Buyers Laboratory Announces Winners of its Prestigious
Spring 2004 Printer "Pick of the Year" Awards

June 15, 2004 — HACKENSACK, New Jersey — In keeping with its long-standing tradition of giving special recognition to the most outstanding office products tested in its lab, Buyers Laboratory (BLI), the leading independent office products test lab and business consumer advocate, is pleased to announce its Spring 2004 Printer “Pick of the Year” awards. These awards will shortly be followed by BLI’s “Picks” for the most outstanding fax- and copier-centric products tested, and BLI’s “Most Outstanding Multifunctional Product Line” award.

In commenting on BLI’s “Pick” awards, Anthony Polifrone, managing director of Buyers Laboratory, noted: “In each of the 43 years that we have been testing products, we’ve always seen a mix of good and bad performers, as well as products that gave an exceptional performance throughout our comprehensive lab tests and clearly stood out among the rest. To acknowledge those exemplary performers, BLI honors them with its ‘Pick’ awards. To be chosen as such tells business consumers and the industry that these products have clearly proven to be among the very best in their product categories when subjected to BLI’s exhaustive in-house testing, and confirms that these products can be counted on for superior performance.” Steve Fletcher, president and COO of Konica Minolta Printing Solutions, noted: "Receiving Buyers Laboratory's Pick of the Year award in two categories exemplifies the strength of our color product line, and being recognized by independent testing organizations like Buyers Lab is validation for us. It shows that our products perform exceptionally well when subjected to extensive evaluation above and beyond normal usage." Robert Stewart, vice president worldwide marketing, Xerox Channels Group, commented: “The Phaser 8400 sets the standard for innovation, performance and functionality for workgroup color printers, and this honor recognizes Xerox as a world leader in providing quality, affordable and easy-to-use color printers for offices small to large.” “Lexmark is pleased to be honored with these awards covering the key monochrome, color and multifunction segments of the laser printer market. These awards are independent confirmation of Lexmark’s leadership position in designing reliable, easy-to-use, customer-driven document solutions for large and small businesses alike,” stated Paul A. Rooke, Executive Vice President, Lexmark; President, Printing Solutions and Services Division. BLI subscribers can get all the details on the specific models chosen and their respective awards in Buyers Lab’s June/July Digital Imaging Review newsletter. Anyone who is not a subscriber can purchase copies of this special “Pick” issue by calling Buyers Lab at 201-488-0404.

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 mfps, copiers, printers, scanners, wide-format devices and software solutions. The company's databases cover over 13,000 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.