By Admin / Toshiba / 0 Comments

Toshiba Meets Stringent ISO Standard

Company’s Toner Manufacturing Facility Achieves International Workplace Safety Certification.

Affirming its long-standing commitment to employee wellbeing, Toshiba America Business Solutions today announces its compliance to the stringent ISO 45001 standard within its toner manufacturing facility in Mitchell, S.D.

ISO 45001 is an occupational health and safety standard which follows other generic management system specifications including ISO 14001 and ISO 9001. National Standards Authority of Ireland certified Toshiba’s ISO 45001 compliance.
“Meeting this rigorous ISO standard underscores our commitment to ensure all of our employees work in the safest environment possible,” Toshiba America Business Solutions President and Chief Executive Officer Scott Maccabe stated.

“We will continue to strive to go above and beyond current international standards to maintain an exceedingly safe and comfortable workplace for all Toshiba employees.”

Toshiba is also implementing many safety requirements extending beyond ISO 45001, which include:
•Personal protective equipment such as safety glasses for anyone entering the company’s toner manufacturing area
•Hearing protection for those spending a least 30 minutes on the Toshiba shop floor
•Respirators for employees working with nanometer-size particles

“It is a compliment to the management and staff of Toshiba to demonstrate compliance in such a proactive manner,” said National Standards Authority of Ireland Chief Executive Officer Geraldine Larkin. “This shows incredible commitment to the safety and wellbeing of their employees.”

Toshiba’s toner manufacturing facility is the primary and longtime (33 years) global supplier of color toner for the company’s industry-recognized e-STUDIO™ copiers. The expansive 25-acre campus – producing more than 59,508 U.S. tons of toner – employs more than 100 people in the Mitchell area.

By Admin / Toshiba / 0 Comments

Toshiba again wins Innovative Product of the Year Honours

Document solutions analyst firm, Better Buys recognises Toshiba’s commitment to quality and innovation by naming the tech innovator’s e-STUDIO™5015AC series of multifunction printers (MFPs) 2019 Innovative Product of the Year.

Toshiba’s five next-generation MFPs secured the trusted authority in office equipment’s top honor after outperforming similar high-volume, colour MFPs in side-by-side comparisons.  Better Buys testers gave the e-STUDIO5015AC series strong marks for the products’ premium features, competitive price and overall value.

Toshiba also earned high grades for its MFP customisation platform, which provides organisations with a completely custom-tailored product that supports unique workflows with the touch of a button.

“The Toshiba e-STUDIO5015AC Series is a scalable and versatile line of devices for companies that want to improve their printing, copying and scanning needs,” said Better Buys editor Melissa Pardo-Bunte.  “We find these products to be innovative in their own right because of the MFPs’ new customization platform that offers new functionality to match each customer’s exact needs.”

Better Buys also presented Toshiba’s e-STUDIO5015AC series with its Q4 2018 Editor’s Choice Award.  Toshiba earned the 2018 Better Buys Innovative Product of the Year award for its groundbreaking hybrid copier, the e-STUDIO4508LP and has won the office equipment authority’s elite honor in five out of the last seven years.

Toshiba’s e-STUDIO5015AC series MFPs are powered by the multi-core Intel® Atom™ processor while featuring next-generation security protection to tackle print, document management and workflow applications in a secure manner.  The products comply with the Hard Copy Device Protection Profile (HCD-PP) – the latest security certification adopted by the US National Information Assurance Partnership (NIAP) and Common Criteria Test Laboratories.  Addressing these standards helps ensure all scans, copies, faxes and digital document prints e-STUDIO5015AC series MFPs perform meet rigorous security assurance standards.

“Toshiba is honored to receive this year’s Better Buys Innovative Product of the Year award,” stated Toshiba America Business Solutions Chief Marketing Executive Bill Melo.  “Our next-generation e-STUDIO products and customisation platform are resonating with organisations seeking a document management solution tailored to match each employee’s unique needs.”

About Better Buys

After more than 20 years as a trusted authority on office equipment, Better Buys is now a rebranded site that offers resources to help companies in the market for Business Intelligence solutions, HR Software, CMMS Systems, as well as printers, copiers, and scanners. Leveraging an experienced team of in-house editors, Better Buys offers a range of content and resources designed to help organizations make smarter purchasing decisions, including expert reviews, authoritative whitepapers & reports, insightful market research, comprehensive buyer’s guides, and more. For more information, visit betterbuys.com.

By Admin / Toshiba / 0 Comments

Gain a competitive advantage with Managed IT

Gain a competitive advantage with Managed IT

No matter your industry, network connectivity and information technology are almost certainly important to your business. Unfortunately, managing IT internally is often an unnecessary and costly burden. Consider moving to Managed IT, where you’ll gain a new competitive edge.

