Konica Minolta’s new A3+ colour laser printer, the magicolor 7450II GA, is developed to serve a specific purpose: outstanding colour quality for creative environments. The new printer is equipped with the award-winning engine of the magicolor 7450 while allowing free play to creativity. Designers, advertising agencies and graphic artists can shape their ideas in confidence using a wide range of media. With this device, colour competence, technology and performance also come with a reasonable price tag.

"Colour quality and reliable performance without spending a fortune: For customers from the advertising and design sector, these are the key characteristics that are going to put the magicolor 7450II GA on their shortlist." says Lars Moderow, Product Manager, Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe.

The new colour laser printer is based on the award-winning magicolor 7450, which has won several accolades for its print engine. A BLI "Pick of the Year" award in 2006, a Macworld UK "Black Winner" and five stars from the Spanish edition of PC World in 2007 prove its excellence. The new magicolor 7450II GA is not only an enhanced version of this well-proven device but also ties in essential features to make it ready for the requirements of the creative sector.

Handling large amounts of data for printing is daily business in advertising agencies or with graphic artists. Konica Minolta’s unique Emperon print controller with a fast 733MHz is just one of the features ensuring easy handling of bigger print jobs. For powerful performance, the magicolor 7450II GA offers higher memory 768 MB capacity and is equipped with a 40 GB standard hard disk and a 1 GB network connection. This ensures customers can rely on a fast throughput from both PCs and Macs via its standard PCL and PostScript 3 capabilities.

The truth behind the brilliant colours and photorealistic results of the magicolor 7450II GA is its quality-enhancing technologies. There are four dual-beam lasers to make sure users get highest precision and stability in image writing. An increased colour differentiation, true colour mixing and deep black are made possible by the PhotoART-9600 with 4-bit contone resolution. The Emperon print controller puts colour matching capabilities into the mix and the extremely small and uniform particles of the Simitri polymerised toner further add to vibrant colours and true black.

As creative ideas seldom fit on A4 sized standard paper, the magicolor 7450II GA offers versatile media processing capabilities: formats from A5 to A3+ (311 x 457 mm) and paper weights from 64 to 256 g/m2 can be processed; even banner printing of up to 297 mm x 1200 mm is available, too. So there are no limits to concept books, presentations, proofs, photo prints or even short runs for ads.

Yet, even creativity let loose sometimes needs control. To this end, the magicolor 7450II GA incorporates a professional colour management system. It gives users control over a wide range of simulations, for instance ICC proofing workflows for press simulations in offset production.

"With today’s printers, speed often is the magic word and the devices are developed under the condition to become faster and faster in output," says Lars Moderow. "However, compelling colour quality for creative environments takes time and quality is precisely what the 7450II GA is built for – it is its core competence."

Terms and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders and are hereby acknowledged.

Product images are available at www.konicaminolta-images.com

Contact:

Lars Moderow

Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe

Phone: +49 (0)511 7404-366

Lars.Moderow@konicaminolta.eu

Claudia Bitzer

Pleon GmbH

Phone: +49 (0)711 210 99-416

KonicaMinoltaTeam@pleon.com

Having established a new acoustic test laboratory at its Mizuho Site, Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc. has now obtained ISO/IEC 17025*1 accreditation for the facility from the US-based organisation NIST*2. This means that the facility has been qualified as a test laboratory competent to carry out the acoustic measurements required when applying for the German environmental protection label known as the Blue Angel Mark.

The newly-established acoustic test laboratory is equipped with the world-class acoustic features. To carry out a variety of measurements for multi-functional peripherals (MFPs) and printers, Konica Minolta introduced a state-of-the-art system – the first of its kind in the world – whereby a maximum of 19 microphones can be held in position simultaneously in a multi-microphone traverse, and the angle of the microphones at the end can be adjusted. By introducing a traverse which can be switched with high precision according to the target, the reproducibility of the microphone positioning has been improved dramatically, enabling more accurate measurement.

To measure acoustic data for Blue Angel Mark applications for MFPs and printers developed in-house, Konica Minolta formerly used the services of an accredited test laboratory in Germany. From now on, the data-measurements can be carried out impartially and swiftly in-house, which means that the time taken to acquire Blue Angel Mark certificates will be considerably shortened. Through establishing this kind of system, Konica Minolta will further accelerate and pursue environmental consideration.

