The last decade has seen the evolution of the traditional photocopier from a device that simply churns out black and white copies of documents to an all-encompassing multifunctional printing system.
A decade ago photocopier manufacturers, such as Canon, began to include hard drives in their photocopiers and started making them capable of high powered digital scanning. It was improvements like these that were the catalyst for photocopiers becoming intelligent multifunctional devices, including capabilities such as high powered printing, scanning, faxing and sending as well as photocopying. Even the word 'photocopier' is becoming redundant, with more users and manufacturers referring to these devices as multifunction devices or printers.
Businesses still using their photocopiers in the traditional way are missing out on an opportunity to vastly improve productivity and workflow. These new multifunctional device systems now often include colour touch-screen operational panels, extremely low standby power usage, can be seamlessly integrated into the office network and can run with innovative security features, from password logins, to fingerprint and finger vein recognition.
Because of their ability to be connected to the office network and their high powered and high quality printing abilities, many businesses are choosing to replace several of their desktop standalone printers and scanners with one multifunctional device. This method of using one device for the whole office's printing, scanning and copying can help keep control of what is being printed and where as well as cutting costs when compared to running each of these devices separately.
Security measures found in the new generation of photocopiers allow all their features to be used to their maximum potential. These multifunctional devices have evolved into a complete workstation and communication hub, allowing employees to communicate electronically, send and receive documents and integrate hard copies of documents into a Document Management system. Office communication can be greatly improved, with it being possible to scan documents into the device and send them in colour to anyone on the office network. This move into becoming a complete communications hub has been vital for the photocopier's survival as more and more businesses took a move into digital technology, the photocopier had to keep up with this change.
New and improved photocopiers have also, in some cases, allowed businesses to move complicated out-sourced printing in house. This comes at the perfect time, when businesses are looking to increase marketing to boost business whilst at the same time decreasing spending. Photocopiers can now include extensive finishing capabilities, allowing users to create fully and professionally finished booklets and documents as well as being able to automatically staple and hole punch. An extra impact can be added to marketing schemes and, with some black and white multifunctional devices being able to print occasionally in colour, this added impact can be done with very little extra cost.
The new generation of multifunctional photocopying and printing systems are powerful enough to vastly improve office productivity and workflow. They have the ability to replace a number of standalone office machines and can help businesses to communicate electronically with ease, reduce their printing costs and to implement a complete document management solution.
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