Konica Minolta Launches 100-ppm Color Printer at NYC Event

In New York this week, Konica Minolta Business Solutions launched a new 100-page-per-minute color printer, the bizhub PRESS C1100, along with a new cloud-based document management solution, FileAssist for Graphic Communications. Konica Minolta executives unveiled the new products at the company's Customer Engagement Center on Lexington Avenue during a technology showcase event attended by dozens of journalists and analysts, including IPG.

"We're taking that next step and really driving into the commercial print business," remarked Dino Pagliarello, director of product marketing, as he introduced the bizhub PRESS C1100, along with an 85-ppm version, the bizhub PRESS C1085. Both use the new enhanced Simitri HDE toner.

"We've actually widened the color gamut of the magenta space," said Pagliarello. "We've improved black and grayscale." The toner also boasts enhanced fade resistance and a lower melting point, to conserve energy, he said.

Both printers offer enhanced productivity due to a new large diameter belt fusing and air separation fusing system. Air suction paper feeding improves paper handling and productivity.

At the event, four early users of the bizhub PRESS C1100 were on hand to tout the device's "unbelievable" speed and impressive productivity. Registration and quality are better than that of the bizhub PRESS C8000, they said, and there has been much less downtime with the C1100.

During the event, attendees also got a chance to see the bizhub PRESS C1100 on the showroom floor, along with the new bizhub PRESS 2250P monochrome digital press—which combines two bizhub PRESS 1250P engines—and the ProJet 660 Professional 3D printer—which produces full-color CMYK products.

Before debuting the new products, executives took the opportunity to lay out Konica Minolta's blueprint for the future, the key to which is understanding customers' business requirements.

"We need to be experts on the customer," remarked Sam Errigo, senior vice president, Business Intelligence Services. "This is how world-class companies provide value—real value—to those customers. We understand your business, and we're going to build an architecture and a platform to support that end result."

"What the customer experience is long term will define our company," added Rick Taylor, president and chief operating officer. "You have to make customers feel valued."

Read more about Konica Minolta's solutions blueprint and other initiatives in the August issue of IPG. View additional photos from the Konica Minolta Technology Showcase here.