Census counts fewer devices

When it came time to replace the copiers at the Census Bureau's economic

planning and coordination division, the agency decided it would be easier

to buy new devices that could double as printers.

"It made sense to go ahead and buy these to save space," said branch

chief Doug Miller. Because it was already standardized on Hewlett-Packard

Co. laser printers, the agency bought four new HP multifunction printers

to serve in the expanded role.

In addition to using less space, the new devices save workers the hassle

of walking documents from their departmental printer to a copier elsewhere

in the building. "We've probably saved a lot of time," Miller said. "People

would have to walk to another wing of the building to make a copy."

Census also enjoys the benefits of simplified supply ordering for its

multifunction devices. "Before, we had supplies from Xerox and HP," said

Miller. Now, the agency gets all of its printing and copying supplies from

a single source. "That cut down on duplication," he added.

The agency has only minimal need for color output, so now users walk

to a specialized color printer or copier, much as they did in the past.