Access to Unbeatable Expertise

Regardless of your business's industry, IT always needs to be managed. Most small businesses can’t afford to hire designated IT staff to manage technology, resulting in a hodge-podge of users clicking through help forums to find solutions to problems as they come up. Even mid-sized businesses will be stuck with IT generalists, responsible for a wide variety of technology issues. The dedicated specialist that comes with Managed IT, on the other hand, will be well-informed about even uncommon issues—no more scrambling to keep up with the latest technology. With Managed IT, you get all the benefits of having a team of experts without having to carry the cost on your own.

Use of Top-notch Infrastructure

It takes a lot to keep your company humming. You’ll need to purchase and manage everything from servers to software, and bandwidth to back-up drives. But because their cost is distributed among many clients, Managed IT providers give you the most extensive infrastructure option available to businesses of any size. Their systems will also be redundant and resilient, meaning you can rest assured that your data and services are safe. You’ll have less downtime, faster processing, more features, and better tools than you could manage independently.

Low Capital Outlay

Network and Information Technology solutions are costly. When you handle IT internally, you’re sinking your funds into equipment, hiring, training, and software. These costs can be erratic and add up quickly, diverting critical cash or tying up credit. On the other hand, Managed IT gives you the freedom to pay over time, distributing your costs rather than demanding unpredictable lump sums. You can also lease your hardware, spreading out your costs over the course of the lease. Your service agreement will outline flat monthly costs, so you’ll have reliable numbers for fiscal planning.

Whatever the role of technology in your business, Managed IT can mean the difference between a costly distraction and a strategic edge. Contact us today to find out which managed services are best for your office.

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 / Toshiba / 0 Comments

Toshiba’s Eco MFP Wins 2018 Better Buys Innovative Product of Year Award

Toshiba’s groundbreaking hybrid Multi-Function Printer, the e-STUDIO™4508LP, continues to receive industry accolades earning the Better Buys 2018 Innovative Product of the Year award for best monochrome copier. Better Buys’ editors recognised Toshiba’s first-of-its-kind copier for its capability to produce both erasable and standard black prints. The technology innovator’s adoption of erasable toner within its hybrid copier enables the reuse of paper by erasing all content on a sheet of paper thereby allowing organisations to operate more efficiently and sustainably. Better Buys’ editorial staff additionally presented Toshiba’s print device with high marks for its impressive feature set and value.

“We’ve selected the Toshiba e-STUDIO4508LP as an Innovative Product of the Year simply because it’s the most innovative copier Toshiba has engineered to date,” said Better Buys editor Melissa Pardo-Bunte. “We especially want to recognize its unique erasable toner technology, saving organizations money while also reducing their carbon footprint.”

Toshiba’s popular print device additionally won a Better Buys’ 2017 Editor’s Choice award and the company’s companion hybrid copier, the e-STUDIO3508LP was recently named 2018 Outstanding Achievement in Innovation Award by global document imaging industry resource, Keypoint Intelligence-Buyers Lab.  This also marks the fifth time in the last six years Toshiba has secured a Better Buys Innovative Product of the Year award.

"We are very thankful to Better Buys for presenting us with its Innovative Product of the Year award,” said Bill Melo, Toshiba America Business Solutions CMO. “Toshiba customers throughout the world have come to appreciate the significant environmental and efficiency benefits our hybrid copier provides.”

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 / Uncategorized / 0 Comments

‘How I fell in love with the school photocopier repair man’ – one teacher’s tale

A teacher tells her tale of falling in love with the school photocopier-repair man who came to fix the imposing but troubled ‘staffroom showpiece’

It wasn’t the first time I had fallen in love with a school photocopier-repair man. In fact it wasn’t even the second. Nor even… Anyway, I say “man” because photocopier-repair people are always “men” where I teach.

And real men at that – a different specimen entirely from our pale, tired and underfed teaching colleagues.

What draws me to them?

Initially I put it down to that soft white shirt underneath the crisp dark suit. It immediately triggers powerful feelings within of steadfast, monochromatic assurance.

He has all the classic continental elan of a Jean-Paul Belmondo or a Marcello Mastroianni.

Yes, the men in our senior leadership team also like to wear a dark suit these days, but somehow it doesn’t have the same effect at all – just feels as if a little boy is inside there screaming “look how grown up I am!”

Yet photocopier-man is more than merely film-star cool and handsome. He is our hero, our lesson-rescuer, the chivalrous heraldic knight in our frantic, paper-jammed world.

He is the the clean-cut 1940s Spitfire ace and AA roadside-rescue man rolled into one extremely handy and enticing package. So, I ask, who wouldn’t?

The latest one – we’ll call him “Jake” – may even prove to be “the one”.

