HP

Understanding Utilization
Copier manufacturers may introduce devices that offer more power and more features at or below previous costs from year to year. This strategy creates a powerful incentive for organizations to replace older devices with technology that is similar, yet newer and somewhat enhanced. As a result, organizations may acquire ever-increasing amounts of power without really understanding the true cost associated with their technology decisions.

To fully grasp the price organizations actually pay for the promise of more speed at less cost, it helps to know a bit about how output devices are sold. The fact is that copier manufacturers actually define market segments based on page-per-minute speed. (See Copier Segment Key below.)

According to IDC, Segment 3 and Segment 4 copiers account for about 30 percent of general black-and white office copier placements in the US.1 While these copiers typically support a normal output range of 15,000 to 45,000 pages per month, recent HP data suggests that the average copier in the US actually produces fewer than 8,000 pages per month. In other words, many organizations today may have between two to six times more copying capacity than they actually need. continue reading...

Color printing has been around for years, but until recently, it was not that widely used in everyday office environments.
According to industry observers at CAP Ventures, this may be because color printers have traditionally been perceived as too
expensive and complex to be of much value for everyday usage.1 However, now that color devices are becoming more affordable and functional, that’s changing. Even so, it’s still entirely possible to spend too much on color—by failing to carefully match needs to capabilities. As Don Jones points out in The Definitive Guide to Office Color Printing, many organizations don’t understand the range of options available to them for using color; as a result, they “often implement overly expensive solutions for everyday use.”2 This planner is designed to help you align printing requirements with devices in order to get just what you need in color printing—no more, and no less.

Think about it: Consider the ways in which you want to use color printing for everyday office document.

Act on it: Determine the criteria to apply to be sure that the devices you buy are appropriate for your needs.

Work with it: Evaluate how well the devices you are considering match your selection criteria. continue reading...

Organizations that are incorporating color into their printing and imaging environments would like to be able to control access to color printing in order to maximize the return on their investments in color. This doesn’t simply mean limiting access to color, or placing controls on who uses color and who does not, although there is certainly value for some organizations in being able to do just that. But controlling access to color also means being able to monitor how color is used and to track usage by a variety of criteria, in order to make informed decisions that affect operational efficiency. And for some organizations, controlling access to color may also mean accurately determining color usage in order to bill clients or internal users for their usage. Applying color access controls in any or all of these ways enables organizations to use color as effectively and cost-efficiently as possible. continue reading...

Color printing in the office is no longer limited to a specialized department or niche marketing firms or large-scale enterprises with considerable financial resources. Today, color printing is an essential tool in everyday business, a necessity for competing in a fast-paced and dynamic marketplace. In fact, the question in most offices — large and small — is not “whether” to incorporate color printers into their operations, but rather “when and how.”

As you consider expanding the color printing capabilities in your own office, important questions will arise that affect not only your purchasing decision, but also your strategies for effective use of color printing throughout the organization. This guide provides answers to common questions about color printing that will make you a better and more-informed user of color printing.  Each section of this guide provides a different perspective for evaluating printers. You may not need to read the entire document before choosing a printer. Any one of the sections may provide the answers you need. If you find you need more information, simply move to another perspective (section). Each section begins by posing a question: continue reading...

Streamline business processes, enhance information workflows and enable effortless information collaboration with HP MFPs, HP AutoStore and Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server.

Document capture and management = instant access to information

Together HP MFPs, HP AutoStore and Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server provide a superior document capture and management framework, giving you increased access to business information and the ability to easily share the information—for a reduction in costs and more efficient workflows.

Businesses experience a constant challenge in managing and accessing the volumes of documents generated each day, including e-mails, faxes and a range of other materials. In addition, information is stored in a variety of ways and in a variety of locations, making it difficult to find the right document at the right time. Complex paper-based systems result in ineffective, time-consuming and costly business operations. continue reading...