Samsung Launches Flagship A4 Color MFP, The MultiXpress CLX-8540ND
December 15, 2009 - Samsung Electronics, which recently joined the top-five imaging imaging vendors according to International Data Corporation, and has been quietly seeking a foothold in the SMB market, has launched the first in a family of new A4 color MFPs, the MultiXpress CLX-8540ND. The CLX-8450ND, which will be distributed through dealers and lists at $8,249.00, is aimed at the newly emerging A4 office segment, with vendors hoping to capture market share by offering less-expensive letter/legal-size A4 versus more-expensive traditional A3 11"x17" capable systems.
Samsung rates the CLX-8450ND (left) at up to 40 pages ppm in black/color, and specifies a maximum monthly volume of up to 100,000 pages, making it suitable for small to mid-size workgroups and offices.
The company is marketing the system with the idea that the smaller, less-expensive CLX-8540ND can replace what it calls "bulky" more-expensive A3 ledger-size MFPs. In contrast, and for example, Xerox's comparable A3 WorkCentre WC7435 lists at $13,499 and is rated at up to 35 ppm in black/color, and has a similar maximum monthly volume of up to 105,000 pages (however, note that with the Xerox system, both network print and network scan are optional). Similarly, Canon's 40/36-ppm A3 Color imageRUNNER C4080 starts at $17,000 (with network print and network scan standard). With its A4 CLX-8540ND, Samsung is able to match these competitors on speed and beat them on price, which may cause some customers to re-evaluate their need for 11" x 17" media capability. At the same time, other factors enter the value equation--for instance, the Color imageRUNNER C4080 has a 1,200-sheet standard paper capacity, while the CLX-8540ND's standard paper capacity is 620 sheets.
Doug Albregts, vice president of Samsung Electronic America's Information Technology Division, put it this way: "The CLX-8540ND is our flagship hybrid printer designed as a printer-copier solution for workgroups in large corporate environments and for copy-intensive small-to-mid size businesses. Along with being one of the fastest digital color printers on the market, the CLX-8540ND also bridges the gap between letter/legal versus ledger printers by including advanced printer and copier features usually only found on larger machines. What we've done is simplify the selection process for IT managers who are looking for a truly multifunctional printer."
New Features
Two new features are designed to manage and reduce printing costs. When users press a Power Saver button, the system goes into into power-save mode, so that 80-percent less power is consumed versus ready mode. While most systems do this automatically, with the Power Saver button, the system is immediately switched into power-save mode. With Auto Color Detection, Samsung says the system automatically differentiates between color and black print files. Presumably this means that the system doesn't use use composite black (a mixture of cyan, yellow and magenta) to print black images--something to definitely avoid, since, for one thing, color toner is of course invariably more expensive than black toner. 
The CLX-8450ND's touch screen (left), and a customized version of it (right), with a new background and a service number added.
Network Color Printing
The system's controller is based on an 800 MHz CPU, and is equipped with 1GB of RAM, Gigabit Ethernet network interface (10/100/1000BaseTX) and a 160-GB hard drive. The hard drive may be used for electronic file storage and secure printing. Samsungs SyncThru Admin 5 and SynThru Web Services solutions for network management and remote monitoring are provided.
Print drivers consist of PCL 5c, PCL 6, PostScript 3, and PDF Direct V1.4. The system supports Microsoft Windows, Linux, Apple Macintosh, and Citrix environments. Samsung also incorporates a USB host 2.0 port for printing from and scanning from USB memory cards.
For Managed Print Services, Samsung offers its optional CounThru, a server solution for remote device monitoring and management, and which may be used for obtaining usage and billing information.
The CLX-8540ND features Samsung's Real-Time Calibration Technology for color enhancement and prints at 9,600 x 600 dpi. Easy Color Manager software provides enables users to adjust images' color balance, brightness, contrast and color saturation at the computer monitor.
Color Network Scanning
Monochrome and color scanning is at up to 4,800 x 4,800 dpi at up to 33 color originals per minute (opm). Scan destinations include to hard drive, e-mail addresses, FTP sites, SMB, clients, USB memory cards and fax (requires optional Super Group3 fax). The system incorporates a 7" WVGA customizable color touch screen for programming scan, copy, fax jobs, etc.
Media Handling And Consumables
The system incorporates at 100-sheet dupelexing automatic document feeder (DADF), standard paper capacity is 620 sheets (expandable to 2,720 sheets), and automatic duplexing. Optional Document finishing includes a two-bin document finisher. A four-bin mailbox for separating jobs is also optional, as is a High Capacity Feeder.
Samsung says the CLX-8540ND features new simplified toner replacement, as well as new higher-yield toner cartridges. Black toner is rated to yield 20,000 pages, while each cyan, yellow and magenta toner cartridge is rated to yield 15,000 pages. Four CYMK image drums are also required, and each is rated to yield 30,000 pages. A Waste Toner Container good for 48,000 pages is also required.
Security
Security includes IPV6 protocol, LDAP, Kerberos, IPSec3, , etc. Also including is System Audit, which monitors all users print/copy/scan/fax logs. Security for the hard drive includes encryption of files stored in hard-drive memory, and erasing of data recorded on the hard drive.