News

How bright is your White?

colm@mthuttdigital.co.nz (Colm McGrath) — Mon, 03 Aug 2020 23:23:08 GMT

Did you know about the Xerox Speciality Dry Inks?

Add some sparkle and outshine the competition with colours including Metallic, Clear (yes clear can be a colour too!) and White which contrary to popular opinion is a surprisingly complex colour.

In digital printing, Xerox white toner brings incredible versatility to the page. You can layer it on top of colour paper stock for spot embellishments, put CMYK on top of it, and mix it with specialty colours to create an entirely new colour. “Our white opens it up for artists and designers to do a lot,” says Xerox scientist Yat Ming-Wong.

The colour white can represent so many things: hope and fear, sand and snow, life and death. Who knew a colour could be so interesting!? The team at Xerox have come out with a fantastic video about how white their white really is. Check it out below

How does Xerox White Dry Ink play multiple roles in the printing process:

It enables white to be printed on coloured substrates — sitting atop either non-white media or CMYK-printed images.It can provide a bright white base coat for optimising CMYK vibrancy and enabling variable information printing on coloured surfaces.

It can broaden the range of non-white substrates that can be used for invitations, menus and various marketing pieces — such as direct mail, postcards, business cards and posters — often to striking effect.And when printed in percentages rather than full coverage, white ink can create frost or translucent effects.

Ricoh Business Booster

colm@mthuttdigital.co.nz (Colm McGrath) — Sun, 05 Jul 2020 22:15:39 GMT

Ricoh steps up with extra COVID-19 support for their business clients

Print Service Providers (PSPs) looking to reassess their operation and identify how to shape future developments in response to the global pandemic are being supported by the newly launched Ricoh Business Booster programme .

Free to clients that operate a Ricoh production printing press , Ricoh Business Booster contains a wealth of information including advice and ideas on what the next steps could be in a post Covid-19 marketplace.

“The Ricoh Business Booster programme represents one of a number of key initiatives Ricoh is investing in to help our clients, “Our ambition is to not only provide them with practical tools and resources but also to create a strong community, sharing ideas and approaches to support the good of the print industry.” says Erwin Busselot, Business Innovation & Solutions Director

As well as providing a free support and advice resource to their clients, the service also contains a wide choice of easily downloadable artwork for social distancing signage .

With their easy-to-use interfaces, reliable paper handling, advanced security and sophisticated tools, Ricoh is the smart choice for your workplace. Contact us today for more information.

Halo - Protecting Your Workplace

colm@mthuttdigital.co.nz (Colm McGrath) — Sun, 28 Jun 2020 01:59:43 GMT

Halo is a wearable band to help your employees maintain social distancing at work.

The Halo Solution provides data capture, event summarisation, and additional reporting of close-distance encounters between workers wearing Halo wristband devices. The solution is designed to manage and protect:

Regular staff who work on a site that is operating with requirements to keep a minimum distance between individuals
Temporary worksite visitors without knowledge of specific operational patterns and designated buffer zones
Worksite managers with responsibility for staff training and workplace safety compliance Corporate managers with
multi-site overview responsibility, including safety incident reporting and personal protection equipment
compliance

Halo notifies wearers that another band is within 6 feet (2 metres), reminding them of the need to maintain social distance. Get in touch with Colornet today to learn more about how to keep your employees safe at work.

Ricoh is joining the battle with innovative technology

colm@mthuttdigital.co.nz (Colm McGrath) — Sun, 03 May 2020 01:42:18 GMT

Ricoh 3D has ramped up its support to tackle the COVID-19 crisis

The company is using its innovative technology to 3D print and produce 40,000 face shields a week for NHS workers, designed to improve comfort and offer a re-usable solution to cut long-term costs.

Based in Telford, UK, Ricoh 3D is in discussions with medical establishments and NHS Trusts across the UK, after working around the clock to get effective protective equipment to the frontline using the rapid prototyping capabilities of additive manufacturing.

Only 24 hours after receiving the design file, the Ricoh team had the head support 3D-printed and remaining components sourced and assembled using the power of their supplier network. Having refined the design to enhance comfort and reduce contamination, the face shield has now been approved for production.

Colornet have been providing products and support for brands such as Ricoh to its customers for over 20 years and its great to see their knowledge, expertise and innovation come together to support front line workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

For more information and the full article head over to Ricoh .

At Colornet we are doing our best to keep Ireland business safe and can now supply quality professionally certified hand sanitiser (70-80% ethanol with full SDS). Tested to be effective against Corona Virus within 15 seconds.

This is a low-viscosity formulation gel, leaving no sticky residues on the hands. This is a skin friendly formulation containing Aloe vera with easy application to help compliance.

Stay home and Get Creative

colm@mthuttdigital.co.nz (Colm McGrath) — Sun, 19 Apr 2020 00:57:37 GMT

Canon has some amazing printable resources if your stuck at home and looking for some free fun!

Canon can be found in homes and businesses all across the world and are well known for their cameras, printers and amazing advancements in technology.

Canon aims to make technology easy so you can focus on your business - big or small. Their range of products ranges from small and medium office printers to advanced software solutions and medical imaging.