Introduced in Germany in 1978, the Blue Angel Mark was the world's first eco-label system, created to address environmental problems and to promote the development and sale of environmentally-sound products. Ever since Konica Minolta earned the world's first Blue Angel Mark certificate in the copier industry in January 1992, we have proactively cleared the new requirements for each revision, and continued to obtain certificates. In November 2006, our facilities in other sites had also been qualified to perform testing for the determination of chemical substance emissions required for the Blue Angel Mark application.

Konica Minolta aims to contribute to the creation of a sustainable society, and we see environmental management as one of our top priorities in corporate management. As a manufacturer, we take rigorous data measurements from the product-development stage onwards, and, based on this data, we diligently seek to reduce the burden we impose on the environment. This is part of our ongoing commitment to enabling our company to provide products, services and solutions worthy of our customers' trust.

*1 ISO/IEC 17025:General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories

*2 NIST:National Institute of Standards and Technology

With its new magicolor 1600W, Konica Minolta proves that a colour laser printer can also be an attractive asset to the home office. Konica Minolta’s magicolor 1600W prides itself on having a small and compact, yet very attractive exterior. Its minimal noise levels and eco-friendly features, such as low energy consumption, further recommend it for your personal desktop. Easy front access is an advantage home users will particularly appreciate; not to mention the fact that the magicolor 1600W makes high-quality colour laser printing affordable.

No matter whether the printer at the private workstation is used regularly or just occasionally, reliable productivity is always the key. The compact magicolor 1600W scores with up to 5 colour and 20 monochrome pages per minute. Konica Minolta’s Simitri HD toner ensures that users get a brilliant overall print result with fine details and true colours that last – Simitri HD toner features an exceptional UV resistance.

Different media types, such as postcards, recycled paper or labels can be processed as reliably as thick paper with up to 209 gsm in weight and up to A4 in format. This makes the magicolor 1600W a great pal for producing photos, presentations, personal stationery or business cards conveniently at home. "Our new magicolor 1600W is an ‘easy’ printer for your home office." says Christina Stubinski, Product Manager Printers at Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe. "It is easy on the eye, easy on the ear – and easy on the wallet. And for home users, creating impressive printing results is a piece of cake. They get the reliability and technology that Konica Minolta stands for paired with effortless usability."

Simple to set up and straightforward to use are major requirements of a printer, many home users say. "Out of the box printing" is what the magicolor 1600W offers. A clearly arranged operator panel with LED display and just a few self-explanatory buttons make using the printer plain sailing. Straight from the front, users gain access to the magicolor 1600W to change cartridges.

Thanks to its compact size, attractive exterior and extremely low noise levels, the magicolor 1600W fully deserves its place on the personal desk. Apart from its size and quietness there is yet another reason why the magicolor 1600W is a real personal printer – its ecologically small footprint. Using the Simitri HD toner saves up to 15% of the energy usually required for laser printing. Furthermore, its emissions are about 40% below those of conventional toner. And once a toner cartridge is used up, users can feel confident that it is recycled to 99%, thanks to Konica Minolta Clean Planet Programme, which is free of charge to users.

"For home users looking for a compact, quiet and attractive device without accepting any compromises in terms of quality and printing cost, we have the right device." Christina Stubinski says. "We consider the magicolor 1600W to be a real smart pal with great inner values."

Terms and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders and are hereby acknowledged.

Product images are available at www.konicaminolta-images.com

Contact:

Christina Stubinski

Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe GmbH

Phone: +49 (0)511 7404-5918

Christina.Stubinski@konicaminolta.eu

Claudia Bitzer

Pleon GmbH

Phone: +49 (0)711 210 99-416

KonicaMinoltaTeam@pleon.com

Konica Minolta is launching the new bizhub 601 and bizhub 751, two highspeed monochrome multi-functional products (MFPs). With their printing, copying, scanning and faxing capabilities the new bizhubs are veritable communication hubs. Central reprographic departments (CRDs) and separate departments at larger companies will particularly appreciate the monochrome independence that the bizhub 601 and bizhub 751 grant them. Thanks to the “Skills to Win” the new bizhubs are equipped with, users will immediately feel at home – and reassured that, whatever the job they want to do is, it is handled with the utmost accuracy, versatility and precision.

"Although today’s printing market is experiencing an ever increasing demand for colour devices, there are still many instances in which our clients go for a reliable, efficient monochrome unit," says Lars Moderow, Product Manager at Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe. "Especially in the high-productivity, high-speed segment we are talking about with the bizhub 601 and 751. They still play an important role there."