He first came to fix the imposing but troubled staffroom showpiece, the Greening 321. The Greening is typical of most school photocopiers offering us hope when first installed but then sticking stubbornly on certain jobs and with others, trying to ram a whole load of sheets through at the same time.

We have similar trouble elsewhere in the school with the older Turbo Gibbmeister 456 – all the lights are on, but nothing seemingly going on inside.

We thought there might be a brave new dawn when they wheeled away the notorious Gove 1950S (aka “The Mangle”) but the new ones seem to be no better.

Anyway, Jake arrived in January with his impressive toolbox and settled down to work. As with his predecessors, I walked over and offered him a coffee.

After an odd little hesitation (had he perhaps heard about me?) he said yes.

Eventually he was happy to let me clean the glass with his lint-free cloth. I caught his eye as I slid my hand to and fro.

Thanks to my, er, previous experience I was able to reel off an extensive knowledge of exposure lamps, charge coronas, drums, developers and toners. He seemed impressed.

After less than an hour of persuasion, he agreed to a date.

He seemed a little awkward, at first, when I started to tell him about “the others”. (Though in fairness to my own much-derided good name, there have only been five other photocopier-men, as I don’t include the fellow who came to fix the staffroom printer.)

But when I pointed out that it was really all about “duplication” Jake appreciated the cleverness of my pun, gave a nervous laugh and seemed to see the funny side.

He now says he’s completely cool about it. As said, I do think that Jake could be “the one” – the end of the “run”, as it were.

So-called friends at school, on the other hand, are more sceptical.

They think that Jake is just the latest. They say that I will get bored again and that, before long, I will be wanting to “replace the cartridge” as they delicately put it.

It’s just envy speaking, I know – green A3-sized envy.”

The teacher wishes to remain anoymous

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 / HP / 0 Comments

HP mounts assault on copier market in Australia and beyond

HP might be “synonymous in office printing” but the company’s share of the A3 copier market is a tiny 3 percent – a number the vendor expects to change following the launch of 16 new devices at its Global Partner Conference.

The vendor launched the new multifunction devices to partners at GPC in Boston, bringing three PageWide platforms and 13 LaserJet platforms in a bid to shake up a market dominated by Fuji Xerox, Konica Minolta and Ricoh.

The printers will include both colour and monochrome starting from 22 pages per minute up to 60 for both LaserJet and PageWide.

Ben Vivoda, HP’s director, printing systems for South Pacific, pointed to a number of benefits he hopes will move the needle in HP’s market footprint: the proprietary PageWide technology; new smarts to reduce machine servicing; and “world-class printer security”.

Vivoda predicted a massive push from HP to grab share in photocopier space. “Up until today, HP’s market share in the A3 multifunction space is about 3 percent. We’re synonymous in office printing but have never participated in the copier market. It’s really exciting for us to play in the half of the office printing segment we have played in.”

The PageWide technology ensures fewer service callouts thanks to its simpler mechanical architecture, said Vivoda. He claimed that devices would require 90 percent fewer parts replacements in their lifetime. “During the typical life of a printer, 70 parts will be replaced. We reduced this to seven parts, a massive improvement with PageWide.”

Partners will also be able to use cloud-based tools to monitor and manage customer’s devices, do remote diagnosis and spend less with visits. “We want to enable partners to place more colour devices in their customer with PageWide at a lower cost, which will drive more revenue and profit,” added Vivoda.

Dealers typically sign customers up to maintenance contracts or tie the cost of break-fix into the cost per page, so the combination of fewer replacements and smarter monitoring capabilities should mean better margins, said Vivoda. “If you can help the dealer do more remote diagnostics and remediation, the dealer can choose to put that money back into their pocket or pass that cost savings onto the customer.”

The recently announced printers, which are expected to start shipping in April 2017, also boast beefed-up security, including run-time intrusion detection, which monitors constantly for sign of attack and sends alerts into security management.

There is also a firmware whitelisting device that makes sure that only good and certified firmware have access to the devices. And Sure Start, a chip on the devices that checks for the bios integrity during boot time, shuts the device down if it detects anything wrong and reboots.

HP has also introduced a program to support partner success with HP’s A3 portfolio. Qualified partners will receive guaranteed pricing, sales tools and service support, according to the vendor.

HP Financial Services will provide a variety of flexible IT investment options to help partners and their customers acquire, pay for and consume A3 print technology.

Rob Mesaros, HP South Pacific’s managing director, said: “For decades the copier industry has lacked the technology to improve efficiency of service, keep up with security requirements, and make colour affordable.

“Today HP is changing the status quo with next generation A3 multifunction printers that bring to life a reimagined print environment that offers world-class security, maximum uptime and affordable colour.”