But today we are bringing you something a little more lighthearted. We stumbled across this free online resource that anyone can use to keep yourself and the family occupied. There are 100s of free paper craft templates that you can print at home and start creating!

There are games, educational ideas and for the adults, you can finally get your hands on a Jaguar personal helicopter. Head over to Canon Creative Park and checkout all the projects and props.

Quarantine cleaning for your multifunction printer.

colm@mthuttdigital.co.nz (Colm McGrath) — Sun, 05 Apr 2020 08:02:30 GMT

With the world news dominated by the Corona Virus pandemic, many are setting up our home offices and taking their printers too...

The option to work remotely or from home has become more and more popular in recent years. Especially with the advancement of wireless technology, managed print services and remote access to cloud storage. Not braving the rush hour to get into the office has never been so easy. However, with this new and disruptive pandemic sweeping the world, working from home has taken on a whole new purpose. It is not just about flex-ability anymore, remote work is safer.

In this post we want to share with you some tips and information to hopefully help keep your office space clean and make sure your Multifunction printers, Devices and presses are working for you.

Moving your Printer

If you are planning on moving your office into your home and are taking your printer too then it is always worth checking out the recourses that your brand had available but here are a few things to remember:

Don't tilt or turn it upside down as the inside of the printer may become contaminated with toner. This can cause damage to the printer or affect print quality.
When moving the printer, do not tilt it more than 10 degrees in any direction. Tilting the printer more than 10 degrees can cause toner spillage.
Before moving anything make sure to take any paper or other media from the output tray. If the output tray extension is open, close it.
Remove any paper from the paper tray.
If you are moving the printer over a long distance, remove the drum cartridge and toner cartridge to prevent toner from spilling.

Cleaning your devices

If you're bringing equipment home from a shared office then you want to make sure that you give it a good clean before you move anything. You can use the following guidance for your multifunction printers and device panels, buttons, display screens and areas that people come into contact with.

Turn off the device, disconnect AC power, and unplug device from the outlet before cleaning.
Wear disposable gloves when cleaning and disinfecting surfaces.
Moisten a clean, soft, lint free, cotton cloth with a mixture of 70% isopropyl alcohol and 30% water (also known as rubbing alcohol). Do not use fibrous materials, such as paper towels. The cloth should be moist with no free liquid to ensure dripping does not occur. You should never spray any liquids directly onto the product.
Gently wipe the moistened cloth on the surfaces to be cleaned. Take care to prevent moisture from entering inside the product or between gaps around the control panel or buttons. Disinfectant entering the product may result in extensive damage or failure due to corrosion.
When cleaning a display screen or control panel, carefully wipe from the top of the display to the bottom. Do not rub the control panel strongly as it can be easily scratched or cracked.
Ensure surfaces have completely air-dried before turning the device on after cleaning. No moisture should be visible on the surface of the product before it is powered back on.
Discard gloves after each cleaning and wash your hands immediately after gloves are removed.

Canon Essential Services

colm@mthuttdigital.co.nz (Colm McGrath) — Sat, 28 Mar 2020 22:14:21 GMT

Canon have released a statement on their COVID-19 action plan, here's what they had to say...

Canon has been taking steps to minimise disruption while taking preventative measures to serve the best interests of employees and extended communities. They are committed to supporting the many business customers that are on the frontline in helping our communities confront the pandemic while they navigate this extremely difficult time.

Staff and customers

For the protection of staff and customers Canon have temporarily closed all Canon premises in Ireland and the UK to visitors. Following the restrictions introduced by the UK government on 23 March 2020, visitors will not be allowed admission, except for essential business needs and with specific executive approval.

They have also taken actions to encourage social distancing by activating flexible working arrangements and the Canon workforce is fully equipped to work remotely, using the current collaborative technologies. So employees have be asked to work from home where possible.

Products, materials and supplies

As part of their contingency planning in relation to Britan leaving the EU Canon has already taken measures to increase warehouse stock of business imaging products within the UK. As such Canon currently hold significant stock levels of toner, inks, paper and frequently used spares (parts) in our UK warehouse. They are confident that this will support them in the short term in continuing to meet with standard levels of demand across all existing UK customers.

Service and support

Canon has a highly effective remote resolution and response team in place and an agile field service presence of around 300 directly employed service technicians, based throughout the UK. Canon also has a s cheduling system that provides optimal engineer availability and coverage and flexible working arrangements can extend to providing on-site support, in certain exceptional situations.

As a temporary measure, Canon have developed amended helpdesk workflow processes to allow for circumstances where the delivery of consumables or an engineer visit is halted or restricted due to isolation requirements stipulated by the customer or governing authorities.

In every case where support is requested, they will be assessing, in partnership with customers, the necessity of a Canon employee’s physical presence at a site.

For more detailed information you can read the full Customer and Partner Coronavirus Statement from Canon.

An update from Xerox

colm@mthuttdigital.co.nz (Colm McGrath) — Sat, 28 Mar 2020 21:44:17 GMT

Our number one priority always is the health and safety of our employees, clients, partners and their families.

As with most businesses, Xerox has established a COVID-19 Response Team that meets regularly to monitor developments and closely follow the guidance and advisories from governments and public health organisations.

