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Astoria, AI and beyond

Xerox has innovated for the past 81 years, with apps, AI and printed electronics being just a few of its continuing innovations.

Johannesburg, 29 Oct 2019

Do you realise the significance of  October? It means something to you even if you don’t realise it. You see, Tuesday, 22 October 2019, is the 81st anniversary of the day the first xerographic image was produced and Xerography began. Without that special day, the Xerox printer or multifunctional device you use would probably not exist. It is amazing to think how far xerographic technology has come in 80+ years.

Back on October 22 1938, Chester Carlson, a patent attorney and part-time inventor, made the first xerographic image. The first image was a handwritten note that simply read “10-22-38 ASTORIA” (see picture). The copy is preserved in the Smithsonian Institution in the United States. If Carlson were still alive, he might be surprised to learn his invention began an information revolution that has continued to this day, making information readily available and expanding the world’s total knowledge. According to the study, Megatrends in Digital Printing Applications, 8.5 trillion letter-size simplex pages are printed annually in North America on products fathered by Carlson’s invention.

Xerox has gone on to be a leader in innovation over the past 81 years. ConnectKey-enabled office assistants, apps, artificial intelligence (AI) and printed electronics are just a few of the innovations that continue to be generated by minds at Xerox. Xerox is made to think. Xerox is building the future of work every day at the company's innovation centres. Take a look at this Made To Think video to see a few of the innovations and what Xerox staff are up to on a daily basis.


You can see the innovations that have evolved from the xerographic technology and more at the Xerox Innovation site. Read more about the history of Chester Carlson and Xerography or download the Story of Xerography.

In celebration of Carlson’s Astoria, notice, as you go through your normal workday, how xerography helps you and your business every day.

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Bytes Document Solutions

Altron Bytes Document Solutions (BDS) is Africa's leading document management technology and services company and the largest Xerox distributor in the world. It is the authorised Xerox distributor in 26 sub-Saharan countries offering the complete range of Xerox document equipment, software solutions and services. BDS forms part of JSE-listed Allied Electronics Corporation (Altron). http://bytesdocumentsolutions.co.za

Xerox Corporation

Xerox Corporation is a technology leader that innovates the way the world communicates, connects and works. We understand what’s at the heart of sharing information – and all of the forms it can take. We embrace the integration of paper and digital, the increasing requirement for mobility, and the need for seamless integration between work and personal worlds. Every day, our innovative print technologies and intelligent work solutions help people communicate and work better. Discover more at www.xerox.com and follow us on Twitter at @Xerox.

Editorial contacts

Tanya Moodley
Altron Bytes Document Solutions
(011) 928 9111
Tanya.moodley@bdsol.co.za