KONICA MINOLTA RECEIVES 2005 PRODUCT LINE OF THE YEAR RECOGNITION FROM BUYERS LABORATORY

Konica Minolta’s bizhub C350, bizhub 7255 and bizhub PRO 1050 Receive “Pick of the Year” Recognition

RAMSEY, N.J. – July 7, 2005 – Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta) today announced that Buyers Laboratory, Inc. (BLI) has recognized the bizhub and bizhub PRO line of digital imaging systems as its 2005 Product Line of the Year. 
 
BLI’s Product Line of the Year recognition honors the single vendor that offers an exceptional product line across all segments.  Featuring innovative color and monochrome products ranging from 15 pages-per-minute (ppm) to 105 ppm, the bizhub and bizhub PRO line of products is designed to help drive business and centralize the business professional.

“Konica Minolta’s product line includes outstanding products that have excelled when subjected to extensive testing in BLI’s lab,” said Anthony Polifrone, managing director, BLI.  He added, “The past year in the imaging industry has seen office color, production units and solutions take center stage.  Konica Minolta’s 2005 BLI ‘Pick’ Award winners — the bizhub C350 for color and the bizhub PRO 1050 for production — lead a strong overall lineup including 2004 ‘Pick’ winners in Segments 1 and 3 and a 2005 ‘Pick’ winner in Segment 4, positioning them well to meet customer needs in key growth segments.”

“To be named Product Line of the Year is a tremendous achievement and one that we are extremely proud of.  We have designed our bizhub and bizhub PRO products to meet the needs of many different applications and environments, and this recognition is an indication that we are succeeding in that goal,” said William H. Brewster, Jr., vice president, marketing, Konica Minolta Business Solutions, U.S.A., Inc.  “These awards are a strong confirmation of the value provided by the features, performance and reliability of our systems and a validation of our strategy of developing products in close collaboration with our customers.”

In addition to the Product Line of the Year recognition, Konica Minolta’s bizhub C350, bizhub PRO 1050 and bizhub 7255 were named as Spring 2005 “Picks of the Year” in their respective categories.  Twice a year, BLI’s Pick of the Year program recognizes individual products in every product category in the office imaging marketplace that showed exemplary performance during BLI’s extensive lab testing.

Konica Minolta bizhub C350 – Outstanding Segment Color Multifunctional Imaging System, General Office Applications

Ideally suited for medium to high-volume departmental settings — particularly for those users looking to add color to word processing, spreadsheet and presentation applications — the bizhub C350 delivers the convenience of a feature-rich multifunctional device, while offering users the ability to capitalize on the power of color at a cost-effective price. 

In its review of the product BLI noted, “The unit performs especially well for first-print times in color mode, generating the fastest speeds of competitive models tested when printing PowerPoint and Photoshop TIFF files, and among the fastest speeds for Acrobat PDF files.”  BLI also praised the device’s document feed (2:2 mode) and job stream efficiencies in black mode as being “among the highest for the group,” and found the unit’s control panel offers users “tremendous flexibility” in adjusting copy and image quality.

Konica Minolta bizhub PRO 1050 – Outstanding Segment 6 Multifunctional Imaging System

An ideal device for production environments ranging from CRDs to quick printing to commercial printers and datacenters, the bizhub PRO 1050’s print efficiencies in simplex and duplex modes were noted by BLI to be “the highest for comparably equipped copier-based models tested to date, as well as first-print times for four of the five file formats tested that are the fastest for the group.”  Furthermore, the unit’s job stream efficiency rate was “highest for the group,” and the device performed well in copy productivity testing, with document feeding efficiency rates in two of the three tested modes and a copy efficiency in 1:1 mode, which were also “highest for the group.”

When compared to Segment 6 copier-based MFPs, BLI found that the bizhub PRO 1050 offers “exceptional print productivity, as well as the highest maximum paper capacity, preventative maintenance (PM) schedule and rated toner yield, and one of the highest drum yields.”  The unit has a maximum paper capacity of 9,000 sheets, and handles paper weights from 16-lb. bond to 140-lb. index (up to 170-lb. index from Tray 4), “the heaviest paper weights in the group, and the only device to accommodate 140-lb. index from all drawers”, BLI noted.

Konica Minolta bizhub 7255 – Outstanding Segment 4 Multifunctional Imaging System

Built for the workgroup and departmental environments, the bizhub 7255 features a B&W print and copy speed of 55 pages per minute (ppm), scanning at 70 originals per minute (opm) with a built-in scan counter, and consistent, high-quality output with Konica Minolta’s Simitri® Polymerized Toner technology.   Additional features include:  high standard and maximum paper capacity, a maximum memory of 576 MB, advanced finishing capabilities, a touch screen design with direct Scan-to-Email, and improved interrupt mode functionality.

BLI technicians praised the product’s reliability, ease of use, multitasking and print quality.  The Simitri Polymerized Toner was acknowledged for giving the product one of the highest toner yields.  The control panel was praised for providing users with excellent overall ease of use, while its PostScript print drivers offered robust and important features that are easily set up by users. 

About Buyers Laboratory, Inc.
For over 40 years, BLI has been the leading independent office equipment test 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 the company’s 10,000-square-foot lab, BLI has been the leading source for extensive databases of specifications and pricing on copiers, printers, fax machines and multifunctional products.  BLI has recently added Field Test Reports to provide subscribers with preliminary product assessments as soon as possible after products are introduced.  As a result, BLI is able to meet its subscribers’ needs for quick and early product reviews.  With its Buyers Alliance program, BLI also provides comprehensive purchasing support services to business consumers in the process of acquiring office equipment.  In addition, BLI provides a vast array of custom testing services, including document imaging device beta testing, print controller testing, and the testing of consumables.  BLI sells its information through its flagship web service bliQ, providing the industry with the key intelligence it needs to do business.