They have updated us with their response to the COVID-19 pandemic and are taking a range of actions including:

Educating all employees about the virus.
Encouraging their employees to work from home if they can.
Sharing resources and guidance on how to contain the illness.
Increasing and expanding cleaning of facilities.
Establishing a comprehensive visitor screening process.
Requiring employees exhibiting any symptoms to stay at home.
Enforcing a stringent return-to-work policy if an employee becomes ill.

Parts, equipment and supplies

At this time, COVID-19 has not impacted equipment, parts and supplies availability. Xerox have also started to activate mitigation strategies, alternate sourcing, asset recovery and reverse logistics.

Support and service

Xerox is continuing to provide support and service within impacted areas as national and local governments allow.

Most technicians dispatch from their homes and are not dependent on local office and warehouse locations. If local operations are impacted, we will reach out to you.

They are also encouraging customers to use the remote support options that are available where possible to reduce the need for visitors to your workplace.

We will be keeping up to date with our suppliers but for the full information from Xerox you can head here

Rioch during COVID-19

colm@mthuttdigital.co.nz (Colm McGrath) — Sat, 28 Mar 2020 21:21:56 GMT

Ricoh are keeping us up to date with their response to the COVID-19 pandemic

Ricoh group were quick to respond to the outbreak of the coronavirus and had established a Crisis Management Team back in January to stay onto of the ongoing situation and guidance from the World Health Organisation.

Ricoh has been evaluating putting action plans into place on a region-by-region basis to ensure the safety and wellbeing of their customers, employees and family's whilst also maintaining the supply of their products and services to its customers.

Here is what they have to say on their current operations and how they are planning for the future.

Ricoh engineers and staff

The company is working to put plans in place for the business, its staff and its customers depending on the impact of COVID-19 and how it may affect operations.

Ricoh has invested heavily in creating a resilient and flexible infrastructure to support their ability to adapt to different working circumstances and intend to make every effort to continue to deliver excellent service levels their customers. .

Supplies, spare parts and new products

Ricoh maintains a good inventory of spare parts, new products and all toners and is continuing to receive regular shipments.

At this time they don't expect any disruption but have also put in place contingency plans to address any potential shortage should their supply chain for spare parts become impacted.

Ricoh is working with customers on an individual basis to support the installation of new products as appropriate depending on local restrictions in place.

Color net will be keeping up with any changes from our suppliers and hope to keep our customers as informed as possible during these uncertain times.

Boost your business with Colour!

colm@mthuttdigital.co.nz (Colm McGrath) — Fri, 20 Mar 2020 05:17:34 GMT

This Saturday 21st March is International C o l o u r Day

Whether you realise it or not, Colour is one of the most inspiring and influential things in many peoples lives and is an important channel that contributes to the perception of reality, emotion and mood.

Since 2008 this day has been celebrated with various various activities that are related to colour and perception. Colour can attract, influence, and even increase retention. Colour is and often underrated but powerful tool that can be used for any business and has so many applications. The way you present your company’s ideas with the use of colour in printed material is becoming an increasingly important issue.

What the science says...

Studies find that using colour in your documents is both impactful and influential. Just some of the things that the use colour can do include:

Make you 39% more memorable.
Increase phone contact by 44% when the contact number is printed in colour.
Important information displayed in colour helps readers to find it 70% faster.
Colour increases sales, motivation and brand recognition by 80%
Increase payment response up to 30%

The team at Xerox have put together a guide for how to use colour in documents and how it impacts the reader.

As you can see, studies have shown how colour can help you get your point across in a way that will be remember. If your customers will find what they are looking for faster and will feel motivated to get in touch when they do then surely it makes sense to take advantage of this?

In the world of printers and copiers, Colour has become increasingly affordable and easier to control so there has been an ever-increasing use of colour in printed material.

Colornet provides many digital printers and multifunction printers that provide colour printing, get in touch today to talk about your home or business needs and how we can help.

Facts about paper that you didn't know you needed!

colm@mthuttdigital.co.nz (Colm McGrath) — Fri, 20 Mar 2020 03:15:23 GMT

There are many ways to get the best performance from your printer, the paper you use is just one of them!

Print Speed

Print speeds for most printers are measured in Pages Per Minute (ppm). You will see this used across all of our product pages on the Color net website.

This speed is evaluated by using an industry standard print test page and printed single-sided on 60-105 gsm 8.5×11″ LEF (Long Edge Feed) paper.

Heavier and larger paper stocks, paper orientation, duplex (double-sided) printing as well as increased document complexity, will increase printing time and slow print speeds down.

Print Speed Considerations:

Heavier media is thicker, so it offers more resistance when being fed through the paper path of the printer. To adjust for this, the printer adjusts friction and feeds the paper slower to allow the paper to properly pass through the paper path without jamming. Tray settings that have the paper weight set too heavy incorrectly will take longer to print, and may also increase the instance of skewed prints, paper jams and misfeeds. Tray settings that are set too light will increase the likelihood of misfeeds, jams and possible damage to the printer.

