Platforms power the future of MFPs (Part 1)

It’s interesting to think sometimes about the evolution of the copier. It wasn’t too long ago that the copier was just that – a single function copy machine. It wasn’t even connected to the network. Today, the copier has morphed into the multifunction peripheral (MFP) – offering copying, printing, scanning and faxing. And now, two technology advances by the MFP manufacturers are pointing towards the device becoming more input-centric than output-centric -- a far cry from its roots.

On the hardware side, vendors are making control panels larger and easier to use, as well as adding full size, external keyboards to the MFPs. And on the software side, there have been a number of advances in MFP device platforms, such as: Canon MEAP; Xerox EIP; Ricoh ESA; Konica Minolta Open API; and Sharp OSA among others. These platforms allow for 3rd party software applications to be built to run on the MFP, using the MFP’s interface to display the application.

These advances are essentially making MFPs act as computers – enabling two-way interaction with business applications and a user experience at the capture device that is very similar to what they have at their desktop. And it is the delivery of a quality user experience through development on that platform -- providing functionality such as the ability to scan and distribute paper documents into existing business workflows -- that will continue to drive the evolution, adoption, and value of the MFP.

As mentioned earlier, the common trait of both of these advances is that the biggest value they bring to the end user is related to input of information. Of course, there will continue to be value in output-related applications for MFPs. But the future of the MFP is both an on-ramp AND an off-ramp for paper.

Look for more about platforms for document scanning later this week...

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