IT a top gripe for Australian office workers

By Michelle Rochford, Marketing Communications Manager with Fuji Xerox Printers

It seems our frustrations with IT are alive and well.  Fuji Xerox Printers recently surveyed 1,000 business managers and office employees about their pet peeves and IT came out on top for one third of respondents.  Think email, Microsoft Office, office equipment and internet outages.

As far as printer-specific issues go, one in five respondents are specifically frustrated with having to troubleshoot errors, which can waste precious work time.

Office workers are irritated by simple tasks such as replacing toner, loading paper and paper jams.  Thirteen per cent are unhappy about the distance from their desk to the printer.

IT issues and frustrations can be costly and time consuming for a business.  If you’re a business manager, it may be time consider how you can improve printing and IT processes to reduce the time and money spent on resolving issues.

As a business manager, improving the efficiency of printing and IT processes can target your number one frustration: cost and budgeting.  Our research found that for 38 per cent of business managers, costs and budgeting are a major worry and one in four are concerned about staff productivity.

A managed print services (MPS) contract, which outsources the management of your printing fleet to a third party, can help to streamline printing and reduce costs.

Signing up to a managed print services contract can result in a 30 per cent reduction in print related costs.  Furthermore, with staff no longer having to deal with printer issues, it also allows for improvements in staff productivity.

Read Full Post »

Cutting the ties: the wireless printing movement

By Thomas Dickson, Fuji Xerox Printers’ Volume Product Manager

In today’s mobile world the internet is a significant part of everyday life, both at home and at work.  The way we use and access the internet has changed dramatically over the last 20 years; move over dial-up connections, now we’re talking Wi-Fi and 4G.

As a nation we’re addicted to electronic devices and the internet.  Can you remember the last time you went an entire weekend without browsing the web?  I certainly can’t.

The number of electronic devices in the average Australian household is growing.  Whether it’s PCs, laptops, smartphones, tablets or printers; we’re a gadget loving gang.  In fact, according to a recent survey carried out by Fuji Xerox Printers, by the end of the year 86 per cent of Australians predict they will have at least one device connected to the Wi-Fi in their homes and over 20 per cent will connect more than five devices. That’s a lot of technology!

Read Full Post »

Introducing the latest range of Fuji Xerox A3 printers

By Anthony Toope, marketing and channel operations manager with Fuji Xerox Printers

While not every office has an A3 printing requirement, it is an important function for businesses such as architects, accountants and lawyers.

Earlier this month, Fuji Xerox Printers launched a new range of A3 monochrome multifunction printers.  The printers are ideal for busy small and medium-sized businesses with high print volumes and deliver the print quality required for important documents.

The DocuCentre S2420, DocuCentre S2010 and DocuCentre S1810 are compact devices all offering print, copy, scan and fax capabilities.  They are designed for reliable performance and minimal waste and they can also help reduce costs and energy. The printers are packed with a range of advanced features:

Read Full Post »

Who needs cables when you can print from smartphones and tablets

By Thomas Dickson, Fuji Xerox Printers’ Volume Product Manager

How we print in Australia: An interactive view of our printing habits

We live in a world where smartphones, tablets and laptops are part of our life now. In fact, most of us feel a little stressed if we don’t have a screen of some kind in front of us feeding us news, keeping us in touch with friends and colleagues or recording our life experiences.

I think I hear someone say once a week at least, ‘My entire life is stored on my phone!’ It’s simultaneously horrifying and fascinating just how connected we are to our gadgets.

Read Full Post »

SMB employees push for mobile printing

By Anthony Toope, marketing and channel operations manager with Fuji Xerox Printers

Smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices are becoming more and more common in the office environment.  With an iPhone, laptop and iPad, I’ll freely admit to being part of this ‘mobile’ movement.

Just take a quick glance around your office and you’re likely to see at least one mobile device on most desks.  Research carried out by the Digital Industry Association of Australia shows that 76% of the Australian population now owns a Smartphone and 38% are armed with a tablet.

To add to this, Fuji Xerox Printers research found that 40% of us connect our mobile devices to the office Wi-Fi network as soon as we walk through the door.  The research indicated that 41% of office workers want to be able to print documents wirelessly using their mobile devices, yet only 7% have access to this functionality.

As a nation, we’re busy and we’re constantly on-the-go with 58% of Australian business employees regularly working away from the office.  It’s not surprising that employees are now looking for convenient mobile print options.  This means being able to print any document from any device, at any location; all that’s needed is a wireless network.

Read Full Post »

Take high quality colour printing back in-house

By Michelle Rochford, Marketing Communications Specialist, Fuji Xerox Printers ANZ

Most businesses will have colour printing requirements but depending on the type of business, needs will vary.