Printing with the grain is less of an issue with normal bond paper weights, but is still important and critical with paper weights of 120 gsm or more. When paper is pulled into the printer to be printed on, it is bent and curled around rollers inside the machine as part of the printing process. Paper bent perpendicular to the grain structure of the paper offers more resistance than paper bent parallel to the grain. As a result, printing against the grain of the paper can increase the occurrence of misfeeds and paper jams. For best results, load the grain edge of the paper parallel with the printing process.

As heavier paper is thicker, it contains more mass, requiring a higher fuser temperature to properly bond the Toner to the media. Tray settings that are set incorrectly can result in poorly fused Toner, Toner rub off, as well as misfeeds and jams.

Print speeds for single sided and double sided are generally rated as the same print speeds, with the exception that each side of a Duplexed sheet is counted as 1 sheet (ie: 50 pages per minute equals 25 sheets). However, as the paper in a duplexed print job needs to be bent around rollers and fed around the duplex path to print the second side, print speeds are reduced for heavier media. Incorrect tray settings can result in slower duplex print speeds, or increased occurrence of jams in the paper path.

Print Quality

Also, print resolution of a companies such as Xerox is measured using Dots Per Inch (dpi), with modern printers ranging between 1200×600 dpi up to 2400×1200 dpi.

However, as the dots are small, and so the surface quality of the selected media is an important factor in the image quality. Plain 20 lb/75 gsm paper, or uncoated card-stocks with rougher surfaces such as cover material, may have a surface that is unable to resolve the printers output resolution as well as smoother paper stocks can.

Print Quality Considerations:

A smoother surface on the paper means a flatter area for Toner particles to bond to when deposited on the paper. A flatter, smoother print surface means the printer can print cleaner, sharper text, cleaner solid areas and more accurate halftones. For best results when printing to Plain paper, use a 24 lb/90 gsm paper such as Xerox Bold Digital Printing Paper.

Paper with rougher surfaces offer an uneven surface for Toner to bond to, resulting in poorer output resolution, muddier text, mottled solid areas and poorer looking halftones. Also, Toner will not properly bond to extremely rough surfaces, such as textured paper, and may result in light or faded output, deletions, lines, poorly fused output and Toner rub off. Some issues with light output can be alleviated by using a higher density setting using the Lighter/Darken setting.

Coated stocks use a special coating to fill in and smooth out the microscopic pits and valleys to create an even smoother surface, and comes in glossy or satin varieties and more. The coated surface offers the optimum flat surface for Toner particles to bond to in the pattern deposited, resulting in optimum condition solid areas, halftones and text. Coated paper is the optimum paper choice where image quality is paramount, such as with posters, banners and even flyers.

Xerox Toner for Non-Xerox Printers

colm@mthuttdigital.co.nz (Colm McGrath) — Thu, 27 Feb 2020 04:39:41 GMT

No Xerox printer, no problem

Did you know that Xerox has toner for non-Xerox printers so you can take advantage of the xerox quality and reliability that you know and trust. These cartridges are available for many HP and Brother Printers.

Xerox invented the toner technology more than 70 years ago and has a long history with laser printing and toner technology.

Check out the Xerox replacement cartridge story video for a good explanation of why you should try Xerox cartridges for your HP and Brothers Printers.

Canon Named leader for high-speed inkjuet press

colm@mthuttdigital.co.nz (Colm McGrath) — Thu, 27 Feb 2020 04:00:01 GMT

In its most recent report, market intelligence provider IDC has placed Canon as the worldwide leader in the high-speed inkjet press market.

The IDC report assessed the major printer vendors that provide inkjet presses to the worldwide market place. The inkjet market is always growing in technological advancements especially around expansion of platforms, ink and dryer technology, and better image quality. Inkjet is a game-changing technology, allowing for high-speed, variable printing at lower costs per page.

The study compared the current capabilities as well as future strategies of key vendors and how they plan to meet their customers needs and requirements. In a summary of IDCs observations of Canon they stated that:

Canon has a comprehensive range of high-speed inkjet production printers incorporating both continuous feed and cut sheet platforms. Canon has a complete direct sales force to cover all global regions, and an experienced supplier to this market, it has high levels of expertise in not only installations and support but services and business development as well.

Canon has excellent workflow with its PRIMSA solutions and invests most heavily in inkjet with R&D spend. Canon has

strengthened its position in its core markets of transaction and corporate/large enterprise print while expanding out into the graphics and commercial printer space with its latest ProStream series platform and VarioPrint i-series.

As for the product capabilities Canon is described as having the technology and expertise to address markets such as book and photo printing, postcard printing, graphics arts work and premium direct mail jobs regardless of budgetary constraints and print room size and dimension limitations.

The IDC report goes on the describe how Canon invests in intellectual property and research and development of their technology and hardware. Canon has built up a strong direct sales force and service organisation including worldwide parts and consumables distribution across global regions. Canon also has a powerful

direct sales force who are trained to be customer focused, integrating Canon systems while transforming the customer's print business. and employs colour and application specialists to help build its capabilities. .

The excerpt of the IDC MarketScape study that relates to Canon can be viewed Here .

