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18
SOLUTIONS
Combining the low cost and high
speed of an A4 MFP with the ability
to print/copy in sizes up to A3, the DP-
MB500 series represents a significant
introduction for Panasonic as it
continues to strengthen its position in
the printer market, which it re-entered
last year after pulling out in 2010.
In particular, it enables the company to
target both A4 and A3 users with the same
machines.
There are two models in the range, the
DP-MB545 with print/copy speeds of 45
pages per minute (ppm) and the 36ppm
DP-MB357.
Both models print on two sides of
the page at their rated speed, have a
paper capacity of 1,750 sheets, long-life
consumables and a maximum monthly
print volume of 150,000 pages, including
up to 2,000 A3 pages per month.
Useful features include WiFi
connectivity, support for printing from
mobile devices and password-protected
printing to maintain document security.
Panasonic hopes the launch of the
new printers will enable it to attract OA
dealers that may have sold Panasonic
copiers and printers in the past, as well as
telecoms dealers, stationery companies and
IT service providers that are looking to get
into print for the first time.
A spokesperson told
PITR
that the new
devices have a number of qualities that
are likely to be welcomed by the channel
including a low cost per page, offering
resellers the opportunity to make good
margin on supplies; simplicity – “there's
just one option on these machines and
that's a cassette” – so it can be set up in
one quarter of the time it takes to install
competitor products; excellent reliability,
with a very low failure rate; and a small
reseller base, which makes it more likely
that the channel can maintain good
margins on the hardware.
The devices can also be offered as
part of an MPS, using either the reseller's
own resources or those provided by DMC
Business Machines, a distributor of the
new printers.
Sam Saunders, marketing and
communications manager of DMC Business
Machines, which has been a partner of
Panasonic's for over 20 years, told
PrintIT
Panasonic has become the latest vendor to blur
the lines between A4 and A3 devices, with the
launch of the DP-MB500 series of mono MFPs.
New Panasonic A4 MFP
also prints occasional A3
Enterprise class for SMBs
Reseller
that the DP-MB500 series fills a
big gap in the market.
He said: “What excites us at DMC is
the versatility of these products. You have
small, super-quick desktop devices that are
A4 in footprint size but A3 in capability.
In our current portfolio we do have access
to large, floor-standing A3 multifunctional
devices or very expensive high-end
professional A3 devices. But currently
across our vendors there isn't a product
that allows desktop A3 at a reasonable
purchase price and a decent total cost of
ownership, so that's very exciting for us
and our resellers. It plugs a huge gap in
our portfolio.”
A3 output is still popular for proofs
and spreadsheets, but according to most
estimates currently accounts for less than
5% of the pages printed in offices. With
the DP-MB500 series, small businesses
and workgroups with limited A3 printing
requirements no longer have to buy
separate A4 and A3 devices or spend extra
on a bulky A3 MFP. They can cover all their
needs with one single, compact, affordable
device.
Another benefit for resellers, says
Saunders, is the Panasonic name.
“Panasonic is a world renowned name.
There are certain print vendors people may
not have heard of, but when you hear the
Panasonic name you think 'OK, that's a
great product',” he said.
He added: “Panasonic aren't going
to saturate the market with this product.
There will only be a few selected partners,
such as ourselves, where resellers can
purchase these devices. They will not be
competing against the High Street.”
Building on the launch of its L6000
workgroup range, covered in the last issue,
Brother has introduced an additional 13
new mono laser printers/MFPs for smaller
businesses or workgroups with up to 5 or 10
users (depending on model).
Like the L6000 range, the L6300, L6600, L6800
and L5000 devices incorporate enterprise-class
productivity and security features. These include
Active Directory integration, LDAP, NFC secure
function lock, secure print, IP-sec and secure PDF.
Other features include print speeds of 40 and
46ppm, large paper capacities, high yield toner
cartridges and a Brother Solutions Interface for
integration with third party applications and
managed print services.
The new MFPs also offer 100ipm colour
scanning directly to SharePoint and cloud
applications like Dropbox, One Drive and Google.
PANASONIC :
DP-MB500 series
