In recent years, the economic development of China has been obvious to all, which has put forward more and more practical and scientific requirements for office automation, and the requirements of enterprises for office equipment to be economical, energy-saving, efficient and practical have become more and more clear. Then, in China, as one of the "hard competitiveness" of enterprises, can the digital compound machine meet the expectations of enterprises and meet the needs of modern office? What are the unique advantages of the digital compound machine with bright future and even shouldering the heavy responsibility of realizing office automation that its predecessors can't match?
it must be nice to work in a spacious and bright office. However, when you approach the printing room and face the traditional analog copier, your mood will not be too cool. There is always the smell of ozone, which is the most boring thing in the office.
The digital copier, which originated from the digital copier, is changing all this, and it is also becoming the new favorite in modern offices.
Canon took the lead in proposing the concept of digital multifunction machine, while manufacturers such as Hewlett-Packard and Fuji Xerox think that "digital multifunction machine" is a more accurate name for it. Although the names are different, they all point to this kind of office equipment which uses digital principle and laser electrostatic extension technology to copy, print and scan documents by laser printout. More intuitively, the digital compound machine is an office equipment that integrates scanning, digital copying, fax and printing. Compared with traditional products, it has absolute advantages in performance, which lays a decisive position in the field of office equipment.
focusing on enterprise users against all-in-one machines
When digital multifunction machines are mentioned, many people have questions. What is a digital compound machine? What's the difference between it and the all-in-one machine? There are many such problems. Yang Zijiang, the marketing manager of China Hewlett-Packard Printing and Imaging System Group, said that it is normal for users to ask similar questions every time a digital multifunction machine is launched. After all, ordinary users have little knowledge of this high-end commercial product.
At present, two kinds of office products occupy the mainstream in business office equipment, one is multifunctional machine, and the other is digital compound machine. Although both devices have many functions such as printing, copying, scanning and faxing, there are still differences between them. Also as business office equipment, the competition between digital compound machine and all-in-one machine is inevitable. Digital compound machine has the advantages of powerful function and wide application, and the corresponding volume is larger and the price is higher; The all-in-one machine, with its small size and comprehensive functions, is also favored by some users, and they begin to subdivide the business office market.
HP defines an all-in-one machine as "all-in-one machine = printer+copier+scanner+fax machine". It adds other functions on the basis of the original printer, such as copying, faxing, scanning and photo printing, but its size and price are similar to those of ordinary middle and high-end printers. It can be said that the all-in-one machine is a substitute for traditional printers, copiers, scanners and fax machines. Some all-in-one machines suitable for commercial users are equipped with independent telephone function, automatic document feeder and network function; Some all-in-one machines for home users are equipped with functions such as card printing, direct digital photo printing (Pictbridge), Chinese color photo preview LCD screen, stereo copying and Bluetooth printing.
Although no one has given a generally accepted definition of digital compound machine, it cannot be denied that the core of digital compound machine is digital copier, and a series of functions such as printing, fax and scanning have been added on this basis. The analog copying machine directly projects the optical analog image of the manuscript onto the charged photosensitive drum through the optical system through exposure and scanning to generate an electrostatic latent image, and then completes the copying process through the steps of development, transfer and fixing. The digital copying machine refers to the photoelectric conversion of the optical analog image signal of the manuscript produced by exposure and scanning through CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor, and then the image signal processed by digital technology is input to the laser modulator, and the modulated laser beam scans the charged photosensitive drum to produce an electrostatic latent image composed of dots on the photosensitive drum, and then the copying process is completed through the steps of development, transfer and fixing. The digital copier adopts digital image processing technology, which enables it to edit complex pictures and texts, greatly improving the production capacity and copying quality of the copier and reducing the failure rate in use. Its main advantages are: scanning once and copying many times; Cleaner and clearer copy quality; Able to do electronic paging; No waste powder, low ozone, automatic shutdown and energy saving, more environmentally friendly; With powerful image editing function; Copy faster, etc.