About IDC MarketScape: IDC MarketScape vendor assessment model is designed to provide an overview of the competitive fitness of ICT (information and communications technology) suppliers in a given market. The research methodology utilizes a rigorous scoring methodology based on both qualitative and quantitative criteria that results in a single graphical illustration of each vendor’s position within a given market. IDC MarketScape provides a clear framework in which the product and service offerings, capabilities and strategies, and current and future market success factors of IT and telecommunications vendors can be meaningfully compared. The framework also provides technology buyers with a 360-degree assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of current and prospective vendors.

Preventing Printer Papar Jams

colm@mthuttdigital.co.nz (Colm McGrath) — Mon, 03 Feb 2020 23:30:15 GMT

So, You're having problems with paper jams?

Your printer is designed to function with minimal paper jams if you use the recommended paper type for the your model and brand of your multifunction printer . Sometimes other paper types can cause jams. Here are some top tips for preventing this and maintaining your printer.

If you are using the recommended paper and it is jamming frequently in one area, clean that area of the paper path. To avoid damage, always remove jammed paper carefully without tearing it. Try to remove the paper in the same direction it normally moves through the printer. Even a small piece of paper left in the printer can cause a jam and d o not reload paper that has jammed.

What are the top causes of paper jams?

Using unsupported paper.
Selecting the incorrect paper type.
Using damaged paper.
Loading paper incorrectly.
Overfilling the tray.
Adjusting the paper guides improperly.
Dirt, debris, or paper scraps in the paper path.

Most jams can be prevented by following this simple set of rules:

Whenever possible only use the supported paper recommended for your printer.
After loading the tray, at the control panel, select the correct paper type and size.
When printing from a computer, select the correct paper type and size in the print driver.
Avoid paper that is curled, wrinkled, torn, moist, creased, folded or damaged in anyway.
Do not load more than one type, size, or weight of paper in a tray at the same time.
Flex, fan, and straighten paper before loading.
Observe the paper tray fill line; never overfill the tray.
Adjust the paper guides in all trays after inserting the paper. A guide that is not properly adjusted can cause poor print quality , misfeeds, skewed prints, and printer damage.
Store paper in a dry location.
If paper is jamming frequently in one area, clean that area of the paper path.

Is it time to clean your printer?

colm@mthuttdigital.co.nz (Colm McGrath) — Mon, 03 Feb 2020 23:28:36 GMT

Are you having image quality issues with your printer?

Image quality issues can be caused by a variety of different things. To find what may be causing the problem you first need to determine what process you are using when you see the issue. If the defect is only seen on copies that is a different issue than if you see the issue on prints.

So when you try to fix an image defect first ask yourself the following:

Does it happen when you make a copy?
Does it happen when you print?

Did you know that most image quality problems can be solved by just cleaning your multifunction printer ?

If the image quality issue only happens when you are making a copy then the problem may be with the glass that the original travels over to make the copy. If this is the case then I have a question for you, how often do you clean your printer?

Let’s take a look at some of the most common issues when it comes to not cleaning your printer or copier.

Problem

Lines, spots, streaks, voids or deletions on copies or scans.

Solution

This can be caused by dirty Document or Constant Velocity Transport (CVT) glass. Clean the glass on the machine once a month or whenever quality issues arise. Check out this video from Xerox for a helpful how-to.

Problem

Inconsistencies in density of colour in copies or prints

Solution

On some machines you need to periodically clean the laser windows or print head lenses to prevent this.

Problem

Frequent document or paper jams when printing or copying.

Solution

On some machines you can clean rollers that could help avoid paper jams. Alternatively you can arrange for regular services and maintenance of your printer.

So, it is a good idea to familiarise yourself with all the cleaning procedures for your machine. To find out what you can do to keep your machine clean for some printers such as xerox, go to their Online Support page for your machine and select the Perform Machine Maintenance or Maintain the Machine link. There you will find several items that you can take care of yourself.

Image quality issues when you print could be fixed through your settings.

If the image quality issue happens when you print then try printing an internal report from the machine like the settings or configuration report and see if the defect shows on the report.

If the report is fine with no defect or error then the problem is most likely with the original file or document. In this case try printing a different document from a different program and see if the problem is still there.

For Xerox Printers you can look up information on the print quality issues on their online support for your machine. They break down the solutions for image quality issues that happen on copies, prints or both.

Sometimes you may see image issues at a regular interval like every 1 inch. Another component of image issues is whether they are horizontal or vertical lines, bands, dots, or deletions. This video is for Xerox WorkCentre® model printers addresses these repeating defects however the steps and procedures are similar on most Xerox printers.

So there are a lot of components to look for on image quality issues. Knowing these can help you to narrow down the possible cause of the printing issue.

M ake sure you know what feature is being used when the image issue occurs, in what direction it occurs and if it is at a regular interval before you search for solutions online or contact support. And happy printing!

Mobile Document Management Soulutions

colm@mthuttdigital.co.nz (Colm McGrath) — Fri, 24 Jan 2020 02:34:19 GMT

Secrets to a hassle-free mobile work experience

There are now more mobile devices in the world than there are people, and yet, despite the abundance of gadgets, connecting can still be a challenge.

Despite the newfound freedoms of cell phones, anything beyond casual communication is hard when you’re constantly on the go. The promise of work-from-anywhere mobility lets us email from the airport and take calls from the car, but that convenience often comes with added complication.

