appointments 
In a study released by IDC, a well-respected industry analyst firm, IBM Printing Systems ranked ahead of all competitors in providing the lowest total cost of ownership (TCO) for production printing customers in a maximum duty cycle scenario. The IBM Infoprint 4100 HS2, Infoprint 4100 HD3/HD4 and Infoprint 4000 IS2 took the top three positions in the category and provided the lowest cost-per-page in the study, at a mere US$0.0033 per page.

Riley McNulty, IDC senior analyst, says, "Since announcing the Infoprint 4100 less than two years ago, IBM has increased its worldwide shipment market share of 201-plus ipm continuous form monochrome laser printers by over 10 points from 2001 to 2002, to a leading share of over 40 per cent."

David Dobson, IBM Printing Systems general manager, says, "The IDC study highlights an important foundation in helping customers lower their total cost of printing, and IBM builds upon this foundation to deliver ultimate savings to our customers. IBM takes TCO one step further than our competitors by providing customers with a services-based approach, because TCO is more than just lower hardware costs. By continually focusing on all elements of a print solution, including the AFP architecture, software, controllers and workflow, we help customers save on all of the hidden costs that come with the printing process, not just the equipment."

Developed using a comprehensive, standard measurement, IDC analysed TCO in three different scenarios: Maximum Duty Cycle (more than 2.5 million impressions per month); High Monthly Volume (1.5 million to 2.5 million impressions per month); and Low Monthly Volume (one million to two million impressions per month).

Within each scenario, the printers were divided into two categories: 200-plus ipm printers and 100-199 ipm printers. Printing costs were analyzed for both 1-up, or simplex printing, and 2-up, or duplex printing. IDC rated both continuous-form and cut-sheet printers in each speed range.

The Infoprint 4000 and 4100 series are aimed at commercial printers, direct mailers, service bureaus and enterprise data centers and are designed to increase printing speed and reduce operational costs while achieving superior print quality, through advanced features that save time and minimise operator intervention.

Ideal for printing environments where throughput and printing speed are a critical factor, the Infoprint 4100 HD3/HD4 models allow printing at speeds up to 1220 two-up 8.5"x11"ipm or 2238 three-up 6"x9"ipm.

All Infoprint 4100 printers include operator switchable resolution for producing 480dpi or 600dpi output from 240/300/600dpi input; switchable speed for printing on challenging media or with MICR; high-speed FICON and Gigabit Ethernet attachments for maximum productivity; integrated pinless and tractor feed paper path; and an enhanced operator console/GUI.