Konica Minolta News Archive (2003)

RAMSEY, N.J. – December 15, 2003 – Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta) today announced that the Konica ColorFORCET 8050 was named the "Most Reliable Colour Imaging Device in its Class" in Office Products Analyst's (OPA) 2003 Colour Product Reliability Study. With an 8.3 overall rating, Konica's 8050 surpassed all of the colour production devices included in the study.

"Congratulations to Konica for such an impressive showing in this year's survey," said Andy Slawetsky, vice president, Industry Analysts, Inc. "As a relative newcomer to the production colour market, our research has shown that the ColorFORCE 8050 is more reliable than competitors who have manufactured devices in this class for many years."

To compile the data for its 2003 Colour Product Reliability Study, OPA, a monthly newsletter devoted to the cost/performance analysis of office products published by Industry Analysts, Inc., interviewed service managers from dealerships across the United States. Respondents were asked to rate the reliability of each colour model in their primary brand - the brand that accounts for the most revenue in the dealership - on a scale of one to ten, with ten being the best. Responses encompassed 9,516 units.

"OPA's survey affirms that the ColorFORCE 8050 was designed to maximize equipment productivity," said William H. Brewster, Jr., vice president, marketing, Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. "We built this product from the ground up, tapping into our renowned engineering expertise in the B&W production print and photographic fields, to deliver a high-speed digital colour system that is setting a new standard in terms of performance, as well as speed and price."

Designed for cost-effective colour and B&W on-demand printing for the CRD and print-for-pay environments, as well as high-volume workgroups and the graphic arts industry, the ColorFORCE 8050 bridges the gap between the 24ppm-plus digital copier/printer segment and the colour production print market. The 8050's features include: print and copy speeds of 50ppm colour and B&W, a rated monthly page volume of 150,000 pages, Konica's Simitri® Colour Polymerized Toner technology, the Konica IP-901 Fiery® print controller and Fiery system software, and advanced finishing capabilities.

About Industry Analysts, Inc.

Industry Analysts, Inc., founded in 1974, specializes in research and training program development for the office automation industry. Headquartered in Rochester, N.Y., Industry Analysts also has a product testing facility in Fairfield, N.J., where they evaluate office equipment. Test reports are free and available via www.industryanalysts.com.