thePipeline

Printing and scanning and copying, oh my

Xerox officials recently announced the industry's first solid-ink color multifunction system for office use, the WorkCentre C2424.

So what's the big deal about solid ink? For one, this patented technology is less expensive than powdered toner. And solid ink can print faster.

The technology has other benefits, too. The crayon-like ink sticks are easy to load, even for a novice. Because the ink doesn't require cartridges, the system is more environmentally friendly.

Solid-ink technology works by heating ink sticks and applying the appropriate colors to a drum inside the printer, which transfers the image onto paper.

The WorkCentre C2424 prints and copies 24 pages per minute and scans 20 images per minute. When printing, the first color page comes out in six seconds. When copying, the first color copy comes out in about 15 seconds.

This multifunction device can also multitask. For example, Bill can use the machine to make copies while Bob's print job is running.

The system includes Xerox's CentreWare printer management software, and it automatically installs print and scan drivers on the network.

Speaking of scanning, the device offers a trifecta of electronic options. You can scan documents directly to your PC, secure mailbox or public folder.

If you order the WorkCentre C2424 DX configuration, you'll also get two bundled software packages. ScanSoft PaperPort Pro lets you manipulate scanned files. OmniPage performs optical character recognition.

The WorkCentre C2424 has an estimated retail price of $2,999.

Saflink takes on layered security

Saflink officials have announced the latest version of the company's flagship authentication security software product, SAFsolution Enterprise Edition. SAFsolution can manage multiple biometric authentication products and smart cards as part of a layered security defense.

SAFsolution Enterprise Edition 1.3 includes a handful of noteworthy additions. One is support for Ensure Technologies' XyLoc proximity badges. With these badges, SAFsolution workstations recognize when authorized users enter an area and automatically logs them in. Similarly, when users leave, the workstation automatically locks.