It is office environments and central reprographic departments that indeed profit most from the two devices’ ability to handle large volumes at an impressive print speed. With a 1 GHz CPU and advanced hardware featuring 1GB Ethernet, 1GB RAM along with an optional 80GB hard disk, the two bizhubs are well prepared to tackle major print jobs reliably and speedily. In just one minute, the bizhub 601 and 751 produce 60 and 75 black and white pages respectively.

Once the material is printed, the bizhub 601 and 751 feature the proper finishing options to further process large print jobs. Overlay, mixplex, mixmedia, cover and intersheets are just a few of the options available to users. By using them, monochrome booklets, for instance, can easily be equipped with a colour cover. Folding letters manually, e.g. for a mailing, is a thing of the past with the letter-folding mode. Z-folding comes in handy for flyer production.

It is not just in terms of speed and large print volumes that the bizhub 601 and bizhub 751 stand their ground. Versatility is another key characteristic – in different respects: Via the large, full-colour touch screen that bizhub users are already familiar with, they can conveniently access the two devices’ different functions: printing, copying, scanning and faxing. And versatility is also true in terms of media handling. The media range users can choose from includes formats between A6 and A3+ and paper as heavy as 200 g/m2. Thanks to six paper sources users may combine up to six media types in one single print job. To make sure there is no such thing as running out of paper, both bizhubs have a maximum paper capacity of 7,600 sheets that can even be restocked on the fly.

"Our bizhub Open API technology offers a unified platform for seamless integration of third party software," Lars Moderow says. "On the basis of this open interface, customised workflows for individual applications can be created quickly and easily. Together with PageScope Enterprise Suite, our solution for full monitoring and management functionality, these software applications make our devices extremely flexible and ready for use in the desired IT and printing environments. In the end, this further adds to our high-performance devices."

In order to make sure flexibility goes hand in hand with IT security, there are different options for access control to the bizhub 601 and 751. Both devices can be equipped with innovative finger vein authentification or with non-contact IC cards. ISO 15408 EAL3 certification testifies to their advanced overall security features.

Terms and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders and are hereby acknowledged.

Product images are available at www.konicaminolta-images.com

Contact:

Lars Moderow

Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe GmbH

Phone: +49 (0)511 7404-366

Lars.Moderow@konicaminolta.eu

Claudia Bitzer

Pleon GmbH

Phone: +49 (0)711 210 99-416

KonicaMinoltaTeam@pleon.com

Konica Minolta has launched its developer support programme DSP to foster creativity among qualified software vendors and system integrators. DSP enables developers to adapt existing applications to Konica Minolta devices or use successful Konica Minolta technologies, such as OpenAPI, to come up with innovative solutions for challenges so far unresolved. On the Konica Minolta website at dsp.konicaminolta.eu application architects can register to receive necessary resources such as the software development kit (SDK).

"Our successful bizhub concept consists of three major pillars: the bizhub’s architecture, the powerful Emperon print system and the technology that enables our devices to communicate with the outer world," says Marco Reich, Product Manager Applications at Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe. "As for the latter, the communications technology and networking capabilities, we want to give software vendors an opportunity to develop compatible applications – and to expand the circle of compatible devices."

OpenAPI is one of those communication interfaces and networking technologies, delivering the technological basis for authentication tools, pull print functionality and metadata enhanced scanning. At the same time, OpenAPI is the precondition for seamless integration of third party software. It also is the basis of customised workflows for creating individual applications quickly and easily. Successful Konica Minolta applications such as PageScope Enterprise Suite were made possible thanks to OpenAPI. Together with further Konica Minolta technologies, it forms the bizhub Extended Solution Technology (bEST).

With DSP, Konica Minolta is targeting independent software vendors and system integrators to benefit from enriching their software up to integrating Konica Minolta bizhubs to existing applications. Right now, interested developers can register at silver level on the website at http://dsp.konicaminolta.eu.

Registration at this level is free of charge offering members relevant resources and a platform to exchange experiences.

"With DSP, we aim to provide creative minds with the substance they need to think ahead," says Marco Reich. "We trust in their ingenuity to make the most of our technologies."

Terms and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders and are hereby acknowledged.