For remote workers, getting a full desktop experience from wherever work happens is vital to an individual’s success and that of your business.

The more seamless and hassle-free a mobile process you create, the more you empower your workers – with greater satisfaction, more time and more focus. Xerox have put together a guide for what your mobile workers need for optimum workflow. “Document Management for Road Warriors: How to move information when your team lives on the go”

Read the guide and see how you can:

Identify the technology needs of your mobile workers
Understand what it takes to manage documents on the go
Create a mobile environment where workflows are seamless
Easily share information outside of the office, demonstrated in two mobile work scenarios

Today's remote workers use smartphones to access cloud services, networks and pirners. The ability to print on-site for themselves and clients or to print in central locations such as reception areas without access to PCs or the full network is vital.

The Xerox® Instant Print Kiosk allows customers to serve themselves with easy print/copy/scan/fax functions. And with EFI™ Self-Serve Admin Central — a cloud-based management portal — administrators have central control of Instant Print Kiosks, wherever they’re located. With superior performance across all functions, the Xerox® Instant Print Kiosk keeps walk-up users’ jobs moving quickly without hassles. That means more revenue for kiosk owners and more and better document management solutions for mobile workers on the go.

Xerox® DocuShare® Flex

colm@mthuttdigital.co.nz (Colm McGrath) — Wed, 15 Jan 2020 02:32:53 GMT

Did you know Xerox® DocuShare® Flex runs Weekly Webinars?

If you are new to the world of enterprise content management or Interested in sparking digital transformation at your organization? Xerox have you covered.

Xerox® DocuShare® Flex is the easiest way to digitize, automate and manage your content and business processes, securely. With this cloud-based, easy-to-implement ECM platform, you have the tools and capabilities to start working better today. Documents carry critical information that helps run your business and serve your customers. Our document management technology and expertise ensure your business information stays accessible, flexible and secure.

Head over to Xerox to register for their weekly webinars for a live look at how Xerox® DocuShare® Flex can transform your workspace and enhance workflows with document capture, management, and sharing made easy.

Ricoh named as leader in print and document securtiy.

colm@mthuttdigital.co.nz (Colm McGrath) — Tue, 14 Jan 2020 02:34:17 GMT

A new IDC MarketScape report has named Ricoh as a leader in global print and document security.

The report, “IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Security Solutions and Services Hardcopy 2019-2020 Vendor Assessment,” looks closely at Ricoh’s strategy, identifying the ways the company sets itself apart from competitors to deliver customer value as they protect, manage and connect the systems that form the backbone of modern business.

As digital transformation continues to take place across the globe, the report finds Ricoh’s portfolio is designed to address customers’ document and information security pain points and buyer needs across all verticals and company sizes.

Today’s workplaces are more connected than ever, which means keeping information safe is both a bigger and more important task. With this in mind, Ricoh employs a layered approach to security, starting with embedded device-level protection and expanding outward to include network protection, server security, embedded applications and more.

“Overall, Ricoh’s deep industry expertise, managed services capabilities, and alignment with customer demand continue to position Ricoh as a leader in providing offerings to address security in the print and document environment,” said Robert Palmer, Research VP for IDC's Imaging, Printing, and Document Solutions group.

Ricoh works to secure print and document infrastructure, built around “CIA” principles of privacy and security: Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability.

“We are constantly talking with customers, assessing evolving threats, and leveraging that on-the-ground intelligence to develop and adapt solutions that help keep information safe in a rapidly evolving digital world,” said Yasuyuki Nomizu, Corporate Senior Vice President, Chief Information Security Officer, Ricoh Company, Ltd. “Security is one area in particular where Ricoh’s customer-feedback-centric approach really shines. It’s an asset in every aspect of the business, but when you have such a complex and ever-evolving issue like security, it’s really the most effective way to determine what solutions, features and functions will have the greatest impact on keeping customers’ data safe. We are always working to understand the threat landscape, and determine how that affects our customers, and results in developing proactive measures to help safeguard their information.”

Canon imageRUNNER ADVANCE gets even better!

colm@mthuttdigital.co.nz (Colm McGrath) — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 03:22:00 GMT

Canon strengthens and completes its award-winning imageRUNNER ADVANCE portfolio with a smart all-in-one cartridge design

Canon Europe, is announcing the launch of the imageRUNNER ADVANCE C475, an all-in-one cartridge-based A4 colour printer. The new device strengthens the award-winning third generation, 3rd edition portfolio with a high-speed colour offering. Canon has also announced upgrades to the imageRUNNER ADVANCE 525, 615 and 715 which bolsters the existing cartridge proposition by delivering considerable improvements to productivity, usability and security.

Growing productivity

These latest updates are an easy win for businesses looking to streamline workflow and increase productivity. For industries that typically deal with heavy workloads, such as law and finance, you can accelerate your business with this high-performance portfolio - gaining the fast, quality colour print you’d expect from the imageRUNNER ADVANCE range but with a more compact footprint and smaller investment.

Canon works closely with our customers to continually evolve the imageRUNNER ADVANCE platform to meet the needs of its customers. The all-in-one cartridge system for these devices makes toner replacement quick, simple and waste-free thanks to an automatic winding mechanism. Users can also access a quick ‘how to’ video on the home screen for even further simplification.

