December 2, 2009 – Hackensack (NJ) – Buyers Laboratory Inc. (BLI), the world’s leading independent evaluator of document imaging products and solutions, today announced its Fall 2009 “Pick” awards honoring outstanding A3/Ledger-size MFPs from Konica Minolta, Ricoh and Sharp. BLI’s semi-annual “Pick” awards are given to the hardware and software offerings that measure up as the best in BLI’s comprehensive evaluations, which assess a wide range of the most important features and performance factors for buyers. The Fall 2009 Copier MFP “Pick” winners are:

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Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc. Konica Minolta bizhub C220/C280 Outstanding 21- to 30-ppm A3/Ledger Color MFPs Konica Minolta bizhub C360 Outstanding 31- to 40-ppm A3/Ledger Color MFP Ricoh Americas Corporation Ricoh Aficio MP C2050 (Also sold as the Lanier LD520c and Savin C9020) Outstanding Up to 20-ppm A3/Ledger Color MFP Ricoh Aficio MP C5000 with EFI Fiery Controller (also sold as the Lanier LD550c and Savin C5050) Outstanding 41- to 50-ppm A3/Ledger Color MFP Sharp Electronics Sharp MX-M283N Outstanding 21- to 30-ppm A3/Ledger Monochrome MFP Sharp MX-M363 Outstanding 31- to 40-ppm A3/Ledger Monochrome MFP Sharp MX-M453 Outstanding 41- to 50-ppm A3/Ledger Monochrome MFP Sharp MX-M503 Outstanding 41- to 50-ppm A3/Ledger Monochrome MFP

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Konica Minolta Color Series Rises To The Top In Low- To Mid-Speed Ranges
For their impressive overall performances, Konica Minolta’s 22-ppm bizhub C220, 28-ppm bizhub C280, and 36-ppm bizhub C360 have earned Fall 2009 BLI “Pick” awards for “Outstanding A3/Ledger Color MFPs” in their respective speed ranges. “The models offer exceptional ease of use and strong productivity in key test areas, while also proving to be highly reliable, making a strong case for these as the best in business color for Fall 2009,” said BLI Assignments Editor George Mikolay. Results of BLI’s job stream test in color, which simulates real-world usage, were impressive, as all three models achieved above-average efficiency from both the PCL and PostScript drivers. Black and color duplex copy and print efficiency results were also very good to outstanding overall, which is crucial as users attempt to lower running costs and improve environmental friendliness. All three models are also on the cutting edge for innovation. With the MyTab feature, a Spring 2009 BLI “Outstanding Achievement” winner, commonly used print job selections can be configured and saved on one tab, allowing users to take full advantage of the driver feature set with a minimum of fuss and less risk of errors, as all required features can be viewed at a glance. Further, the Quick Copy tab allows users to select features for a typical copy job from one tab. Third-party software developers can also integrate their document management and cost accounting solutions with the devices via bizhub Extended Solution Technology (bEST). “We at Konica Minolta are honored that BLI recognized all three of the systems in the bizhub C360/C280/C220 Series of color MFPs,” said Kevin Kern, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. “These awards echo the same sentiment we’re seeing in the marketplace. Additionally, it’s great validation how our end-users can count on Konica Minolta to meet the diverse needs of today's ever-changing workplace.”

Duplex Productivity, Reliability And Superior Networking Garner Ricoh Acclaim
In a world where companies are switching to duplex workflow, the Ricoh Aficio MP C2050 makes for a very compelling solution with duplex print and copy productivity running above 100% efficiency in BLI’s multi-set tests, helping it to earn a Fall 2009 BLI “Pick” for “Outstanding Up to 20-ppm A3/Ledger Color MFP.” Demonstrating near-flawless reliability and superior network attributes, all at a price that when comparably configured is more than $2,500 less than the nearest competitor, the Ricoh Aficio MP C2050 is an excellent choice for budget-conscious buyers. The unit’s feedback to workstations is excellent, and the device offers very good administrative utilities and a range of print drivers, including standard PCL 5c/6 and RPCS drivers, as well as an optional Adobe PostScript 3 print driver. Its ease of use is very good overall, and support for Ricoh’s Embedded Software Architecture enables users to run embedded applications for additional capabilities. “To see a device delivering productivity above its rated maximum is very rare indeed, and when it does so in duplex mode, the achievement is all the more impressive,” said BLI European Laboratory and Research Manager David Sweetnam. “At Ricoh, we are confident our MFPs will meet or exceed the benchmarks set before us,” said Michael Hunter, Director of Product Marketing for Ricoh Americas Corporation. “Duplexing is becoming more prevalent in today’s office environment and the Aficio MP C2050 allows businesses to print high-quality color documents, while preserving a fast and productive workflow. Earning this prestigious Fall 2009 ‘Pick’ from BLI further confirms our vision of providing the most efficient and reliable color MFPs in the industry.”