Product images are available at www.konicaminolta-images.com

Contact:

Marco Reich

Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe GmbH

Phone: +49 (0)511 7404-266

Marco.Reich@konicaminolta.eu

Claudia Bitzer

Pleon GmbH

Phone: +49 (0)711 210 99-416

KonicaMinoltaTeam@pleon.com

Konica Minolta Sensing Americas is proud to announce the launch of the Spectroradiometer CS-2000A capable of measuring ultra-low luminance levels of 0.0005 cd/m² of various light-emitting devices and flat-screen televisions such as LCDs, plasma displays, organic EL displays, LEDs, etc. as well as performing high-accuracy measurements corresponding to scotopic*1 relative luminosity*2.

In 2007 Konica Minolta introduced the CS-2000, a polychromator-type*3 spectroradiometer capable of measuring ultra-low luminance of 0.003 cd/m2. The CS-2000 has been well received in the FPD (flat panel display) industry and was awarded the 13th Advanced Display of the Year 2008 Grand Prize in the Display Testing Equipment Category.

* cd/m²: candela per square meter. cd (candela) is a unit of luminous intensity for light sources, and is derived from the Latin word for "candle".

The new product, CS-2000A, is a high-end spectroradiometer model attaining an additional decimal place of performance in measuring low luminosity to meet further demands from the market. The CS-2000A, the world’s best ultra-low luminosity analyzer, has the capability to ensure accurate measurements as low as 0.0005 cd/m² and enables contrast measurements of 1,000,000: 1*4, the contrast achieved by the newest display devices. This new product provides highly accurate measurement results essential for developing and manufacturing LEDs, organic EL displays, and various other light-emitting devices. In addition, the CS-2000A provides results for high-definition displays, responding to the ever-increasing demand for gradation with near-life texture.
In addition, the selectable measuring angle feature allows the user to select the optimal measuring angle according to the application. A close-up lens (optional accessory) enables measurements of even smaller areas.

Furthermore, the CS-2000A provides measurements that correspond to the visual characteristics of a human in low luminosities.

The peak of sensitivity for human vision is known to shift from green to blue in a dark environment; however, conventional measurement instruments are unable to accurately measure these conditions. The new product "Data Management Software CS-S10w Professional", included as a standard accessory, enables highly accurate measurements responding to the scotopic*1 relative luminosity*2, expanding the scope of applications from product development and manufacturing sites to various research fields including environmental science, medical science, and psychology.

 Product Features

1. Accurate ultra-low luminance measurements as low as 0.0005 cd/m²

By utilizing technology to reduce sensor signal noise, the CS-2000A achieves an additional decimal place of performance compared to previous models. The CS-2000A enables stable measurement in ultra-low luminance regions by providing highly accurate measurements as low as 0.0005cd/m2 at a measurement angle of 1°C. In addition, it maintains less than 5nm half bandwidth* (considered necessary for measuring color) throughout the entire measurement wavelength range, enabling precise color measurements.

* Half bandwidth: An indicator of wavelength resolution.

2. Measurement supporting scotopic vision*1

Standard spectral luminous efficiency* of scotopic vision is included in "Data Management Software CS-S10w Professional" (included as a standard accessory), enabling highly accurate measurements corresponding to scotopic vision.

* Standard spectral luminous efficiency: Relative visual sensitivity*2 determined by the International Commission on Illumination (CIE) and used as a standard

3. High-speed measurement of microscopic areas

The measurement angle switching function of the CS-2000A allows the user to select measurement angles of 0.1°C, 0.2°C, or 1°C according to the application. This enables a standard minimum measuring diameter of Ø0.5mm; furthermore, with the close-up lens (optional accessory), areas as small as Ø0.1mm can be measured. Therefore, the CS-2000A can be used not only for measuring general displays, but also for quick and stable luminosity and chromaticity measurements of ultra-small areas such as on automotive or aircraft instrument panels and for indicators of automotive audio systems.

4. Quality control based on the dominant wavelength

"Data Management Software CS-S10w Professional", included as a standard accessory, enables acceptance judgments* based on the dominant wavelength. The CS-2000A is thus optimal for quality control of LEDs, which are hailed as the next generation in lighting, and various other new lighting devices.

* Acceptance judgment based on dominant wavelength: Judges whether the primary wavelength (dominant wavelength) of the respective color is within the standard range in the chromaticity evaluation of LEDs or other illuminating light sources.

5. Accurate measurement of illuminance

Attaching a diffuser adapter for illuminance measurement (optional accessory) enables the CS-2000A to accurately perform spectroscopic measurements of illuminance and chromaticity of irradiated light.