For some the professional look and vibrancy of colour documents can be vital, so it’s important to get it right.  Take for example a real estate agency that regularly prints glossy marketing collateral to engage with potential property buyers; a retail manager needing vibrant signage to attract customers to special offers around their store, or a marketing agency requiring high quality presentations and proofs for clients.

I know that many large enterprises will have in-house printing rooms.  However, for small and medium sized businesses looking for high quality colour prints, outsourcing to a third party printing company may be the only option.

Fuji Xerox Printers recently carried out a survey of Australian business owners and employees and found that one in three businesses regularly outsource colour printing to a third party printing house.  When quality is essential and there’s no option to print quality colour in-house, there may be no alternative but it can, however, be both costly and time consuming.

High quality colour printers are more affordable for businesses than ever before.  You could liken the printer market to the television market.  While you would have paid a few thousand dollars for a 40 inch TV screen five years ago, now they’re available for less than $1,000.  Similarly, high performance colour printers have become much more affordable.

Last year, Fuji Xerox launched the Phaser 7800 which promised to set a new ‘gold’ standard in colour printing; and I think it has done just that.  The Phaser 7800 lets companies print in-house what would traditionally only have been available through a third party printer.

To give an example, the team at Enterprise Marketing, a marketing agency based in Sydney, found they were outsourcing a significant amount of printing material to third party printers and the business was realising the cost.  Using the Phaser 7800, they now have the ability to print high quality presentations and proof for clients in-house, saving time and money.  To read the Enterprise Marketing case study click here.

If you’re considering investing in an advanced colour printer, there are a few things to consider.  Obviously the speed and print quality will be top considerations but you should also think about the types of documents that you will be printing.  Do you need specific paper sizes and finishing capabilities such as collating, hole punching or booklet making?

Of course there are times when it will make sense to go to a commercial printer but there are many benefits to bringing your colour printing in-house:

• flexibility: print in-house according to your own timetable
• control volumes and make last minute adjustments
• timing:  work on your own timeline and monitor jobs in real time
• cost: the initial investment will pay off.

Read Full Post »

What’s the story with Solid Ink?

By Anthony Toope, marketing and channel operations manager with Fuji Xerox Printers

• 90 per cent less printing waste
• Exceptional colour print quality
• Low printing costs

In today’s business world, more and more managers are looking for high performance technology with an affordable price tag.  The likelihood is that they are also trying to reduce their carbon footprint.

If you’re a business manager and you’re not familiar with Solid Ink, then you could be missing out.

Printers using Solid Ink technology deliver vibrant colour, produce less waste, deliver low-cost colour printing and are easy to use.   Sound too good to be true?  Here’s a bit more detail:

Solid Ink comes in the form of crayon-like sticks that melt when printing. This means that Solid Ink printers are cartridge free.

Without the excessive packaging of toner cartridges, Solid Ink is considered one of the most environmentally friendly printing solutions available.  Using Solid Ink printers, businesses can actually produce up to 90 per cent less print-related waste than with comparable colour multifunction devices. 

Read Full Post »

Green up your office printing

By Michelle Rochford, Marketing Communications Specialist, Fuji Xerox Printers ANZ

More and more businesses are looking at ways to green up their offices but many overlook the impact that printing can have on their carbon footprint. If you’re a business owner or manager, I’d encourage you to assess your printing environment and printer usage as even small changes can make a big difference to your environmental impact. Here are a few things to consider:

Electricity

Printers can consume large amounts of electricity, depending on the model and whether they are in stand-by or print mode.

• Take advantage of the energy saving features that put machines to ‘sleep’ in idle periods – this can save hundreds of dollars each year on energy consumption
• Tonnes of emissions can be saved each year by switching to renewable sources of energy such as solar, wind and geothermal energy.

Choose energy-saving products

Business managers can save money on energy bills by choosing ENERGY STAR® compliant products.

• Many of Fuji Xerox’s products can “learn” your workgroup’s usage patterns and automatically adjust between power saving and ready modes to help conserve energy
• Be aware of new technologies that save on energy. Fuji Xerox S-LED (Self-Scanning Light Emitting Diode) and DELCIS (Digitally-Enhanced Lighting Control Imaging System)control technology can provide up to 45% power reduction.

Read Full Post »

How to cut your office’s printing costs

By Anthony Toope, marketing and channel operations manager of Fuji Xerox Printers Australia and New Zealand

If you’re a business owner or manager, how often do you review the printing solution in your office? Do you know the impact that your printers and copiers have on your balance sheet and operational expenses? Most businesses don’t.

In today’s challenging business climate, companies are scrutinizing every expense; driving down costs has become a significant competitive strategy.  Most companies don’t know how much they spend on printing – a recent trends report suggests this expense can vary between 3 and 15 per cent of revenue on all document related activities. Here are a few tips to help reduce the cost of your business’ print-related hardware:

Read Full Post »