Professionals have made a simple comparison between digital multifunction machine and multifunction machine. The first is different positioning. The digital compound machine is specially designed for enterprise users, and has designed many functions such as high-speed output, multiple transmission, secure printing, cost control and so on for business office. In addition, the digital compound machine can also be customized on demand, allowing companies at different stages of development to customize various extended functions according to the needs of business development, such as network printing, network scanning, fax, etc., to provide more extension space for business operations and truly realize the role of document processing center. However, the large-scale operation ability of the all-in-one machine is relatively weak, which is more suitable for personal office or small working group.
secondly, the purchase cost is different. The limited workload capacity of all-in-one machines sometimes cannot meet the needs of large enterprises or working groups, and in some cases, it is necessary to purchase multiple machines, thus increasing the overall purchase cost. Although the cost of digital compound machine is higher than that of all-in-one machine when it is first purchased, it saves the cost of purchasing other office equipment because of its high speed and multi-function compound characteristics.
the third use cost is different. In terms of use cost, the all-in-one machine mostly adopts the integrated design of selenium drum, which leads to higher use cost. However, the digital compound machine mostly adopts separate design, which effectively saves the use cost of selenium drum. From the service life of the whole machine, the average service life of the all-in-one machine is less than 1/1 of that of the digital composite machine, and the cost of using the equipment will also increase.
Mr. Li Tao, product manager of the marketing and sales support department of Ricoh (China) Investment Co., Ltd., said frankly: "There is no doubt that the digital compound machine represents the trend of the whole industry and is the focus of competition among manufacturers now and in the future."
Respond to the trend of networking to realize personalized customization
After a simple comparison between the digital compound machine and the all-in-one machine, you may simply understand the advantages of the digital compound machine. In fact, the advent of digital compound machine is the result of the development of computer technology and the increasing popularity of network from the source. On the one hand, the demand of enterprises for network interconnection is increasing day by day; On the other hand, the traditional equipment is independent and has a single function, which greatly reduces the ability to cooperate with each other, increases the communication barriers between employees, and greatly reduces the office efficiency.
to meet the needs of networked and intelligent applications, the digital multi-function machine came into being with strong network connection capability. It is not only a terminal for document output, but also an important part of networked office, completing network input, output and even information storage.
The digital multifunction machine can provide network connection modes including Ethernet, USB 2., IEEE1284, IEEE1394, and Bluetooth, and realize a series of network functions such as scanning e-mail, internet fax, etc., so that the office operation can break through the regional restrictions, realize information sharing in the network environment, integrate with the IT system of modern office document processing, and maximize its powerful throughput (.
Some experts predict that the digital compound machine that breaks through the traditional meaning will become the "hub" of modern office, and it has won the hearts of many enterprises with its network, intelligence and platform characteristics. IT is even reported that, as the peripheral equipment of IT, the combination of digital compound machines and the Internet will become closer and closer. In the future, digital compound machines can browse the Internet directly without PC, and then print out useful materials. What a wonderful office enjoyment this will be!
The application level of digital multifunction machine is very extensive, and its functions can be upgraded and expanded. Many manufacturers have provided corresponding solutions for the different needs of enterprise users. These software solutions can select or add some modules for customers based on the basic functions of the equipment according to the characteristics, application level and business nature of the enterprise to meet the "personalized" needs of the enterprise. Even the operation interface can be "customized" according to the usage habits, business characteristics and work flow of the enterprise.
Ge Xiuyuan, product manager of Fuji Xerox (China) Co., Ltd., said in an interview: "In the past, when you bought a copier, you couldn't have the printing function at all." However, the digital compound machine is scalable and upgradeable, which is incomparable to traditional equipment.
As the market matures, China attracts more attention.
In the field of office equipment, various products take turns to appear, and the competition has never stopped. Now, the digital compound machine can not be regarded as an emerging market. It just rose at the beginning of 2, and now the market has matured. But its strong development momentum and potential huge business opportunities still attract the attention of many manufacturers.
analysts have said that technology and market play a decisive role in the development of products when the market consumption capacity of products is certain, either advanced products lead an emerging market, or the demand of the market promotes the continuous improvement of products' technology and functions. The development of digital compound machine market is the development of product technology driven by market demand.