*1 There are two types of photoreceptor cells that govern human visual perception: Cone cells capable of recognizing colors, and rod cells that recognize brightness only. The darker the environment, the more actively the rod cells function. Scotopic vision refers to the state where only the rod cells are functioning. In this state, the peak of sensitivity shifts from green to blue; as a result, blue color is perceived more brightly. The state where cone cells are mainly functioning due to ample lighting is called photopic vision.*2 Indicates the sensitivity to the brightness of light at a certain wavelength relative to the sensitivity to the brightness of light at the wavelength that human eyes are most sensitive to (555nm for photopic vision and 507nm for scotopic vision), which is set as 1.*3 A polychromator is a structure in which light dispersed into its separate wavelengths by a diffraction grating (operating in the same way as a prism) is converged by a converging lens onto specific positions for each wavelength on an array-type light-receiving element (sensor). This structure enables high-speed measurements because all wavelengths of the light are measured simultaneously by multiple sensors.*4 When measured with a peak luminance of 500 cd/m² at a measurement angle of 1°C

Main Specifications

Measurement conditions for accuracy/repeatability:

• Measurement subject: Standard Illuminant A; Ambient temperature: 23°CC±2°CC;
• Relative humidity: 65% or less

Specifications and appearance subject to change without notice.

With the new bizhub C20 Konica Minolta launches an attractively designed full-colour A4 multifunctional product (MFP). The device is particularly tailored for use by smaller teams handling confidential data in larger companies – such as human resources or accounting departments. Usable both as a stand-alone or network device, the bizhub C20 is fit to provide individual departments with comprehensive and advanced office communication capabilities. Copying, printing, scanning and faxing are available as standard. Featuring Konica Minolta’s "Skills to Win" working with the bizhub C20 is both an economically and an environmentally sound decision.

"The new bizhub C20 is a perfect addition to an existing bizhub line-up in a larger company that is looking for an efficient output infrastructure", says Karsten Wiebking, Product Manager at Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe. "It is particularly suitable for departments such as human resources or controlling, that need exclusive access to an output device, because they handle confidential data like certificates, application forms or payslips."

Featuring high-speed tandem technology, the bizhub C20 gets the job – printing and copying – done quickly: it produces 24 pages per minute in both colour and black and white. Featuring PCL6 and Postscript capability as standard and Windows XPS format as an option, the MFP fits into almost any office environment. An optional HDD provides users with a secure printing option that may be particularly appreciated in teams handling confidential documents: printing is delayed until the user enters the same password at the MFP he has previously recorded at his computer. Space will not be a limiting factor either with the bizhub C20’s small footprint.

Scanning is as speedy as printing and copying. The new bizhub handles 24 originals per minute. On top of its swift pace, the MFP comes up with enhanced network scan functions such as Scan-to-e-mail, Scan-to-FTP, Scan-to-SMB and even Scan-to-USB. Additionally, TWAIN and WIA scan capabilities are available. In faxing, the bizhub C20 also works very efficiently, too. This is due to its ECM/Super G3 capability, which allows users to send and receive faxes at high speed. Thanks to the PC fax driver, users can conveniently send documents straight from their PC without printing them first. Incoming faxes can be forwarded to a user’s e-mail inbox. This allows users to cut down on paper consumption for faxing.

Saving on energy consumption is made possible with Konica Minolta’s proprietary Simitri HD polymerised toner. Much lower fusing temperatures are required than with conventional toner, which results in 15 percent less energy consumption for fixing, a fact testified by the international Energy Star label. In terms of image quality, the Simitri HD polymerised toner ensures crisp text with razor-sharp edges. Speaking of edges: a special edge enhancement function helps towards top results for text, fine lines and drawings. For colour printing, Simitri HD polymerised toner means smoother, more natural colours with richer gradations. The enhanced 600 x 600 x 4bit resolution of PhotoArt 9600 further adds to the bizhub C20 first-rate print quality with a matt finish.

"With its wealth of features, functionalities and conveniences that also constitute its 'Skills to Win', the bizhub C20 helps to streamline every-day office communication, speeds up general office tasks and enhances any team’s or single user’s productivity", says Karsten Wiebking. "For users in their separate teams it acts as their small local communication centre while also being part of a company’s ‘global’ printing infrastructure."

Terms and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders and are hereby acknowledged.

