Hewlett-Packard is the king of the laser printer category, but there are a number of well-known challengers offering inexpensive, feature-rich products that solution providers are looking for as well, according to findings from the 2009 CRN Channel Contenders survey. The Channel Contenders research sought to identify the top vendors that solution providers choose as alternatives to market leaders. Check out these 10 companies that were singled out by solution providers as contenders in the laser printer category.

Ricoh has introduced a slew of new printers this year, including the Aficio SP C222SF Series. These MFPs reduce paper use and supply costs through features such as automatic duplex printing. The company just launched its managed print services program, which helps resellers provide customers with ongoing assessments, solution advice and on-site and off-site fleet management.

Oki Data is also in the forefront of the MFP line. In March, the company rolled out its CX2640, CX1145 and CX2033 color MFPs in response to the expected growth in the A3 and A4 color MFP markets. In July, Oki also unveiled a comprehensive managed print services program, Total Managed Print, a three-tiered program aimed at resellers, particularly those uneasy about entering the managed print services arena.

The company's name is synonymous with printing and has stayed in the forefront of the market with solid products for solution providers. Earlier this year, Xerox launched its new line of solid-ink multifunction printers, the ColorQube 9200 MFP series (9201/9202/9203), which the company promises will lower the cost of printing color pages by as much as 62 percent and, at the same time, reduce supply waste by 90 percent.

The Lexington, Ky.-based company offers resellers an extensive product line and has also released several new products this year, such as the Lexmark X782e XL. The high-volume color workgroup printer helps cut down on consumables with unique cartridge pricing that helps save money, according to Lexmark.

The Bridgewater, N.J.-based company might not make as much noise as some market rivals, but it's not standing still. Brother has several MFPs, including the DCP-9040CN, a color digital copier with up to 21-ppm color laser printing aimed at SMBs.

Samsung offers several all-in-one printers, including its recent entry, the CLP-770ND. The model is geared towards the enterprise, according to the company. The network-ready machine features built-in duplexing, 7,000-page toner yield and a 120,000-page monthly duty cycle.

One of Canon's most impressive new products is its ImageClass 9170c MFP, which rolled out earlier this year. The 9170c is an enterprise device, but is easy to use, which is especially important to companies that can't afford a lot of hands-on help. A nice feature is toner for this machine, which, according to Canon, provides for up to 6,000 pages per cartridge with a monthly duty cycle of 65,000 pages.

Konica Minolta is a 2009 Channel Contender in part for its Magicolor 8650 printer, which provides 35-ppm output, built-in print control, modular finishing options and simple plug-and-play installation.

Kyocera Mita America has been busy. The company just introduced the color FS-C1020MFP aimed at small to midsize businesses and shared workgroup environments. The FS-C1020MFP is a 21-ppm color printer with standard paper-saving duplex printing and copying and has features that are designed to save costs. The printer includes a 35-sheet document processor, a 250-sheet adjustable paper drawer and 256 MB of standard memory (upgradable to 512 MB).

Toshiba is a color laser Channel Contender in part because of its e-STUDIO220CP, a $499 color laser printer that offers up to 24/22-ppm black-and-white/color and 4800 Color Quality with 1200-x-1200 dpi resolution.