New Ricoh Aficio MP 2851, MP 3351 For SMB, New m3i Accessibility Option
January 5, 2010 - Ricoh Americas is launching its latest monochrome MFPs for small- and mid-size business (SMB), the Aficio MP 2851 and MP 3351, which it rates at 28 and 33 ppm respectively. Both MFPs feature a new external key board option, as well as two new solutions for document scanning and workflow, Ricoh's Personal Paperless Document Manager and App2Me. The MP 2851 and MP 3351 replace the MP 2550 and MP 3350 SP/SPF respectively, the latter of which however, Ricoh will continue to market. List pricing for the MP 2851 and MP 3351 is $7,600 and $9,250 respectively.
- Ricoh's new Personal Paperless Document Manager (PPDM) for scanning enables users to capture, combine, and convert scanned documents. Users can convert scanned files into Adobe PDFs, fully editable Microsoft Office documents, and even into WAV audio files. In addition, data from forms can be extracted into a .csv file for analysis. PPDM also enables users to create custom workflow for users, so that users can display a personalized interface at their computer workstation. Users can send and send files to e-mail, FTP sites, Web folders and content- management systems. The Aficio MP 2851 and the MP 3351 ship standard with one PPDM license; there's an upgrade path for four additional licenses at a discount of more than 80-percent off list pricing at time of purchase.
- App2Me is new Ricoh technology that Ricoh is introducing in early 2010, and which it will make available throughout its MFP lineup. The new MP 2851 and MP 3351 will be the first to feature this new widget-based technology. App2Me is a document-management solution that enables users to create customized workflows and execute them anywhere there is a MP 2851 or MP 3351, and is compatible with laptops, desktop computers and various mobile devices.
- The new external keyboard is available when configured with Ricoh's eCopy or GlobalScan NX document scanning/distribution solutions. It's used in place of the touch-screen's QWERTY-style keypad, and makes data entry easier.
The MP 2851 and MP 3351 incorporate network print, monochrome network scan and copy, and can be equipped with document finishing that includes a 1,000-sheet booklet finisher with optional hole-punching. Security includes network authentication, hard-drive overwrite and secure print.
New m3i Accessibility Option
Ricoh also introduced the availability of of third-party partner Select Technology’s m3i Access Module for Ricoh MFPs. Ricoh will distribute the m3i Access Module through its Independent Solutions Vendor Program (RiSVP). It will be exclusively for Ricoh only, and was developed in conjunction with Ricoh's Embedded Software Architecture, a Java (J2ME) compatible software-development platform for creating custom applications.
The new option provides a remote user interface for the MFP. Using a Web browser at their networked computer workstation, users will be able to access and use the MFP's touch screen. No dedicated hardware is required, and no software need be installed on the computer workstation. This option will be particularly useful for wheelchair users and those with impaired mobility for whom accessing the touch screen may be difficult.
Ricoh also says that with the m3i option, users will also be able to access the MFP's touch screen with PDAs and Smartphones. The Access Module also takes advantage of existing assistive technology - for example a PC screen reader can allow selections to be spoken back to the user. The solution’s user interface has a high-contrast, scalable layout and can be operated using just the tab and enter keys.
Notes said Paul Weston, managing director at Select Technology, which is based in the United Kingdom, “There are a lot of assistive technologies available to help with the printing process, so we were committed to creating a platform that would also help disabled users with the copying, scanning and fax functions of an MFP. The m3i Access Module is just the first in a range of innovative, customizable user interfaces that we have been able to develop only because of the Ricoh Embedded Software Architecture.”
The m3i option is part of Ricoh's RiSVP program, under which Ricoh provides third-party products to its direct and dealer channels in order to help grow dealers' revenue, and to simplify the sales processes.
In order to validate conformance with U.S. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, Ricoh says the m3i Access Module was submitted to the Accessibility Evaluation Facility at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), which validated Section 508 compliance.