Product images are available at www.konicaminolta-images.com

Contact:

Karsten Wiebking

Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe

Phone: +49 (0)511 7404-5889

Karsten.Wiebking@konicaminolta.eu

Claudia Bitzer

Pleon GmbH

Phone: +49 (0)711 210 99-416

KonicaMinoltaTeam@pleon.com

To meet the demands of an affordable and space saving solution with network capability, Konica Minolta has developed the magicolor 4695MF. Targeted at small yet busy offices and self-employed workers, the all-rounder combines comprehensive functionalities in one compact, attractively designed system. The new magicolor offers printing, copying, scanning and faxing capabilities both in colour and in black and white. With a multitude of standard features, the All-in-One (AiO) is a speedy and reliable expert in all those disciplines with particular versatility in scanning.

"Just half an hour before the client arrives, the reports are not printed yet, a fax needs to be sent and some drafts must be scanned to be e-mailed to a partner. This is a situation well known to small teams working in a complex office environment. What it comes down to in a situation like this is a 4-in1 device one can depend on in terms of quality and speed", says Karsten Wiebking, Product Manager at Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe. "With our new magicolor 4695MF we want to give our customer the confidence of knowing that she or he can always rely on the AiO’s efficiency and quality."

Equipped with high-speed tandem technology, the magicolor 4695MF delivers 24 pages per minute in both colour and black and white. Its versatility makes sure the AiO finds fits into almost any office environment. PCL6 and Postscript 3 capability come as standard with the new magicolor, an upgrade to the new Windows XPS format is optional.

24 originals per minute is also true in scanning. On top of its swift pace, the magicolor 4695MF incorporates enhanced network scan functions such as scan-to-e-mail, scan-to-FTP and scan-to-SMB. TWAIN and WIA scanning are also available. For those who need transportable data storage, there is a scan-to-USB option. Irrespective of the file’s destination, users can choose between PDF, TIFF and JPG format.

In faxing, the magicolor 4695MF excels with ECM/Super G3 capability, making it efficient in this discipline too. Thanks to the PC fax driver, users can conveniently send documents straight from their PC without printing them first. Incoming faxes can be forwarded to a user’s e-mail inbox. This allows users to cut down on paper consumption for faxing.

For overall high quality output, no matter what the desired function, users of the new magicolor 4695MF can count on Konica Minolta’s proprietary Simitri HD polymerised toner. With its ultra-fine carrier particles, it ensures crisp text with razor-sharp edges. Speaking of edges: LineArt stands for further edge enhancement and also helps to achieve top results for text, fine lines and drawings. For colour printing, Simitri HD polymerised toner means smoother, more natural colours with richer gradations. Its first-rate print quality with matt finish the colour all-rounder also owes partly to the enhanced 600 x 600 x 4 bit resolution of PhotoArt 9600.

"Customers looking for a combination of quality colour, speed and comprehensive communication capabilities will appreciate the magicolor 4695MF", says Karsten Wiebking. "It is a compact and economic all-in-one for a small yet busy office that requires complete colour MFP functionality."

Terms and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders and are hereby acknowledged.

Product images are available at www.konicaminolta-images.com

Contact:

Karsten Wiebking

Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe

Phone: +49 (0)511 7404-5889

Karsten.Wiebking@konicaminolta.eu

Claudia Bitzer

Pleon GmbH

Phone: +49 (0)711 210 99-416

KonicaMinoltaTeam@pleon.com

Under the motto "Scale up" Konica Minolta sets new standards not only in monochrome and colour production printing systems but also with high-performance end-to-end workflow solutions such as the Printgroove POD suite. This comprehensive software solution ensures simple, streamlined work processes which increase the overall productivity of central reprographic departments (CRDs), print providers and commercial digital printers.

Konica Minolta’s Printgroove POD software suite now consists of four modules –POD Serve, POD Guide, POD Ready and POD Queue – designed to automate processes in production printing environments. The first module – POD Queue – has been on the market since June 2007; POD Serve and POD Guide were launched in January 2008. Now the fourth module – Printgroove POD Ready – has arrived to complete the Printgroove POD software suite. The four modules comprising the Printgroove POD suite work together to enable efficient workflow management and a 24/7 availability of CRDs or commercial print shops.

The solution developed by Konica Minolta provides standardised, user-friendly mapping of the entire workflow. It covers the whole printing process from job submission and shipping down to invoice generation, providing a seamless link between the various systems used in a production printing environment. As the software suite is individually configurable, it can be adapted to any customer requirements and routines. Thanks to its modular structure and seamlessly integrating components, customers admire the benefits of a software suite that grows with their needs.

