By Admin / Information Technology • Konica Minolta / 0 Comments

Konica Minolta – Digital Light Printing (DLP)

Konica Minolta provides Australian manufacturers with first look at revolutionary technology at National Manufacturing Week

May 7, 2018 – Konica Minolta is offering manufacturers a first look at revolutionary technology that will propel them into the future at National Manufacturing Week, from May 9-12 in Sydney.

Marc Brandon, 3D and Robotics Marketing Manager, Konica Minolta, said, “Konica Minolta is showcasing a new wave of technologies for Australian manufacturers that will accelerate operations and reshape businesses. These technologies – spanning additive manufacturing, material sciences, software, and robotics – are advancing and intersecting at such a rapid rate that they are for the first time, a reality for industry-leading organisations.”

Konica Minolta is partnering with 3D SYSTEMS to make 3D production a reality for the Australian manufacturing industry, with the new Figure 4™ system. This new, high-speed digital moulding system will redefine manufacturing by accelerating production, automating manufacturing processes and producing flexible and scalable production, through a new processing technology known as Digital Light Printing (DLP).

In an Australian-first preview, Konica Minolta will showcase the 3D SYSTEMS Figure 4 Standalone system, part of a wider family of Figure 4 technologies, at National Manufacturing Week 2018. These cutting edge DLP systems, deliver the industry’s first scalable, modular, fully-integrated 3D printing platform with ultra-fast speed, enabling throughput improvement up to 15 times and up to 20 per cent lower parts cost.

Matthew Hunter, National Manager 3D, Konica Minolta said, “Konica Minolta is already engaging with industry and organisations that are willing to partner with us in bringing this and other additive manufacturing production systems to the market. By working together, we can expedite its arrival, while leveraging Konica Minolta’s industry leading support capabilities, to the benefit of all manufacturers in Australia.”

Another technology that is making 3D production a reality and shifting how organisations operate is Direct Metal Printing (DMP). Victorian-based engineering company, Amiga Engineering recently installed the 3D SYSTEMS ProX 320 DMP metal printer and will be on the Konica Minolta stand, showcasing its new high-performance metal material output.

Matthew Hunter said, “Konica Minolta is excited about bringing this ground-breaking technology and new high-performance metal materials to the market, and we look forward to seeing how our customers use them to transform their business.”

Michael Bourchier, General Manager of Amiga Engineering and DMP Additive Manufacturing service bureau Metal3D.com.au said, “Amiga Engineering was closely following the growth of this technology and decided it was time to take the plunge into this concept area to grow it and expand the business. We have seen great traction in a short amount of time with customers and prospects in industries such as medical, dental, aerospace, and motorsports. This will help advance the industry as a whole by creating use cases and applications for the technology.”

Also as an exclusive preview for the Australian market will be the 3D SYSTEMS FabPro 1000, an entry-level industrial 3D printer ideal for engineering and jewellery production. The FabPro 1000 raises the bar for entry-level industrial 3D printing, producing high-quality parts with lightning speed, remarkably low operating costs, and unsurpassed ease of use.

 

By Admin / Information Technology • Toshiba / 3 Comments

Data Security Mistakes Small Businesses Need to Avoid

Is your company doing all it can to protect itself against cyber threats? Here are some of the most common data security mistakes made by small businesses.

Relying on outdated technology – Time doesn’t stand still when it comes to technology. No matter how effective a piece of equipment or version of software may be, it’s always one day closer to being obsolete. It is essential you remain vigilant with software patches or updates to existing devices and budget for replacement technology to keep your data safe.

Lacking an exit protocol – Do you have a policy in place requiring employees that leave your company to hand over confidential data stored on their personal devices? If so, do you enforce it? Confidentiality agreements are another way to protect sensitive information.

Betting on yourself – While you could buy the latest anti-virus software and draft your own cyber security plan, are you really qualified to protect your data from the sophisticated threats we face today? Data security is hardly the place to cut corners to save money; why not outsource your security to trained IT professionals?

Small businesses are not immune to data security threats, and they lack the resources large corporations have at their disposal to combat data breaches. Avoiding these mistakes will help minimise risks for your company.

Visit our security section to delve deeper into the ways Toshiba can help.

By Admin / Information Technology • Uncategorized / 2 Comments

Worldwide Receipt Roll Shortage

There are a number of factors which have caused a worldwide shortage of thermal and plain paper receipt rolls.

The factories, in China, which manufacture the thermal coating dye, have been closed by the government due to excessively high levels of pollution. China produces in excess of 80% of the coating material. China has also ceased the importation of paper for recycling for the same reason. This, combined with a US based paper manufacturer being in Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, has caused a global shortage of paper and the coating material.

Costs have been increasing for some time and up to now we have been absorbing these increases. Recently there has been a dramatic increase in our purchase prices, in some cases in excess of 40%.

As of November 1st 2017 all of our paper roll prices will be increased in proportion with our costs. Any fixed price discounts will be voided immediately.

We do not know how long this situation will last. However, we will keep you informed of any developments.

By Admin / Information Technology • Toshiba / 1 Comment

MPS: It’s More Important than You Think

Managed Print Services (MPS) offer a myriad of benefits, many of which lie dormant even after a company implements MPS.

The primary uses of MPS are to save money, reduce energy costs, and consolidate printer fleets. However, MPS offers much more than that; it’s important that you get the most out of an MPS solution so you can increase workflow and boost productivity.

Here are a few ways to help MPS help you:

Start from the beginning

From day one, plan on using MPS to its fullest potential. Rather than following the learning curve, dive in head first. This way, you will avoid using MPS only for short-term savings. Instead, you’ll be better equipped to take advantage of infrastructure optimization, proactive management, and business optimisation.

