ARTIFICIAL intelligence (AI) is becoming more ubiquitous in the business world as the digital era and its accompanying new technologies and innovations march on inexorably.
Even in printers as Fuji Xerox, one of Japan’s tech giants, has demonstrated.
On Wednesday, January 9, Fuji Xerox Philippines, Inc. headed by its president, Hideaki Kato, launched in the country 14 new models of digital color multi-function printers at The Peninsula Manila Hotel in Makati City, Metro Manila.
The new product portfolio is the company’s “most technologically advanced multi-function printers that Fuji Xerox has ever developed for the office environment.”
In fact, Kato-San said in an interview that their team of engineers designed and developed the new models of printers for over a year in their headquarters in Yokohama, Japan.
They are now available in the 14 countries of the Asia Pacific Region.
The 14 machine models are ApeosPort-VII C2273, ApeosPort-VII C3372, ApeosPort-VII C3373, ApeosPort-VII C4473, ApeosPort-VII C5573, ApeosPort-VII C6673, and ApeosPort-VII C7773; DocuCentre-VII C2273, DocuCentre-VII C3373, DocuCentre-VII C4473, DocuCentre-VII C5573, DocuCentre-VII C6673, and DocuCentre-VII C7773.
Oscar Dolendo, head of Marketing Department, Fuji Xerox Philippines, Inc., said the entry level of the printers is in the Php300,000 figure while the high-end level (can print 70 pages a minute) is just below Php1 million.
The new models are “technically revolutionary machines,” said Dolendo.
Kato said for 2019 they are targeting sales of around 140,000 of their printers, majority of them from the new printers.
Based on the Fuji Xerox Smart Work Gateway concept, these are the ApeosPort VII-C/DocuCentre-VII C series embedded with enhanced security, basic features and design to support the flexible and diversified working styles of businesses for improved performance.
They are also equipped with a touch of AI to “significantly reduce downtime” for the machines.
Each one of the new models is equipped with the AI predictive capability, and the AI will function and activate after accumulating around three months of data of it is being used.
Each of the series is capable of seven speed ranges which are matched with the customer’s business demand.
They have four fundamental production areas, such as
- Interactive User Experience;
- 360° degree Data Security;
- Proactive and Predictive Printer Management; and,
- Connect on Demand.
Interactive User Experience
This ApeosPort-VII C/DocuCentre-VII C series offers enhanced basic features and design for easy use.
- The 10.1-inch control panel can be tapped and swiped just like a smartphone with the upgraded interactive user interface.
- The paper trays have easy-to-operate retraction mechanism that allows them to be opened and closed quietly when replenishing paper.
- Lights and sounds from the printer alert users about job progress and confidential documents left behind to help prevent information leakages.
360° Data Security
To comply with new international standards on data privacy and device protection, the ApeosPort-VII C/DocuCentre-VII C series offers enhanced security functions for both hardware and software with expansive network communications. Each multi-function printer can be connected to two disassociated networks, enabling the user to separate communications, delivering data security within the office.
Proactive and Predictive Printer Management
The new ApeosPort-VII C/DocuCentre-VII C series incorporates a host of services that deliver key operating information, such as preemptive alerts, usage data and required resources. These assist users mitigate downtime, maximize productivity and, thus, increase operating margin.
Connect on Demand
Coinciding with the launch of the ApeosPort-VII C/DocuCentre-VII C series, Fuji Xerox has expanded its software and cloud services lineup to help businesses work smarter.
- Print Anywhere — The Cloud On-Demand Print Service allows the user to print from Fuji Xerox multi-function printers anywhere and anytime. A maximum of 3,000 printers can be used by a maximum of 30,000 registered users — especially beneficial for larger corporations. Azure Active Directory authentication now enables interfacing with the Microsoft cloud services OneDrive for Business and SharePoint Online.
- Document workflow that promotes the use of digital documents — DocuWorks Tray 2 allows digital documents to be delivered through the document tray; facilitating the design of business workflows and the utilization of digital documents. Fuji Xerox-owned cloud document management service, Working Folder, now enables unregistered users to send documents — making the exchange of documents with external business partners convenient.
- Connectivity with the user’s current cloud platform — Cloud Service Hub connects multi-function printers with cloud storage services from various vendors using a single interface. With the Cloud Service Hub, optical character recognition (OCR) performed when the user scans and stores a new document allows the user to search for files across several cloud storage services on the single interface. ApeosWare Management Suite 2 allows scanned documents to be saved to OneDrive for Business.
- Device and cost management — Device Log Service is a cloud service that aggregates data about multi-function printer usage via the web. The enhanced features enable daa aggregation of up to 1,500 multi-function printers and to automatically import and utilize information on LDAP/Active Directory users — especially beneficial to large organizations.
Images above describe the printers’ unique (AI capabilities. (EKU)
Liza I. Crisanto, section head, Product Marketing Group, Fuji Xerox Philippines, Inc., revealed some of the printers’ AI features.
“We are sure we are the only one (about) being predictive. In some levels of AI, we are the only one,” she said.
Crisanto was speaking about the machines’ Remote Device Health Check (RDHC), which is their capabilities to predict any problem before they actually happen that translates to overall effectiveness and prevention of unplanned downtime.
“We are not only pro-active, we are also predictive,” said Dolendo. “The idea here is to make life easier.”
Kato said their new products already introduced and available in the Asia Pacific Region are “totally different designed products, revolutionary products, our multi-functional products.”
Philip Paylangco, the Japanese company’s manager for Software Product, pointed to the 4 devices’ strong security, assuring everyone of the strong security features.
They are highly interactive and through their Cloud Service Hub, “we can actually connect seven cloud services in the multi-function machines,” said Paylangco.
He said the machines can recognizer the user. “When you approach the machine directly in front, it will turn active from its sleep mode. But not if you are only passing by it.”
Dolendo said Fuji Xerox designed the user-friendly machines through feedback from customers. (EKU)