IDC predicts that by 29, the shipment of China digital compound machines will reach 1 million units. The president of Fuji Xerox described China as a "document country with great leap-forward development", and thought that the time for China to move towards digitalization and automation would be shorter than that of Japan, and the development of office equipment would be rapidly upgraded to a very high level.
according to the market demand, digital compound machines are mainly oriented to enterprises with large user groups or large-scale office places such as telecommunications, finance, government and insurance in the early stage of development. Because these industries and departments not only have high requirements for the quality and effect of output documents, but also have high requirements for the printing and copying load and service life of products. Therefore, it is said that the digital compound machine is an extension and upgrade of the high-end office multifunctional machine, and it is a high-end one.
However, today, the audience of digital compound machines is not limited to high-end users. Digital compound machines are gradually stepping down from the altar, becoming more and more popular, and being recognized and accepted by more enterprises.
the multifunction machine was born in 198s, while the digital compound machine was born at the beginning of this century. Since then, IT vendors and OA vendors, which used to stay out of the way, have constantly introduced products with overlapping functions, and the infiltration and encroachment between the two camps is inevitable, and the contest has also begun. Therefore, many people call the digital compound machine market "a gold mine that equipment manufacturers focus on mining".
At present, in the face of huge demand, many international manufacturers have increased their investment and research and development in digital composite machines. According to different customer groups, manufacturers develop products with different grades and specifications, and the product lines are spread over various models of high, medium and low speed segments. Yang Zijiang of Hewlett-Packard in China said: "The digital multifunctional machine is an emerging market for IT enterprises. From personnel to capital, HP is investing more and more resources, and its product line will become more and more abundant."
gradual pattern of IT enterprises joining the market
Generally speaking, the digital copier market in China is a self-replacement process of the traditional copier market, and it is also a process of infiltration and integration with typical IT peripheral products (printers, multifunction machines). Before 2, traditional OA vendors monopolized the market by relying on their industry and technical barriers, to a few years ago, IT vendors explored the OA market with the trend of digitalization and networking, and now IT vendors have entered the OA market on a large scale, participated in the competition, and gained rich profits. The development of technology has fundamentally led to the change of market structure, and the digital compound machine is the carrier of technological development.
nowadays, the competition pattern in the market is basically based on the original traditional copier market. In the process of converting the overall market from analog to digital, various brands have shown great strategic differences, which may change the already formed market pattern.
at present, a major feature of the market is the perfect channel system of OA manufacturers. Traditional OA manufacturers, such as Xerox, Minolta, Ricoh, Canon, etc., as the "veteran" players in the document processing market, their strong projects are copying and faxing, so most of the digital copiers introduced are products based on digital copying function. With years of experience in the office equipment market and long-term cooperation with local distributors, traditional OA manufacturers have formed a mature distribution network in the market. Minister Okubo Yayan of Konica Minolta's sales planning department said: "In order to adapt to the new situation, we are currently carrying out a comprehensive restructuring of distribution channels, that is, guiding dealers from distribution to direct sales, adapting to the market trend of medium and high-speed machines and color machines, and providing better services to customers."
second, OA manufacturers have obvious advantages in R&D capability and market concentration. From a technical point of view, digital compound machine is not a simple superposition of various functions, but a high-tech product whose technology spans optics, electronics, machinery and other fields. Take Canon's digital compound machine as an example, in which 5,6 patents spanning several fields are applied, and its technical content can be seen. Ricoh has set up 11 R&D centers and laboratories in the United States, Europe, China and Japan, with 3,5 scientists, researchers and engineers, dedicated to the research and development of image processing.
Thirdly, IT vendors who have entered the office equipment market by taking advantage of the trend of digitalization, let people see the efficiency and convenience of intelligent office through their overall advantages in PC, server, network, printing and IT services. IT vendors, such as Hewlett-Packard, Lexmark, Lenovo, etc., which originally focused on the peripheral market, launched digital composite machines based on digital printing functions. Yang Zijiang, market development manager of HP, believes that IT vendors can "understand how the output and input devices should be coordinated with the whole system in the IT system, with the goal of improving the commercial value of users". Relevant statistics show that at present, the number of printed document pages in the office field far exceeds the number of copied document pages. Yang Zijiang said: "Printing-based products will bring unprecedented high stability and output quality, which is unmatched by products based on copying technology." The strong demand for printing makes the digital compound machine based on printing technology have a broader market space to some extent.
of course, the integration of IT and OA channels, the development planning of new channels and how to further strengthen the marketing efforts are still the beginning.