Multifunctional Photocopiers

Friday, 27 June 2008 17:06

Photocopiers have come a long way in the last ten years and now use digital technology which works by using an integrated scanner and printer. The scanning facility means that the capabilities of an office photocopier are now far more wide reaching, especially when they are connected to the office network and the internet.

Any photocopiers made in the last five years are extremely likely to operate using digital technology. Digital photocopiers work by using an integrated scanner and laser printer to scan and then print documents that need replicating. They incorporate a hard drive which stores any document scanned, meaning that they can achieve far more than the old analogue photocopiers, especially as many of these machines can also fax, be networked and are internet connected.

One of the great advantages of using networked digital photocopiers is that hard copies of documents can be scanned into device and forwarded to the appropriate department without the need of making another hard copy. The documents are then stored electronically and changes made are tracked. Employees can also scan copies of documents into the photocopier and send them directly to their computer, meaning any alterations needed before printing can be done very easily.

Documents can also be scanned into photocopiers and sent via email directly from the device, which works by the photocopier linking up to an email server. With logins these emails can be sent from the user's own email account, meaning that not only is the email easily recognised by the person receiving it but is also stored in the users sent items.

Many new photocopiers also incorporate faxing capabilities, this means documents scanned into the device may be faxed directly, storing the data in the hard drive. Some photocopiers take this capability even further, by being capable of sending a received fax to the appropriate persons' email inbox directly instead of printing out a hard copy.

Workplaces where document management systems are used can take the capability of their photocopiers even further. Documents can be scanned into the device and sent to the document management systems where they can be stored, sorted and easily retrieved. The evolution of digital photocopiers has played an integral part in document management and archiving solutions. Without photocopiers having the ability to scan documents and be connected to office networks, document management systems would have severe limitations.

There is no question capabilities of photocopiers are far greater now that they are digital and incorporate scanning, what needs consideration is whether businesses are using these capabilities efficiently. Using photocopiers to their full potential can make a business much more efficient in terms of time wasted and can save money on paper usage, but everyone in the workplace needs to be educated about using these machines and be aware that photocopiers can achieve far more than simply reproducing documents.