Intuitively designed, naturally secure

The enhanced cloud connectivity, user experience and security features have also been incorporated into these latest devices, delivering a consistent, user-friendly and secure experience across the entire portfolio - even when working within a mixed fleet. Notable highlights include:

Compatibility with third-party Security Information Event Management solutions, ensuring security is taken care of across your device network
The highly intuitive home user interface
Native uniFLOW Online Express for easy print, scan and track ability with built-in cloud connectivity

“Productivity is at the heart of everything we do” explains Adam Poole, DS Marketing Director Canon UK Ltd. “We’ve been supplying all-in-one cartridge technology for decades, so we’re very proud of our newly strengthened award-winning 3rd edition portfolio."

Read the full press release from Canon here.

Ricoh: Embracing flexibility & Empowering workplaces

colm@mthuttdigital.co.nz (Colm McGrath) — Tue, 12 Mar 2019 04:19:50 GMT

A new study sponsored by Ricoh Europe and conducted by Census wide examines the challenges and opportunities in establishing more agile and flexible businesses.

The survey was conducted in December 2017 and consisted of 1,608 SMB leaders from Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the UK and Ireland.

The main take away from the survey was that businesses need to be able to scale quickly and change direction easily to make the most of new market trends

This transformation starts with technology.

But is improving agility a genuine priority for SMB leaders? Will they actively invest in technology to capitalise on new trends and opportunities? Do SMB leaders have a clear technology vision and understand which technologies will provide them with the greatest benefits?

Find out more about the study here.

Meet the Xerox Inkjet Heroes

colm@mthuttdigital.co.nz (Colm McGrath) — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 05:00:00 GMT

What people are saying about the Xerox® Production Inkjet Portfolio: Innovation, Flexibility, Reliability

People are saying great things about the xerox production inkjet presses, including Trivor® and Rialto®. These presses make inkjet printing accessible and affordable, without compromising quality. Xerox customers are astounded by the advancements they’re now making in workflow, productivity and profitability.

See for yourself:

Canon delivers industry leading cloud solutions

colm@mthuttdigital.co.nz (Colm McGrath) — Tue, 12 Feb 2019 02:47:31 GMT

Canon helps partners deliver industry leading cloud solutions with the next generation of uniFLOW Online

Canon, world leader in imaging solutions, is proud to announce the next generation of uniFLOW Online – 2019.1 - enabling partners - like Colornet - to meet the evolving cloud requirements of their customers. uniFLOW Online 2019.1 offers centralised management features to streamline integration, boost productivity and help businesses gain control of their costs.

Simple installation

With demands on time subsequently reduced, more resource can be focused on customer needs . The Device Setup Utility function, provides a single tool which makes is quick and easy to add or update devices simultaneously. Additionally, an Online Setup button connects users directly from the device. With no need for an onsite engineer, small and large enterprises alike benefit from time and resource savings.

Improved flexibility

Three different packages; basic printing, basic scanning and advanced scanning, with different payment tiers are available. Canon's most versatile cloud-based print and output management solution yet, uniFLOW Online 2019.1 allows customers to easily browse, print and queue documents stored in cloud services without any investment in servers or IT infrastructure.

James Pittick, Director of B2B Indirect Sales, Canon UK and Ireland said, “We’re dedicated to providing partners with robust solutions that allow them to compete in a rapidly changing landscape. With uniFLOW 2019.1, partners can deliver a versatile range of capture and output packages to support customers moving their IT infrastructure to the cloud. Our flexible user subscription-based payment model provides partners with a competitive pricing strategy and a solution which will continue to serve customers as they scale up or down.”

Enhanced connectivity and visibility

Enhanced integration between cloud services, uniFLOW Online 2019.1 and Canon’s expanding multifunctional printer line-up help us to dive productivity for our customers. Compatible with a broad range of cloud services including Dropbox, Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive, this solution gives customers access to familiar tools to facilitate simple print and scanning to the cloud.

This easy to use system is designed to reduce the risk of operational error and mitigate the need for regular onsite support, which gives Colornet more time to focus on serving our customers needs.

There are also enhanced cost benefits of uniFLOW 2019.1, thanks to the greater end-to-end management of print and document processes. Advantages for customers include valuable insights about user, department and device costs and the regulation of employee access and usage through unique department logins. This helps businesses to better budget expenses and minimise waste.

uniFLOW is a customisable solution, that meets customers’ evolving needs without extensive financial, technical or maintenance requirements

Read the full press release here

New Intelligent Devices in the Ricoh range

colm@mthuttdigital.co.nz (Colm McGrath) — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 03:58:56 GMT

Ricoh unveils new Intelligent Devices to meet the evolving needs of the digital workplace

Ricoh has announced the launch of its first series of Intelligent Devices to meet the constantly changing needs of today’s digital workplaces. The range is part of Ricoh’s Dynamic Workplace Intelligence approach and features Ricoh’s new Always Current Technology, ensuring the technical capabilities of products evolve with customer requirements.