The Printgroove POD Serve module is an online store front available at any time, while POD Guide manages and monitors the entire suite to ensure optimal workflow. The new module – Printgroove POD Ready – is an easy-to-use make-ready solution: apart from editing chapters, pages and individual documents it also integrates impositioning.

POD Queue, the first Printgroove module to go on the market, performs highly efficient queuing tasks: it manages incoming print jobs and allocates them to the available output device. At the same time it monitors the system’s status in terms of finishing equipment and supplies. Bottlenecks can be detected and neutralised early on.

"The Printgroove POD software suite helps to simplify work processes in production printing, an environment which is becoming more complex and diverse all the time," says Achim Ricks, Product Manager at Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe. "Together with the new POD Ready we have a complete solution for streamlining processes from job submission and make-ready down to invoicing and delivery. Controlled processes ensure efficient and simplified workflow management and print production. And ease of use is an important characteristic common to all Printgroove POD suite modules."

Terms and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders and are hereby acknowledged.

Product images are available at www.konicaminolta-images.com

Contact:

Achim Ricks

Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe

Phone: +49 (0)511 7404-245

Achim.Ricks@konicaminolta.eu

Claudia Bitzer

Pleon GmbH

Phone: +49 (0)711 210 99-416

KonicaMinoltaTeam@pleon.com

Konica Minolta’s web-2-print solution, the Printgroove JT Suite, consisting of Printgroove JT Web 4 and Printgroove JT Man 4, provides customers in the production printing segment with a comprehensive application for an efficient, streamlined workflow. Printgroove JT Web 4 simplifies the process for the ordering party as well as on the production site. Printgroove JT Man 4 is a job ticket based application automating the print workflow at the production site itself. At both ends, handling is easy and straightforward thanks to a graphical user interface (GUI).

Konica Minolta’s Printgroove JT Suite supports customers in ensuring productivity and cost-effectiveness. The web-2-print solution is particularly useful for commercial print service providers as well as organisations with different, geographically distributed branches. The suite’s Printgroove JT Web 4 and Printgroove JT Man 4 modules can be used individually as well as in combination. On top of the standard Printgroove JT’s modules, several options are available to meet specific customer needs.

At any printing facility, Printgroove JT Man 4 makes life easier because it allows administrators to predefine the entire print workflow for a product before starting production. All functions for an up-to-date production printing workflow from document submission through impositioning and media programming to accounting are covered by Printgroove JT Man 4. Via job ticketing, the basis of the Printgroove JT Man 4 workflow, all relevant details for the production of the print product are collected. Predefined as well as individual impositioning schemes, for instance, make sure the printed sheets will be sorted in their proper order. An attractive option for Printgroove JT Man 4 is JT Color Split. This function allocates colour and monochrome pages within a mixed print job to the printing system that best matches the requirements.

"As a whole, Printgroove JT Man 4 gives administrators at print shops and CRDs the confidence that their production printing workflow is automated at a very high level," says Achim Ricks, Product Manager at Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe. "With job ticketing, callbacks and uncertainties about the product ordered belong to the past. Thus, manual intervention is kept to a minimum and cost efficiency to a maximum."

With Printgroove JT Web 4, print providers – be it an in-house CRD or a commercial printer – offer their clients major advantages in terms of ordering print products. With its GUI, JT Web 4 offers an easy-to-use online ordering front. Clients can not only place their order there but also get a preview of the print product. This includes details such as punch holes and paper colour. As soon as the print product is selected, the client receives an online quotation. However, the easy ordering process is not the only benefit of Printgroove JT Web 4: Together with Printgroove JT Man 4 production routines can also be monitored and optimised in the print room.

"Our Printgroove JT software suite provides an optimal, comprehensive printing workflow for print providers and in-house CRDs," says Achim Ricks. "It combines the efficiency of central printing with the benefits of a job ticket driven workflow. And the customers of the print providers will like the convenient yet sophisticated order process that Printgroove JT Web 4 provides. To sum it up: The Printgroove JT suite ‘scales up’ our and our customers’ business."

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Product images are available at www.konicaminolta-images.com

Contact:

Achim Ricks

Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe

Phone: +49 (0)511 7404-245

Achim.Ricks@konicaminolta.eu

Claudia Bitzer

Pleon GmbH

Phone: +49 (0)711 210 99-416

KonicaMinoltaTeam@pleon.com