Sponsored by Xerox
By Rieva Lesonsky
Xerox just announced the largest product launch in its history. According to Jeff Jacobson, Xerox CEO, the company “understands the changes that are occurring in the workplace. The process of getting work done has moved from the desktop to your pocket. It’s very personal, and we’ve built a portfolio of true workplace assistants tightly connected to the mobile and cloud technology environment that accommodates this evolution.”
The Xerox VersaLink® lineup of devices, which includes 19 printers and multifunction printers (MFPs), is part of that launch. The printers are designed specifically for small businesses and distributed teams. Key features of the printers include:
- Streamlined business processes. Built-in apps from theXerox App Gallery help businesses create workflows tailored to their specific operations. Retailers, for example, can streamline their invoicing into fewer, faster steps using digital workflows enabled right from the device.
- Mobile and cloud ready. Information flows seamlessly from the device to cloud repositories, such as Dropbox, Office 365 or Google Drive. Mobile workers and business travelers can print wirelessly from any computing device.
- Total security for both the device and your information. Xerox says its “ConnectKey technology ensures comprehensive safety for system components and points of vulnerability. It offers protection from unauthorized access to devices; keeps confidential communications and information safe with encryption and image overwrite; audits device access attempts and protects both data and device from malicious intent.” This is a key point. There are more and more reports about printers being the entry point for cybercrime.
Xerox sent me the VersaLink C405 to test. Everything about this printer is a snap. Once I snapped the wireless network adapter in, I was online and ready to go in literally seconds. The control panel is a touchscreen that stands upright, is easy to see and simple to setup. I went from setup to printing in minutes.
You can read more about the features here. The printer is quick; it prints about 36 pages per minute. A single page will print out in 12 (black & white) to 13 (color) seconds. Copying a single page is even quicker, taking between 8 (black & white) to 11 (color) seconds. The quality is great—it prints and copies at 600×600 dpi.
Of all the features I mentioned above, this one—the cloud repository—is my favorite. My business is a small one. There are three of us, all working out of our homes. I live about 26 miles from my partners, who live near one another. That may not sound like a lot, but in southern California, driving those 26 miles could take 2 hours. So we’re reliant on the cloud. The VersaLink C405 lets me scan docs (quickly) save them to Office 365 where my partners can easily retrieve them. In fact, a few weeks ago I was traveling and had forgotten to take some documents with me. I walked my significant other through the process—and he, hardly a tech guy—scanned what I needed. Crisis averted.
Mobile printing is also a snap—I was easily able to print directly from my iPhone. In addition to native support for AirPrint and printing from an iOS device, users are supported with Google Cloud Print, Xerox Print Service Plug-in for Android, Mopria, and Near Field Communication (NFC) devices.
And for users needing to scan and manage documents from their mobile device, there’s full support for Xerox Mobile Link (free download for both iOS and Android users).
Although I have a home office, I often like to start my day in the back yard in the spring. I never worry about the printer running out of paper. Too many printers designed for small businesses, have tiny paper trays. Not the VersaLink C405—the tray holds 550 sheets of paper.
Security is a key feature of the VersaLink C405. You’re protected from network intrusions and unauthorized access. The printer encrypts your data. You can restrict access to specific documents and even block users from using the printer.
The printer is not tiny. It is 17 x 21.3 x 23.6 inches and weighs in at 72 pounds. That said, it seems to cast less of a visual impact than that, and would fit easily into any small business and most home offices.
This is a very versatile laser printer. The color is rich enough for you to use to print marketing materials, saving you on outside printing costs.
As you can see this is a feature-rich multi-function device. Xerox is marketing the VersaLink line to small businesses that don’t have IT support. And they’re right—this is a simple-to-setup, easy-to-use multifunction device that will serve your small business well.
The VersaLink C405 is available direct from Xerox. You can watch this video to learn more.