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dealer conference
26 Print.IT Reseller
Sharp will
also be
launching a
number of
A4 machines
and more
A3 cloud-
ready colour
MFPS...
use of variable data for highly targeted
marketing. Analysts report that the market
has grown around 44% since 2007 and that
the outlook remains positive.
Sharp has broadened its portfolio of high
end MFPs with two highly automated light
production machines designed primarily for
corporate reprographic departments. The
MFPs are also likely to find favour with pay-
for-print firms that need the agility to react
quickly to urgent, unscheduled jobs.
The MX-7040N and MX-6240N, which
can print and copy at speeds of up to 70
or 62 pages per minute respectively, are
capable of reliably producing a wide range
of fully finished documents on a variety
of stock, without the need for specialist
technical expertise.
“Until now, producing large volumes
of high end colour documents has needed
an in-depth knowledge of colour fidelity,
printing and finishing,” says Marc Brion,
European Product Planning Manager,
Sharp Information Systems Europe. “What
we’ve done with these two new MFPs is
to automate as many technical processes
as possible, so that non-technical staff can
produce predictable and consistent results.”
Sharp is also set to increase its presence
in the commercial, quick and franchise print,
print-for-pay and corporate reprographic
markets with the launch of three new
production-class black and white printing
systems – the MX-M1204, MX-M1054 and
MX-M904, which can print and copy at
speeds of up to 120, 105 and 90 pages per
minute respectively.
The machines, pitched as Sharp’s most
powerful and resilient yet, have been
designed for use in demanding, high volume
printing environments which need to
produce a wide range of finished documents,
with minimal operator intervention and
incorporate several new features designed
to optimise system availability.
Addressing the Cloud
At Inspire Expo, Sharp shared research
data from analyst house IDC which
reveals that almost half of all businesses
are already using cloud services in some
form or other today and that this figure is
predicted to rise to more than 90% in the
next three years.
The manufacturer confirmed that, for
this reason, it is enthusiastically engaging
with a growing number of selected software
partners to develop new cloud-based
software solutions, as well as making
substantial investments in in-house
development.
The new services will be made available
through Sharp’s B2B Cloud Portal, a
comprehensive license management
system which makes it easy for its channel
partners to sell user licenses, creating
new opportunities to gain incremental
and recurring revenues by adding value to
Sharp’s MFPs.
The first licensed cloud application from
Sharp will be a document management
system which allows content management
and collaboration between work teams.
It will integrate MFPs with other everyday
office platforms such as digital white
boards, laptops, smart phones and tablet
PCs, supported by shared project folders and
virtual meeting room functions.
Cloud-ready MFPs
Sharp will also be launching a number of
A4 machines and more A3 cloud-ready
colour MFPs throughout 2013, building on
its commitment to innovate for the mutual
benefit of its customers and its channel
partners. Together these products will further
expand its extensive portfolio of office and
IT-centric MFPs: an important source of
revenue and a key area of its business.
The launch of a new App, Sharpdesk
Mobile, which is available free of charge
from Apple’s App Store, wirelessly connects
Smartphones and Tablet PCs with the
printing and scanning capabilities of Sharp
MFPs, reinforcing the manufacturer’s
campaign to create a wide portfolio of tools
with one aim in mind – to make life easier
for people who have to work on the move.
Software applications
Also announced was the arrival of a
suite of software applications designed
to help businesses maximise the return
on their investment in MFPs. The new
applications – Print Release, Print Release
Lite, Job Accounting and Job Accounting
Plus Software – can be used to increase
productivity and efficiency in the office,
while controlling costs and reducing waste.
“We have been keeping dealers and
business partners closely informed on the
true picture of Sharp’s commitment to its
Document business in Europe to counter
the unhelpful media speculation of recent
months,” says I’Anson.
“There was probably no better time to
be able to make a bold statement of our
new pan-European business and forward-
thinking plans for ambitious growth
than at the hugely successful Inspire
Expo conference and the reaction from
our channel partners was resoundingly
positive.“
www.sharp.eu
...Continued