineup gives customers a number of different options to choose from that do just that.”

The intellectual property of your business is vital to its continuing success. Therefore, it is important to ensure confidential documents are not susceptible to security breaches. Whether it is a computer virus or a disgruntled former employee, you need to ensure your information is safe from unauthorized viewers. Luckily, with document management systems, it is easy to integrate advanced security features into your current workflows. Electronic Document Management can help protect your documents and increase productivity. If you are unsure if a document management system is right for your business, here are ten things you should know about document security:

1. Document management seeks to prevent data loss from the various kinds of threats to data. Unless a systematic approach is adopted for document security your business could be shut down by a breach of security.

2. Very few businesses can survive a complete loss of business data. Even partial losses can prove extremely serious, especially to smaller businesses. Consider what would happen if you lost all your customer data and invoice records from a computer virus. It can render you unable to recover your fees from credit customers that can equal a few months of sales. Or consider the secret product formula that gives you an edge in the market being stolen.

3. Document security starts with an intricate look at all the risks documents face and the impact of each. A clear view can make upper management aware of the real dangers that can easily occur, and as a result they are more likely to support security-enhancement measures.

4. One of the primary security measures is preventing unauthorized access to documents. Only authorized persons should be able to access each type of data. Access restrictions should be placed both on classes of data and levels of employees and can be integrated easily with the access controls on your multifunction device.

Most multifunction systems today come equipped with advanced access controls. Despite having a large breadth in functions, these controls are actually very easy to use. Plus, by monitoring print usage, you can reduce your costs greatly by supervising usage by department, work group, or even individuals.

Access controls work in conjunction with the security features of your multifunction to set up PIN codes or card-access for desired users. By requiring every user to log in to the multifunction, you can get a clear report on how the device is being used. You can also set authorizations based on access groups. For example, you may want your Marketing Department to have access to color printing, but feel it would be unnecessary for the Sales Department. With access controls, you can minimize unnecessary color printing and reduce your costs.

Effective print monitoring also allows you to create defaults for certain access groups. You can set print jobs to automatically duplex (two-sided printing) to help save paper. This is a quick and easy solution that will yield instant results.

HP today unveiled its “HP LaserJet Pays You Back” global marketing campaign to illustrate the significant cost savings – up to $2,500 in less than one year – that are possible when using an HP Color LaserJet Multifunction Printer (MFP).⁽¹⁾

The campaign illustrates the surprising returns available from an HP Color LaserJet MFP. Over time, the printer pays for itself through money saved and then continues to pay customers back through energy, paper and toner savings.⁽¹⁾

“Upgrading to an HP Color LaserJet MFP is like trading in your gas guzzler for a hybrid that pays for itself in gas savings and then continues to pay its owner after that,” said Ron Coughlin, senior vice president, LaserJet and Enterprise Solutions, Imaging and Printing Group, HP. “The campaign helps demonstrate how HP LaserJet printers are an investment that keep giving back to your business.”  

To celebrate the significant cost savings businesses can achieve by using an HP LaserJet printer, HP is teaming with renowned entrepreneurs Ivanka Trump and Bill Rancic to host the HP “Pay Back” event today at 11 a.m. ET at the north corner of Madison Square Park (next to Shake Shack) in New York. Trump and Rancic will “pay customers back” with a gift, while supplies last, courtesy of HP. 

HP today expanded its portfolio of sign and display printing solutions to accelerate the industry’s conversion from solvent-based to UV-curable and latex-based large-format printing.

The company is refreshing its product line to help customers pursue profitable growth opportunities and capture a larger share of the growing digital printing market.(1)

At FESPA 2010, the major large-format printing and imaging tradeshow of the year, HP announced:

• The new HP Scitex FB700 Printer, a versatile 98-inch (2.5-meter) flatbed printing solution that can load, print and collect up to six sheets of media simultaneously and offers an optional White Ink Upgrade Kit for specialty applications.
• The first public demonstration of its expanded HP Latex Printing Technologies portfolio, an innovative technology that is only offered by HP.
• Plans to spearhead a group of industry leaders to define open Job Definition Format (JDF) specification features for large-format printing, making it easier for print service providers (PSPs) to automate printing jobs and accelerate the web-to-print process.
• The expansion of the HP Large-format Media take-back program to include six new compatible media and seven additional participating European countries.

“Since we began shipping latex and UV-curable printing systems, demand has increased steadily as our customers recognize the superb image quality, ability to pursue new applications and significant environmental advantages over traditional solvent technologies,” said Yariv Avisar, vice president and general manager, Scitex Large-format Solutions, HP. “In just two months, we have made significant advancements to our portfolio, including the addition of five new UV and Latex printers and new workflow solutions and services offerings, that will help the entire industry to transform.”

Are you looking for ways to improve your business? An excellent place to start is by looking at your business processes.

Regardless of what industry you are in, paper and digital documents are the vehicles by which information flows through your business. The efficiency of this process can greatly affect the productivity of your office and ultimately, your success.

The good news is that new technology can help improve your business by streamlining the flow of information. This process enhancement can make a tremendous impact including the following:

• Increasing Profits
• Enhancing Competitive Advantage
• Improving Customer Service
• Ensuring Regulatory Compliance