Xerox Launches Two Multifunction Devices Through The Channel

The WorkCentre 4260 will start at $2,999 and be sold about 50/50 direct and through the channel. The Phaser 3300 will start at $599.

Both the WorkCentre 4260 and Phaser 3300 are multifunction devices (MFDs) that allow customers to access several different features in a single box, such as copy, print and scan. Scan to email lets customers do just that: scan a document and email it directly to the intended recipients from the machine.

Steve Hothem, president of Madison Heights, Mich.-based Landmark Systems, sees small offices moving toward multifunction devices.

"Small offices are going to MFDs," said Hothem. "Small businesses don't always have the space for three or four systems -- these products have a single footprint. The majority of what we sell in these spaces is multifunction devices."

The Phaser 3300 is geared to smaller businesses, said Todd Smith, product marketing manager for Xerox Office Group, and resellers and solution providers can sell it to customers looking for a solid product who don't necessarily need a large volume printing solution.

"[The Phaser 3300] can be used as a primary product that fits every day businesses," said Smith. "It offers the ability to fit in as a mainstay product and replace desktop-type multifunction devices a customer already has. It's not overly expensive, so it fits into the buying window of customers, and partners can relate to them through that perspective."

The WorkCentre 4260 is billed as a multifunction device for slightly larger businesses that need more copy and print functionality than a mom and pop type shop.

"The WorkCentre 4260 is a little larger device, more like a traditional copier look and feel," Smith said. "We see this as a fast growing market for the channel in general because there are only a few products in this space. It is a segment of products that is growing between 15 and 20 percent year over year."

For resellers working in this larger space, some salient features include the 4260's ability to print 55 pages per minute of print, and it's "print around" functionality. Print around allows the copier to make an intelligent choice about which job in a print queue should be executed.

For example, if a job on the top of the queue requires a certain size piece of paper that isn't loaded into the printer, the 4260 will recognize the potential error, look to the next job in the queue and print it. Once the second job is printed, the WorkCentre will check and see if the appropriate sized paper has been loaded before moving to the next job it can currently perform.

"Customers tend to look for new things out there," said John Posavad, operations manager with St. Paul, Minn.-based Advanced Technology Systems. "With the 4260, there are advanced features that will be attractive to some people."

While new is always good, Posavad thinks that there is one constant feature that resellers can use to sell copy and printing solutions to customers.

"Speed. I don't know if there are many letter-sized multifunction devices that can print 55 pages per minute," said Posavad. "You have to pay more for a tabloid sized for that higher speed."

While the affordability of the Phaser 3300 and WorkCentre 4260 make each multifunction device appealing to customers, resellers can continue to make their profits by offering services to customers.

Both Posavad and Hothem see hardware, services and consumables as a holistic approach that can be used to approach customers. Some customers get snared while looking for copier services, which can then lead to a contract based around consumables and, eventually, hardware upgrades.

"When you look at breakdown of our revenue it's about 40 percent hardware and 60 percent services," said Hothem. "We do hardware maintenance, network maintenance, and we also provide media and supplies built into the services side. That means time someone wants toner or paper for wide format."