Set yourself free

You may not realize it right away, but maintaining a proactive MPS solution will free you and your employees from tedious work – allowing you to focus on more productive tasks. It will also free you from distractions (like when a printer goes down) and tracking inventory (such as when you need more toner). With MPS, it’s all taken care of for you. That way, your employees can focus on what’s actually important: your business.

Integrate everything

In order to truly eliminate inefficient processes, you’ll want to integrate your MPS system with existing business systems to enhance workflow, information management, and compliance. Integration allows you to truly measure your cost savings and track productivity improvements.

Be specific

When engaging with MPS, keep your specific needs in the back of your mind. This includes adopting solutions suited to your specific industry, such as education, law, medical, or finance. Intelligent multifunction devices can be equipped with industry-specific software that provides practical solutions for your unique business needs. Remember, there is more to MPS than copying, printing, and scanning. Make MPS work for you instead of the other way around.

Improvement is key

MPS offers a wide array of benefits, and part of attaining these benefits is process improvement. Always be willing to adjust your MPS solution and your workflow in order to gain the most out of your system.

By Admin / Information Technology • Toshiba / 0 Comments

Future Looks Grim For SanDisk As Toshiba Tells Them To ‘Shove Off’.

Future Looks Grim For SanDisk As Toshiba Tells Them To ‘Shove Off’.

SanDisk whose products are significantly over priced in Australia is facing major problems with parent Company Western Digital now battling to retain a foot in the door at Toshiba.

Dumped by Apple SanDisk is dependent on the production coming out of Toshiba factories for their memory, now Toshiba wants to rid itself of both SanDisk and Western Digital. At the weekend Toshiba took another stab at its U.S. joint venture partner, Western Digital Corp., saying it has no rights to new chip production that’s vital to the future of both companies.

The latest escalation of the fight between the two centres on a new factory called Fab 6. Toshiba said it will build the plant without any participation from its U.S. partner, thereby cutting off Western Digital from chips made with the factory’s new technology. Western Digital inherited its stake in the joint venture when it bought SanDisk who after being dumped by Apple was acquired by Western Digital.

“Toshiba is dismayed by Western Digital’s pattern of exaggerating SanDisk’s rights under the relevant agreements,” the Tokyo-based company said Friday in a statement.

“Despite claims to the contrary, Western Digital does not now possess any legal ‘rights’ to participate in this phase of investment, which is an important investment in the next generation of flash memory.”

Western Digital soon countered with a statement of its own, saying Toshiba’s position is wrong and affirming its rights.

“The terms of the agreements and our related legal rights are clear, and we remain confident that we will receive our share of any capacity from Fab 6,” the San Jose, California-based company said. “We are continuing our constructive dialogue with Toshiba on this and other matters.”

 

On Friday, a judge in San Francisco agreed to change a temporary restraining order — prohibiting Toshiba from blocking Western Digital employees access to shared databases and other joint-venture facilities — into a preliminary injunction. The order also requires Toshiba to continue to supply materials and sample wafers to Western Digital in the U.S.

Western Digital needs to retain access to output from new Toshiba factories as improvements in manufacturing technology are one of the key determinants of success in the memory chip industry. Newer plants and equipment typically produce better semiconductors more cheaply.

Toshiba said the talks haven’t proved fruitful.

“Toshiba provided an investment proposal to SanDisk earlier this year,” it said in the statement. “Despite numerous meetings and negotiations, including at the CEO to CEO level, Toshiba’s proposal was not accepted on the timetable set out in the agreements.”

Western Digital shares declined 4 percent Friday to close at $81.17 in New York. The stock has gained 19 percent this year.

By Admin / Information Technology / 1 Comment

Remove Security Vulnerabilities from Your Office

You take great strides to ensure your business is secure. You use individual passwords at each employee’s workstation, which are required to access shared files. Your servers are encrypted, and you’ve spoken at length with your IT department about protecting the most sensitive information that your company retains.

Then you send that data to your printer.

Research shows that 90 percent of companies have had security breaches linked to printing. Most printers and MFPs capture and save images of your documents, making them potential security targets if left unsecured. All of your business documents—everything from client contracts to proprietary data—are at risk if you fail to secure your company’s imaging devices.

Consider implementing the following tips to secure your business documents.

Beef up your armour. Check to ensure that your devices aren’t using a public Internet connection. Make sure they are on your private network behind a firewall or router, so that only you and your users have access to them. Check with your IT provider to ensure you are protected.

Reset default passwords. Network printers can be accessed remotely with a simple password. One easy way to secure your printer is to change your device’s default password regularly, so that unauthorized individuals can’t access sensitive data. You know the drill—be sure to choose a password that is at least eight characters in length with a unique combination of letters, numbers, and special characters.

Secure outputs. Forgetting to pick up prints provides others the opportunity to access sensitive information intentionally or accidentally. Many networked printers include security features that require users to type in a code at the machine before the job is released. This reduces the chances of printouts being left in the tray for anyone to grab.

Engage sophisticated encryption such as Toshiba's Self Encrypting Hard Disk Drive technology.

Keeping your data safe. Ensure you purchase an MFD with SED HDD technology – Toshiba’s unique SED (Self Encrypting Drive) technology employs sophisticated encryption which only allows the MFP it has been installed in to access the data. If removed and connected to another PC or MFP the data cannot be extracted. Instead the encryption key, which is stored on the HDD itself, will be deleted.

Switch to MPS. Managed Print Services (MPS) shifts the management and security of your imaging devices to a trusted managed services partner. With MPS, you can rest assured that all of your devices are secured at all times and that any latent information will be wiped clean when your leases expire or when you decide to upgrade your printing equipment. MPS offers the added benefits of cost and time savings, since your staff will no longer have to worry about securing and maintaining your printing equipment.

Reach out to us to ensure you have safe and secure printing and imaging devices.