Xerox Unveils Next-Gen Color Multifunction Printers

The cornerstone of its newest color products, the WorkCentre C2424, offers color multifunction capabilities that, the company said, is 60 percent more affordable and twice as fast as competitive products. The C2424 is Xerox's first multifunction printer to use the company's patented solid ink sticks that can be loaded as easily as staples in a stapler, according to Xerox.

"We are on track to make the majority of our products color-enabled," said Xerox Chairman and CEO Anne Mulcahy, speaking at San Francisco's Fort Mason Pavilion, on the shore of the San Francisco Bay. "We are extending color to new a category of office multifunction systems, injecting color into every customer segment we serve."

At its Color Sense event Wednesday, in a large room populated largely by men in monochromatic gray suits, Xerox unveiled three new multifunction printers for workgroups, and a new workstation to manage print needs of graphic professionals.

The C2424 delivers printing, scanning and copying in color and black-and-white pages.

It prints and copies at 24 pages a minute, scans 20 images a minute and produces the first color page in six seconds, the company said. The color multifunction printer will use solid-ink cartridges-technology Xerox acquired when it bought the Textronix office printer business in 2000. It carries a retail price of $2,999. Last week, Mulcahy had told CRN that she sees the C2424 as a prime example of its strategy, as the device is aimed at bringing color document imaging to the midmarket.

Xerox has won praise for its color technology, but it is now seeking a boost in the critical midmarket from solution providers. Beyond imaging, though, Xerox executives believe the C2424 will face competition from rivals Canon and Ricoh since they have the same copier company heritage as Xerox. The C2424 will come in three configurations, each with varying software bundles.

Also introduced Wednesday were the new Xerox CopyCentre C118 and WorkCentre M118/M118i, multifunction systems for workgroups. Xerox's CopyCentre Internet Services management software allows offices to remotely manage Xerox machines on their network. The WorkCentre M118 provides copy and print capabilities. The M118i additionally provides faxing and scan-to-email functions. Retail pricing for the CopyCentre C118 starts at $1,499. The WorkCentre M118 series starts at $1,999.

In addition, Xerox unveiled a new EFI Fiery X12e controller, a new workstation that processes print jobs and drives the company's DocuColor 12 multifunction printer. Aimed at color-intensive businesses, such as graphic design or digital color production, the workstation is priced at $8,995.