Document management systems and services provider IKON Office Solutions is being acquired by Ricoh, a leading manufacturer of multifunction products, printers, fax machines and related supplies for about $1.6 billion in cash. IKON will be a subsidiary of Ricoh, once the acquisition process is completed.

The acquisition will bring together IKON's sales and services capabilities and Ricoh's engineering and manufacturing expertise.  

IKON integrates copiers, printers and MFP technologies from leading manufacturers and document management software and systems, to deliver tailored, high-value solutions implemented and supported by its global services organization. Ricoh on the other hand offers a wide range of digital, networked products, including MFPs, printers, fax machines, semiconductor related products and digital cameras.

Sharp Imaging was selected for the 2008 BERTL's BEST award for “Most Secure Multifunctional Peripheral (MFP) Range” Award, making this the fifth straight time the company has won the award in this category.  

Sharp MFPs ensures security at every step of the document lifecycle, right from the initial scan to the final output and distribution with a host of network authorization and security options, including Kerberos, IPSEC and SSL. These allow users to easily control and monitor the Sharp MFP. By utilizing account codes, user/group profiles, passwords, external user accounts or access cards, Sharp users can prevent and limit unauthorized access to each device. These machines also include advanced fax and email security features. 

The BERTL's Best awards are recognition for the best devices and software in the digital imaging marketplace, accorded after a thorough review of hundreds of digital imaging devices, software and management utilities.

Samsung has launched the CLX – 6240FX, extending its series of mid range color MFP solutions for office workgroup environments.

The CLX – 6240FX is a full-function 4-in-1 multi-function colour laser printer with built-in print, copy, scan and fax capabilities handling up to legal size documents. It has a maximum monthly duty cycle of 80,000 pages per month and standard paper capacity of 850 sheets. Samsung’s SmarThru and SynchThru document workflow and device management applications are included with the CLX – 6240FX. The CLX – 6240FX MFP prints color documents at a rate of up to 25 PPM in letter mode. Other standard features include a legal size platen, auto duplex printing and copy, 80GB hard drive, open architecture and a straightforward control panel to enable a wide range of productivity enhancing document workflow solutions. The laser printer also has a high resolution, up to 4800x4800 dpi, color scanner with CCD technology (Charge Coupled Device) for high quality scanning. Another unique feature of the MFP is the Direct USB Interface which allows mobile professionals the option of scanning to or printing from any standard USB drive. The CLX – 6240FX multifunction laser printer is priced at about $2,399.

The InfoPrint 1764 multi-function product (MFP) was named the “Best User Friendly Color Printer Range”; InfoPrint 1764 was named “Best Color Workgroup Printer”; and InfoPrint 1769 and InfoPrint 1759 MFP were named Best User Friendly Workgroup Family by BERTL.  These MFP products were evaluated on several criteria, including print and copy speeds, feature sets, functionality and performance.

Printers from InfoPrint were commended for their features that included ease of use to check device status, scan preview feature on the InfoPrint 1769 and 1759 MFPs, security features such SNMP, SSL and IP security, Mac filtering and Kerberos authentication on the InfoPrint Colour 1764.  The InfoPrint 1764 MFP allows users to copy, print, scan and fax using that one device, while the InfoPrint 1769 and InfoPrint 1759 boost end user productivity with color printing, color photocopying, color duplex scanning and monochrome faxing. 

Epson has introduced a new model, the Epson Stylus NX400, of a new generation of all-in-one printers that provides printing, scanning and copying, combining great performance and convenience. Moreover, the printer can provide excellent results on plain, photo and specialty papers. The printer uses Epson’s DURABrite Ultra ink which is smear- and smudge- resistant; in fact, even the plain-paper prints can reportedly last about 6 times longer that comparable models. The machine can deliver up to 34 ppm for black and color text documents, 4” x 6” borderless photos in as fast as 26 seconds, and up to 30 cpm for both black and color copies. The photocopying and scanning capabilities make it ideal for preserving important documents and photos digitally with one-touch color copying and high-quality scanning. Moreover, this MFP integrates a single-touch standalone copying feature for photos and documents, with the option to reduce and enlarge black and white or color copies from 25 to 400 percent and quickly enlarge 4” x 6” and 5” x 7” photos up to letter size.