Powerful Professional Color Printing Capabilities Steer Ricoh To Success
With more companies looking to keep a higher percentage of printing in-house, Ricoh’s MP C5000 driven by the EFI E5100 controller delivers a value-packed solution, helping it to earn a Fall 2009 BLI “Pick” as “Outstanding 41- to 50-ppm A3/Ledger Color MFP.” Offering outstanding reliability, the MP C5000 also demonstrated productivity that was consistently above average across a range of BLI copy and print tests. Walk-up users will also benefit from the device’s 50-second warm-up time, which reduces the unit’s carbon footprint, while saving on energy costs without unduly hampering staff productivity. Other benefits of the MP C5000 configured with the Fiery controller are its strong productivity and a host of print management utilities. “We were impressed by the power and functionality of the Ricoh MP C5000 when driven by the EFI controller. The intuitive hot folders and Command WorkStation 5 applications enabled our team of technicians to quickly route complex workflows through the device with the minimum of effort and maximum results,” said Sweetnam. Scoring very highly in both black and color print categories, the device also benefits from the extensive color management options within EFI ColorWise and advanced image quality options available in both the PCL and PostScript drivers. Scan users will benefit from a wide range of capabilities, including the ability to scan jobs directly into the hold queue of the controller where they can then be reprocessed before final submission. In addition, complex multi-destination workflows can be programmed as a one-touch preset using the EFI Scan Utility, and Ricoh’s color-dropout utility allows organizations processing forms, multi-choice questionnaires and tests to remove background elements, thus improving OCR/OMR accuracy and reducing file size and bandwidth strain. “We are proud the MP C5000 has been recognized with a Fall 2009 BLI ‘Pick of the Year’ award, as this color MFP is a true workhorse that delivers reliability, productivity and advanced functionality options to meet any professional color printing need,” said Hunter. “We continue to build upon our product line in order to stay one step ahead of our customers’ needs. We think that the MP C5000 not only provides value for those looking to print professional jobs in house, but for those eco-conscious companies looking to reduce their overall carbon footprint.”

Sharp’s MX Monochrome Series Earns Honors
Earning high marks in nearly every aspect of testing, all four models in Sharp’s MX Monochrome Series have earned Fall 2009 BLI “Picks” in their respective speed ranges. The four models—the 28-ppm MX-M283N, 36-ppm MX-M363N, 45-ppm MX-M453N and 50-ppm MX-M503N—demonstrated outstanding reliability in BLI’s durability testing and offer very good multitasking capabilities. They earned high marks in all aspects of connectivity as well. The models also offer a host of innovative features that helped Sharp earn a 2008 BLI “Outstanding Achievement Award.” Most notable is the industry-first standard retractable QWERTY keyboard. Because it makes it easier for users to enter index data, the QWERTY keyboard helps to make these Sharp devices more functional with integrated software applications, while also making documents easier to retrieve later. The models also feature a high-resolution color touch-screen display that is customizable to allow commonly used features to be placed on the main screen for each function, as well as the third-generation of Sharp OSA (Open Systems Architecture) so that they can be configured to integrate with customers’ document management and other types of applications to automate workflow. “We are proud to accept these Fall 2009 BLI ‘Pick’ Awards because we believe Sharp’s best of breed engineering has reached a new level with these products,” said George Grafanakis, Senior Manager, Product Planning and Marketing, Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America. “All of the newest Sharp innovations can be found in these MFPs, from the durable, standard pull-out keyboard, to the 8.5" touchscreen display, to our Sharp OSA development platform that features a growing number of certified and customizable applications. We would like to thank BLI for this award and will continue to develop products that meet our customers’ needs as we head into the new year.”

Stay tuned for upcoming Buyers Lab “Pick” award announcements in the following categories:

About Buyers Laboratory
Since 1961, Buyers Lab has been the leading independent office-equipment testing lab and business consumer advocate. In addition to publishing the industry's most comprehensive and accurate test reports on office document imaging devices, each representing months of exhaustive hands-on testing in BLI's US and UK laboratories, the company has been the leading source for extensive databases of specifications and pricing on copiers, printers, fax machines and multifunctional products. The company's databases cover over 10,000 products and have a long-standing reputation for being the industry's most trustworthy and complete source for global competitive intelligence. They are available to BLI subscribers online via the company's bliQ competitive information service. This encyclopedic resource also provides quick and easy access to BLI's First Look Reports, Field Test Reports, Lab Test Reports, Solutions Reports, and BLI-produced articles. In addition to the testing of office equipment for its subscribers, Buyers Lab provides consulting services to buyers and a vast array of confidential for-hire private testing services that include document imaging device beta and pre-launch testing, performance certification testing, consumables testing (such as toner, ink and photoconductors), software and solutions and print media testing (including virgin and recycled papers). For more information on Buyers Lab, please call (201) 488-0404, visit www.buyerslab.com, or e-mail info@buyerslab.com.