The concept of office automation has evolved considerably over the past decade, keeping pace with developments in information technology and demands by users for improved, more streamlined document management systems.
This is the view of Zandre Rudolph, a business manager at Rectron, the local representation of HP digital imaging products in South Africa, who says the development of "multifunction" technology has spurred productivity enhancements in areas such as photocopying, document scanning, printing and faxing.
"Now vendors are combining all these disciplines - and the technological advances of each - into a single machine that`s affordable enough and compact enough from a space-saving perspective to be placed in each workgroup within an organisation," says Rudolph.
"For many businesses today, the total cost of ownership is a critical part of purchasing any office automation product," he says.
"The cost of multifunction products is falling rapidly - a single machine can now provide the functions of up to four machines for the same purchase price as one or two machines and similar on-going in-service costs.
From a technical perspective, Rudolph says vendors are now designing multifunction machines with specifications that include hard disk drive memory storage, up to 1 600 sheet paper capacities, and "scan-to-file" functions.
"Modern all-in-one printer cartridges are capable of producing the clarity needed for half-tone images, smooth greyscales and fine details in colour. Technology is able to adjust the toner properties to deliver the most accurate colour reproduction, often through the use of several additional `spot` colour cartridges working in concert with the conventional black-cyan-magenta-yellow pack," he explains.
"The latest machines now boast copy and printing speeds of up to 75 pages per minute, automatic two-sided printing and support for heavy duty paper stocks for increased versatility.
"Some machines - such as the latest HP multi-function printer offerings - come with an embedded print server and an interface harness enabling them to link to third-party devices and even other computer networks for the implementation of comprehensive office automation and document handling solutions," he adds.
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