Venture Computer, the sole distributor in South Africa for Lexmark International, today announced that to provide customers with the ability to manage diverse printers on a network through a single console, various enhancements to MarkVision for Windows 9 5/98 and MarkVision for Windows NT 4.0 have been released. This new release includes features for the seamless integration of all major printer products into the MarkVision graphical user interface.
MarkVision collects information from Lexmark, HP, IBM, Kyocera, Tektronix, Xerox and other printers and displays it in a simple, easy-to-read format. It gives network administrators a powerful tool for management of virtually every printer on the network, making it easy to access and manage printer status, configurations and locations.
"Management of printers in a multi-vendor environment is important to network administrators," said Richard Fearon, sales and marketing director of Venture Computer. "Lexmark software developers listened to our customers, delivered a solution that addresses their needs and packaged it in a single application for simplified management."
MarkVision uses the information from the industry standard printer manufacturer`s information base (MIB) to provide a robust solution that gives network administrators, help desk administrators and other support personnel a powerful, centralised view of printers from a single console.
New management features for printers from all major manufacturers include:
- Ready state (off, ready, online, offline)
- Installed features list, such as additional paper trays or extra memory
- Operator panel display
- Lifetime page counts
- Network addresses
- Printer locations
- Direct access to the HTML set-up pages of print servers from Lexmark, Xerox and Tektronix
When access to another manufacturer`s printer management utility is desired, Lexmark provides the ability to launch the application directly from MarkVision. This allows administrators to use MarkVision`s intuitive and user-friendly interface throughout the enterprise, reduce printer management training costs for new employees and provide a consistent look and feel for help desks and support groups.
Network administrators can also take advantage of these unique MarkVision features when managing Lexmark printers:
- Real-time alerts
- Remote operator panel
- Color toner and ink gauges for Optra Color family members
- Toner level, paper low indicators and "output bin nearly full" warnings for the Optra S family of monochrome lasers
- Job statistics including multi-up printing, fax printing and OptraImage copy jobs
- Minimised network traffic because printer polling is not necessary
- Reporting of optional emulators installed in the printer, including Lexmark solutions for IPDS, barcode and TIFF printing, in addition to other third-party SIMM solutions; Network administrators can determine which optional firmware SIMM, if any, is installed in the printer
- Detailed printer inventory
MarkVision makes printer management easy for network administrators by delivering the best open standard support in the industry today. Lexmark is committed to open standards and focusing on customer needs.
Other software and connectivity announcements from Lexmark today include:
- NetPnP
- Tivoli Management Console Integration
- SAP R/3 Barcode Printing Solution.
- SIMM for IPDS Printing
- ImageQuick SIMM for TIFF Printing
- MarkTrack
MarkVision for Windows 95/98 and MarkVision for Windows NT is available for no extra charge with the purchase of Lexmark business printers and the Lexmark MarkNet Pro family of external print servers.
Editors note
Venture Computer is the sole distributors in South Africa for Lexmark; and Tally; products including consumables, and a distributor for Compaq, with offices in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth. They were chosen by CRNSA readers as "Distributor of the Year" in 1996 and in 1997.
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