Plano, Texas (April 1, 2010) - Muratec America, Inc., manufacturer of multifunction office equipment and business productivity solutions, announces today an initiative to provide independent office equipment dealers with the components necessary to successfully launch, manage and grow a managed document services (MDS) program.

Managed Document Services is a holistic approach to managing documents in the office. As companies look to extend the life of existing printer and MFP fleets, reduce operating costs, streamline service and supply fulfillment, enhance document workflow and simply analyze their document infrastructure, an MDS program can deliver the desired customer benefits while providing a new, profitable annuity stream for a dealer.

“Muratec wants to take the conversation beyond simply managing print environments and into the management of the entire document lifecycle,” said Jim D’Emidio, President, Muratec America, Inc. “Dealers are being bombarded with the message that they have to get into managed print services, which at its core is the ability to capture a company’s printing devices with the intention of providing service & supply fulfillment. While we agree that this is certainly a growth area for dealers we believe there can be more value added into the message. Our managed document services program enables dealers to present solutions that address document capture, workflow and output, which will help differentiate the dealership when competing with printing VAR’s, OEM direct branches and other dealers.”

The three core components of Muratec managed document services program are:

OEM & OEM-Compatible Imaging Supplies

Muratec offers a full line of OEM & OEM-compatible imaging supplies to enable dealers to deliver the broad mix of SKU’s required to manage existing printer/MFP fleets. Our Imagemate-branded supplies enable dealers to reduce document output costs, offer reliable performance and are strategically stocked in multiple distribution centers to enable fast order fulfillment.

Nationwide Printer & MFP Technical Support

Muratec has assembled a nationwide service and support team that provides dealers a solution to overcome the burden of supporting multiple brands of printers and MFP’s. This program enables dealers to manage imaging devices that are outside their coverage area, or devices they simply do not wish, or don’t have the ability, to support. Muratec can provide dealers with a blended service cost for each account that enables the dealer to present an actual MDS cost for the customer. Muratec assumes all responsibility for service dispatch, repair, parts, etc.

A4 Multifunction Products

Muratec’s focus has been on delivering innovative A4 MFP solutions for over 25 years. Our workgroup MFP solutions specialize in helping customers quickly capture electronic data from their workstation and deliver those files to e-mail addresses, fax machines, network folders, collaboration software, workflow systems and document management software. Best of all, our A4 MFP line-up offer print speeds from 20 to 55 pages-per-minute, broad PDL support and compact footprints, which enables the replacement of existing workgroup printers.

By offering one, or multiple, components of the Muratec MDS program dealers can provide the following benefits to their customer base:

• Single source for printer & MFP maintenance, supplies and procurement
• Integrated document capture, routing, management and output solutions
• Enhanced customer service, regulatory compliance, budget accuracy, energy efficiency and worker productivity

By offering one, or multiple, components of the Muratec MDS program dealers can realize the following benefits for their dealership:

• The creation of an annuity stream from their customer’s existing printer & MFP fleets
• Differentiate from the competition by managing all aspects of the document life cycle - capture (scanning), workflow (routing, processing, storage & retrieval) and output (printing). Each stage in the life cycle has the ability to create both immediate and residual profit opportunities.
• Ongoing consultation & optimization opportunities that lead to future hardware placements (A3 &A4)

“Muratec has over 500 dealerships throughout North America and each operates differently,” said D’Emidio. “The beauty of our MDS program is that it enables dealers to pick and choose the components that fit their current strategy and assists them in growing at their own pace, while offering a marketing message to help differentiate the total offering.”

About Muratec:
Muratec America, Inc. is a manufacturer of multifunction digital office equipment and business productivity solutions. The company is a Plano, Texas-based subsidiary of Murata Machinery, Ltd., a privately held multinational corporation based in Kyoto, Japan. Visit www.muratec.com for more information.