01732 759725
30
MFPs
Toshiba officially announced the
launch of the new models to 100
partners at an event in Dusseldorf
and has since had over 200 dealer
sales partners visit its showrooms
nationwide to be briefed on the
devices’ functionality and the latest
solutions. The new MFPs have also
been showcased at a number of other
channel-only events including the
most recent Business Forum, which
took place at The Belfry in June.
“We have proactively promoted this
launch to our partners and it’s been really
well received,” Mills explained. “In fact I
would say that this is the most positively
received product line-up we’ve had in my
15 years at Toshiba.”
The e-BRIDGE Next controller,
a technology that enhances the
administration and integration into
end-users’ IT infrastructure and simplifies
even the most complex tasks, has
been developed from scratch. “There
is a growing demand for customisable
multifunctional printing systems that are
easy to integrate with business workflows
and this latest development is based on
what we believe will deliver the best user
experience,” he added.
The new multifunctional printing
systems have been designed from the
outset with versatility and ease of use in
mind. “We have also developed them to
be set-up quicker than our earlier models,”
Mills said. “And, a number of universal
options means that it takes less time to
train engineers and bring them up to speed
on servicing the devices, which is a plus for
our partners.”
All of the new models feature a 9-inch
colour tablet-style user interface that offers
instant access to all functions and intuitive
operation. “Operating the devices is just
like using a smartphone or tablet and the
UI can be fully customised, not just the
look of the screen, but also the features
and functions that individual users want to
see,” he explained.
Customisable interface
The interface can be easily customised to
suit preferences and working requirements
at individual user level. “When they log
in, individual users and departments can
personalise the home screen and keep it as
simple as they want,” said Mills, adding:
“They can change the background image
and even add a company logo or corporate
branding. Users can personalise views,
change the order of the icons on the home
screen, add or remove buttons and decide
how many or few icons are displayed per
page as well as create shortcuts for any
document workflow process – all at a
single tap of an icon. It’s been designed
so that all functions present themselves to
individual users in the most useful way for
them.”
Ease of operation is also an integral
part of the newly designed MFPs. As with
mobile devices, users can swipe through
the menu and also pinch and zoom into
documents in the real-time preview. The
most common features such as copy and
scan are available on one screen for faster
execution, Toshiba calls this the simple
view, for more complex jobs, the advanced
view enables settings to be adjusted and
more sophisticated document workflows to
be carried out.
Another useful new addition is the Dual
Scan Document Feeder, which is available
for models in the e-STUDIO5008A series
and the e-STUDIO5005AC series. This
industry-leading document feeder has an
exceptionally large capacity of 300 sheets
and allows double-sided scanning at an
impressive speed of up to 240 impressions
per minute.
e-BRIDGE CloudConnect
According to Mills, one major benefit for
resellers is the e-BRIDGE CloudConnect
software solution, that is available
free of charge to Toshiba partners. This
cloud-based service enables channel
partners to remotely monitor devices
and automatically schedule in firmware
Toshiba TEC launches the
next generation of print
upgrades. “Previously, partners would
have to send an engineer out to physically
upload a firmware upgrade onto each
device, but with e-BRIDGE CloudConnect,
they can automatically schedule it in to
happen overnight,” he said.
He added: “This innovative concept
provides peace of mind for dealers who
can rest safe in the knowledge that they
can keep machines up to date with the
latest firmware, as well as freeing up
time for in the field engineers to focus
on carrying out other maintenance which
require their presence onsite. And for the
end-user, the process is a lot less intrusive,
in almost every case they won’t even be
aware that an upgrade has taken place
and as it’s wholly automated, it means they
are not faced with having to work around
a device that’s out of action while an
engineer carries out the upgrade.”
This cloud-based tool also provides
the ability to remotely monitor, configure
and service machines in the field. The
e-BRIDGE CloudConnect allows Toshiba
MFPs to connect to a cloud service and
automatically communicate with the
application to avoid downtime.
Based on pre-defined policies, the
MFP notifies e-BRIDGE CloudConnect
and requests troubleshooting. This way
most issues can be resolved remotely.
And if on-site servicing is required, the
technician knows exactly what has to be
done and which parts are needed. Supplies
replenishment is also automated, the MFP
triggers an automatic delivery to ensure
Toshiba TEC has launched twelve new mid-range A3 MFPs and plans to add a
further seven high-end models in the coming months.
PrintIT Reseller
spoke with
Chris Mills, Toshiba’s Marketing Manager – Indirect Channel, to find out more
about the innovative e-BRIDGE Next controller which is at the heart of the
new devices, and the value-add to the channel
All of the
new models
feature a
9-inch colour
tablet-style
user interface
that offers
instant
access to all
functions
and intuitive
operation
Continued...