Ricoh Always Current Technology platform empowers people to work smarter via technologies that deliver scalability, security, sustainability and simplicity. Users can download and install new applications, features and upgrades directly to their device as they become available, providing complete agility and flexibility. The platform empowers digital workplaces to scale their capabilities based on their latest needs, while also keeping security features and software completely up to date. Additionally, it enables instant access to upgrades the moment they hit the market, eliminating the need to purchase new hardware for additional functionality or wait for contracts to expire. Furthermore, RICOH Intelligent Support ensures software upgrades can be quickly performed remotely and that user uptime is maximised.

Ricoh Always Current Technology is realised in 13 new A3 colour intelligent Multifunction printers including the RICOH IM C2000, IM C2500, IM C3000, IM C3500, IM C4500, IM C5500 and IM C6000 . These devices print from 20 up to 60 pages per minute. They deliver printing, scanning, copying, finishing and faxing support for output sizes up to SRA3, and standard mobile printing support.

“A key aspect of empowering digital workplaces is securing information and making it available to those that need it as soon as it’s required. Information security is a design priority for Ricoh, which is why this range of intelligent MFPs leverage on-board encryption.”
says David Mills, CEO, Ricoh Europe

The new devices include Ricoh’s new touch screen, smart Operation Panel, with an upgraded processor that provides faster transitions between applications. The new interface can be tailored to better adapt to and serve individual workplaces, workflows and needs.

Mills adds: “ We recognise that our customers have new and emerging needs, and that workplaces are expanding outside traditional offices. Our new intelligent devices range means that, just like other smart devices, our customers will be able to install any applications they like at any time enabling them to work smarter and more effectively. We’ve called our new approach Dynamic Workplace Intelligence to represent how we work with our customers to meet their every digital workplace need.”

Find the Full press release here .

Digital disruption could put Irish companies at risk

colm@mthuttdigital.co.nz (Colm McGrath) — Fri, 12 Oct 2018 04:46:42 GMT

Failure to innovate threatens to put a third of Irish companies out of business by 2020

New research commissioned by Ricoh and conducted by Coleman Parkes has revealed that Irish companies are in danger of falling victim to digital disruption, regulatory requirements and economic shifts that are fundamentally changing their markets. 35% of the 150 Irish business leaders surveyed say they will go out of business by 2020 if they fail to innovate in response to these changes.

Key finding of the study show that:

94% of organisations recognise the impact of digital disruption in their sector,
61% are not yet in a position to take advantage of its benefits. The top benefits of innovation were cited as competitive advantage, increased productivity, improving growth and winning new customers.
88% of business leaders in Ireland said that increasing automation will drive significant change in their organisations. Of these, less than a third said that they are ready for automation now and
29% said they won’t be ready in two years’ time. In the next two years, almost a quarter predict they will be unable to react swiftly enough to changing government regulations.
35% of respondents revealed that more government support is needed to support innovation.
43% of Irish business leaders believe greater access to digital technologies would make their businesses more innovative and some are currently exploring culture changes to improve innovation within their o rganisations.
55% are looking at setting up employee innovation workshops in order to teach employees how to come up with new ideas.

Gary Hopwood, Managing Director, Ricoh Ireland, says: “It’s very worrying that the future of so many Irish organisations are at risk because of their failure to innovate. Change is happening and it’s happening now, which is why it’s vital that business leaders take action as soon as possible and formulate a strategy that enables them to embrace digital disruption. While every company is individual in terms of their needs, the need to innovate is crucial for all organisations.”

Find out more here

Almost 70% of Irish adults are buying from responsible companies

colm@mthuttdigital.co.nz (Colm McGrath) — Sun, 30 Aug 2015 12:00:00 GMT

A recent survey of 1072 adults from across the Republic of Ireland was commissioned by Ricoh as part of its Responsible Growth initiative.

The aim of the survey was to find out Irish peoples viewpoints on the overall culture and practices of Irish businesses, and what they believe makes a responsible business today.

Here's what they found.....

69% of Irish people said they are more likely to buy from a responsible firm, rather than a cheaper alternative that was not.
Just 1 in 4 believe that the majority of businesses in the Republic of Ireland operate in a responsible manner
61% of Irish workers are most attracted to companies that offer good working conditions , 53% are liking for a positive culture and 52% want and a good work/life balance.
Less than a third said that regular pay rises are very important

When asked what a business needs to do to be considered a responsible business, the highest priority was treating employees well (75%), including not abusing their rights. The next highest priorities were being honest about products and pricing (74%); following the law (62%); paying the right amount of tax (59%) and reducing environmental impact where they can (56%).

The research also revealed that the not-for-profit/charity sector is perceived to act most responsibly. This was followed in second place by the technology sector, with the retail and healthcare sectors in joint third.

“There is clearly a need for Irish businesses to act more responsibly as they look to grow. The most successful firms promote a positive working culture and place people at the heart of everything they do. Employees are now looking for much more than just a pay packet at the end of the month from their employers. Businesses need to recognise this and provide them with great working environments and a work/life balance that meets their needs."

Gary Hopwood, general manager, Ricoh Ireland

“This research highlights the changing expectations of employees and consumers in Ireland."

Tina Roche, chief executive, Business in the Community Ireland

Head over to Rioch for the full report.