New multifunctional printers (MFPs) will add to Canons market leading colour position

New compact 4-drum MFPs the same size as a one-drum device, making them one of the smallest products on the market

Dubai, UAE,  April 2nd, 2007 - Canon Middle East, world leader in digital imaging technology, has today announced the launch of its new smart office colour four drum multifunctional printers (MFPs) the iR C3380/i and iR C2880/i offering print, copy, scan, send and fax*[1] functionality. Designed for workgroup printing in small to medium organisations, the new MFP's offer cost-effective, controllable and secure printing that provides colour output on demand, and black and white when it is not required, therefore making colour printing even more affordable for businesses.

The iR C3380/i and iR C2880/i are four completely new colour MFP's from Canon, with colour speeds of 30ppm and 26ppm respectively, and come with the latest Canon print controller as standard, to ensure even faster, more high-quality output - they also allow for the optional EFI print controller to be added.  These devices are designed for businesses that have a need to print in colour, but are also ideal for organisations that are now considering making the move to use colour in the office.

Nabil EL Hawary, Product Manager, Business Solutions Department, Canon Middle East states, "IDC research has shown that 45% of businesses interviewed are now using colour [2], which proves that businesses are serious about understanding its use and role within the office environment. As a result, the need for printing that is controllable to prevent output costs from spiralling, is crucial. The iR C3380/i and iR C2880/i have been designed to address this issue and help businesses manage the cost of colour printing more effectively."  

With IDC predicting that half a million colour MFP's and colour printers will be shipped in some countries by 2009[3], the iR C3380/i and iR C2880/i   strengthens Canon's extensive office colour printer portfolio, therefore offering a diverse product range that has been designed to suit all types of business needs. With a range of finishing options, including a space saving internal finisher, saddle stitching, hole punching and booklet-making, the new devices mean that businesses can reduce outsourcing costs to produce professional-looking documents in-house.  In conjunction, the iW Publishing Manager (iWPM) software further enhances productivity, enabling users to bring together mixed documents from different applications - such as Microsoft Excel , Word , Powerpoint and Adobe PDF - to create a single document which can be easily edited, amended, personalised and finished professionally.

Additionally, to ensure not all documents are printed in colour when it is not required, which can be costly, the iR C3380/i and iR C2880/i come with Automatic Colour Sensing (ACS), which is an intelligent feature that recognises when a page is in colour or black and white and prints the document accordingly. Software such as Department ID offers the ability to set individual and departmental quotas or simply monitor the usage via optional iWAM MEAP.

The new devices not only enable businesses to save money through managing and controlling output, but are also energy-saving and are the first ever iR C MFPs to use on-demand fusing, that provides a very quick warm up time of 30 seconds. These energy-efficient devices use low power consumption when not in use or on standby mode. The iR C3380/i and iR C2880/i are also space saving in design as they are one of the smallest MFPs on the market; even though it is a four drum device it is still only the same size as a one drum machine.

Nabil EL Hawary continued, "The launch of these new products puts us even more firmly on the map as the No.1 brand for colour and colour capable. Canon has a strong heritage in this space and we have a deep understanding of business requirements. The launch of our new office colour portfolio reflects this. With businesses now making the full transition to colour, we now have a product to match every need."

Recent research from Canon has shown that 64% of business managers are concerned about the thought of employees seeing company sensitive information. Two in every ten employees believing that it is acceptable to read sensitive documents left on a printer - and with 46% of employees claiming to have talked about confidential information outside of work[4] - the need for secure printing is becoming increasingly important for businesses.  The iR C3380/i and iR C2880/i  offer a range of secure functions, including secure print, single user log-in, departmental ID log-in and secure watermarking for highly confidential documents. The optional hard disk data encryption kit is also common criteria certified - a first for Canon.     

iW Management Console (iWMC) web based utility, allows administrators  to centrally manage networked devices.  This standard feature enables remote management of device settings, discovery of new devices using automated tasks and device error notifications via email regarding low toner, paper jams and device maintenance problems so they can be dealt with easily and quickly, ensuring minimal downtime.  

-Ends-

About Canon Middle East
Canon is a world-leading innovator and provider of imaging and information technology solutions for individuals and businesses. Canon provides both individual products and complete networked technology solutions for information input, management and output. Its product range is divided between Business Solutions (developing IT products, solutions and services for both the office and professional print environments) and Consumer Imaging (photography, video and digital camera, Bubble Jet printers).  Canon Middle East is the operational headquarters for Canon in this region, and is based in Dubai, UAE. Further information about Canon Middle East is available at: www.canon-me.com

Canon Contact:   
Sandra Hava
Marketing Department
Canon Middle East FZ-LLC
Tel: + 971 4 3915050
Direct: + 971 4 3915071
Fax:    + 971 4 3916715
e-mail: havas@canon-me.com

Agency Contact:
Claire Liddell
G2 Dubai
Tel: (9714) 331 0331
Claire.liddell@g2dubai.com

[1] *Denotes optional

[2] The Strategic Introduction of Colour into the Office, Paul Withington, an IDC white paper commissioned by Canon (May 2005)

[3] IBID

[4] Document security research, ICM Research, July 2006

© Press Release 2007