January 11, 2012 – Hackensack (NJ) – Buyers Laboratory LLC, the world’s leading independent tester of document imaging products, today announced its color printer and color printer MFP “Picks” for the most outstanding models tested in the past six months, with honors going to Brother, Canon, HP, Kyocera Mita, Samsung and Sharp.

After analyzing the results for the top performers in a range of printer and MFP categories, BLI awarded Winter 2012 “Pick” awards to the following vendors for their outstanding color products:

HP Takes Three
Taking home printer “Pick” awards for three outstanding color laser and inkjet devices, HP gives users reliable, easy-to-use and cost-effective color output. “The Officejet Pro 8100 ePrinter and 8600 Plus e-All-in-One Series are great color inkjets that offer a low purchase price and a lower cost per page than entry-level color laser devices, plus features like ePrint for increased flexibility,” said BLI Senior Analyst for Printers and A4 MFPs Marlene Orr. “And the M551 Series is an excellent choice for mid-size workgroups that need consistent color, high memory for processing complex jobs and the robust management capabilities of Web Jetadmin.”

“HP is honored to receive BLI’s prestigious ‘outstanding’ distinction in this category,” said Hatem Mostafa, vice president for HP’s Imaging and Printing Group. “The HP Officejet Pro portfolio provides businesses with professional print quality and low cost of ownership, while the HP LaserJet Enterprise 500 color M551 Series is an ideal solution for a high-demand enterprise environment looking for a reliable workhorse. We continually strive to offer businesses, both large and small, products that help them meet and exceed the demands of the fast-paced, connected workplace.”

Sharp Wins for Robust Scanning and Unique Design
Winning the “Pick” in the large workgroup color MFP category, the Sharp MX-402SC offers a robust feature set, impressive image quality and intuitive design, but the robust scanning and unique document feeder are what really make it stand out from competitive models. “The MX-C402SC is an excellent choice for scan-intensive environments,” said BLI Test Technician Joe Ellerman. “Users can place a stack of ID cards in the feeder and program ID card copy to put both sides of the card on a single sheet of paper without having to reposition the cards on the platen." Plus, Sharp’s OSA technology lets users automate tasks by seamlessly integrating the device with workflow software that can be accessed directly from the control panel.

Kyocera Scores with Software Solutions Support
Receiving a “Pick” in the small workgroup color MFP category, the Kyocera FS-C2526/FS-C2626 Series bring solutions capabilities to small workgroup environments. Because the models in the series incorporate a touch-screen and are powered by Kyocera’s HyPAS (hybrid platform for advanced solutions), the FS-C2526/FS-C2626 can integrate with solutions that can be accessed from the control panel to automate workflow. “Many businesses need to do more with less, so solutions integration at the desktop level really adds value to the Kyocera FS-C2626,” said David Sweetnam, who heads Research and Lab Services for BLI European operations. “And because the imaging drum is rated for 200,000 impressions, which far exceeds the competitive average, this helps to minimize TCO and reduce environmental waste."

Samsung Delivers Quality Color, Ease of Use and Value
Offering a lower than average purchase price and supplies cost per page, the CLP-775ND has claimed the “Pick” in the small to mid-size workgroup category. “In spite of its low price, the CLP-775 is packed with features, like high standard memory, standard duplexing and support for heavy media,” said BLI Test Technician Joe Ellerman. “And not only is this unit fast and easy to use and manage on the network, but it offers outstanding quality, which is rarely seen at this level.”

Canon: Big on Features, Small on Price
Clearly deserving of a “Pick” for small and home offices, the Canon Color imageCLASS MF8380Cdw features robust scanning and is easy to use and very affordable. “I was really impressed with the MF8380CDw’s control panel,” said BLI Test Technician Joe Ellerman. “The shortcuts on the control panel that link with the Toolbox utility make scanning so easy. There is also a hard key to access secure print jobs, rather than having to navigate menus like most competitive models force you to do."

Brother Honored for Reliability, Quality and Feature Set
Honored with a “Pick” in the A3-capable inkjet all-in-one category, the Brother MFC-J6910DW impressed BLI technicians with its outstanding color quality, ease of use and above-average feature set. “One of only a handful of business-class inkjet all-in-ones to support 11”-x-17” output and standard automatic duplexing, the Brother MFC-J6910DW is easy to set up and use,” said BLI’s Sweetnam. “But what really stands out is the a single-pass duplexing scanner that not only increases scan speeds for double-sided documents, but also helps to reduce wear and tear on originals."

"Brother is honored to receive the award for our MFC-J6910DW color inkjet multifunction unit from Buyers Lab. At Brother, we understand the need of today’s cost-conscious small business owners,” said Marie Le, Brother’s director of marketing for color inkjet products. “With the MFC-J6910DW we offer 11” x 17” duplex printing along with cost-effective super-high-yield consumables to help them see the bigger picture and save money while conducting their business."

About Buyers Laboratory LLC
Buyers Laboratory LLC (BLI) is the world's leading independent provider of analytical information and services to the digital imaging and document management industry. For over 50 years, buyers have relied on BLI to help them differentiate products’ strengths and weaknesses and make the best purchasing decisions, while industry sales, marketing and product professionals have turned to BLI for insightful competitive intelligence and valued guidance on product development, competitive positioning and sales channel and marketing support. Using BLI’s web-based bliQ and Solutions Center services, 40,000 professionals worldwide create extensive side-by-side comparisons of hardware and software solutions for over 15,000 products globally, including comprehensive specifications and the performance results and ratings from BLI’s unparalleled Lab, Solutions and Environmental Test Reports, the result of months of hands-on evaluation in its US and UK labs. The services, also available via mobile devices, include a comprehensive library of BLI’s test reports, an image gallery, hard to find manufacturers’ literature and valuable tools for configuring products, calculating total cost of ownership (TCO) and annual power usage. BLI also offers consulting and private, for-hire testing services that help manufacturers develop and market better products and consumables.

For more information on Buyers Laboratory LLC, please call (201) 488-0404, visit www.buyerslab.com, or e-mail info@buyerslab.com.