Take It to the Cloud––No, Not That Cloud, Fuji’s Cloud! Where?

Since the “cloud” has quickly become an everyday topic at our office, we have tried out a plethora of cloud-based storage services. Sometimes we even have a hard time finding which cloud we have put our files on. The more clouds we get, the more inclement our moods are. The fix-all organizational tool that the cloud purports to be has discombobulated our lives and fragmented our minds and documents. It was easy when you knew, “Damn, that file is at home on the computer.” Now, the question is, is that document on Box.net, Dropbox, Amazon Cloud Drive, Evernote, iCloud, iWork––or maybe it’s on the Fuji copier? We don’t need a new cloud, we need an atmosphere to keep all of our clouds in one place. Our network administrators are turning into meteorologists, and we all know what their accuracy rates are…

Regardless, Fuji Xerox has launched a cloud-based document collaboration tool that interfaces directly with its copiers. While I think this is great selling tool, couldn’t Fuji Xerox just integrate this into one of the existing could storage solutions? The apparent answer is no, it needed its own cloud, and presumably that is what everyone else has concluded. Don’t get me wrong––I think the cloud is an amazing tool. It has made my life easier in so many ways. But it could still be simpler. The market is being diluted with too many free services that are trying to catch everything in one basket. I’d rather pay for something that handled all of my cloud-based needs.

Fuji Xerox could be onto something here. It is the first in the mainstream market to integrate cloud-based storage and collaboration with its production workflow in the copiers. The power that this will bestow onto users is great. Being able to modify documents seconds before they hit the press is a great selling point. But does this make sense in the real world? The implementation of computers, print-ready PDFs, and email has already made the standard RUSH job a nightmare to pull off. In the current workflow, the ease of submitting new files mid-production has led to jobs being “approved” 4–5 times. I can only assume that this will make that worse. However, with the correct procedures in place, there could be success with this product. We will have to wait until Fuji Xerox releases this into the US market to give it its fair trial. Sales started in Japan last Monday, so reviews of this are still very preliminary.

As Jay Alabaster in PCWorld points out, “A myriad of similar online storage services exist, and many such as Dropbox and Evernote can sync with faxes and scanners. But hardware makers are rushing to launch cloud offerings that work seamlessly with their products, as a way to lock in clients and a buffer against commoditization amid falling profit margins.” All I can say is that I couldn’t agree more! Fuji’s service will cost around $45 a month and allow 10 users access to 10 GB of shared storage. The company aims to sell 10,000 contracts for this service per year.

So what is your cloud-sharing service preference? I find myself using Dropbox the most.

Author: John Mehl

Xerox Acquires More Market Share Through Larger Sheet Size

Back in 2010, Xerox released its latest update of the iGen digital printing press. The iGen4 was positioned as the “all new iGen” by Xerox. Most iGen owners who have transitioned from iGen1 up to iGen3 were not thrilled to hear of a new update. The updates were primarily in software, with subtle hardware fixes. The update from iGen3 to iGen4, however, is a great leap. One of the biggest things is the ability to print up to a 14.33″ x 26″ sheet, the largest size possible for a sheet-fed digital printing device. There are also other interesting quality-control upgrades that I will touch on below.

Many may think that a larger sheet size on a digital press wouldn’t be such an improvement. As digital equipment tries to catch up to offset equipment, however, this sheet size has been the one thing that’s been holding digital back. Think about trying to print a cover for an oblong 11″ x 8.5″ book. The cover itself would be 22.5″ x 8.5″ plus bleeds. This was impossible until the iGen4! This large-sheet capacity has given digital printers the opportunity to print materials that were once achievable only on offset equipment.

One of the drawbacks of printing a larger sheet is having to control the color across a larger surface. Xerox has introduced some new equipment to take care of this. First, an inline spectrometer is used to automate color adjustments and calibrate the equipment from sheet to sheet to ensure quality. There is also an auto density controller that Xerox says will virtually eliminate streaking and banding (though I find this very hard to believe since this is the largest complaint with all plastic-based toner machines)!

Lastly, one of the new features of the iGen4 is its use of Xerox’s new “dry ink,” which is basically a nice way of saying plastic-based toner. The only difference between the old toner and the new toner is the fact that this toner is generated from scratch, allowing the toner particles to be identical in size and color. Xerox refers to this process as “chemically born toner” meaning that instead of the toner be refined from one particle to the other, these particles are specifically generated to be toner. This will help to ensure that the quality of the toner is spot on and will increase the overall quality of the print.

It’s great to see that Xerox is taking the bull by the horns and making digital equipment that rivals that of offset. But the question still looms: Will the claims Xerox makes in its marketing materials hold true when you get the iGen4 in house? I would dare to say, with the proper maintenance and calibration routine, yes, but if you forgo that routine, the quality will begin to fade quickly!

So, what new opportunities will this press open up for you?

Author: John Mehl