Search

Hannover CeBIT 98, held between March 19-23 1998, attracted 670,000 visitors, representing an increase of 11% on 1997, with 7,250 exhibitors, of which 285 were from the UK. 'Centric' and 'Internet' were the buzz words for the 1998 event, with Sharp launching the MCGI handheld 'voice and message centric' personal mobile communicator; and other exhibitors displaying a variety of faxes with Internet option. An overview of the CeBIT event is given.

Companies using facilities management (FM) services contract certain services, including computing, telecommunications, and building management, to outside vendors. There are different ways FM can be provided: the firm owns the equipment, while the FM contractor provides the personnel to run the equipment; services are delivered at off-site centers owned by the FM contractor; and the FM contractor provides service and has full ownership of the operation. The benefits of FM for firms include substantial cost savings, more efficient utilization of resources, and access to the latest technology. The benefits of FM for management include an enhanced competitive edge, better utilization of time, and reduced stress.

The introduction of high-technology office equipment can lead to higher absenteeism and lower productivity due to the health and safety problems caused by introducing such equipment into an ill-prepared office environment. Poorly designed work stations and lighting, noisy equipment, and hard-to-use software can cause mental stress and physical discomfort. The European Community's Directive 90/270/EC implements minimum health and safety standards for workers who make significant use of a video display unit. All member states, including the UK, must pass enabling legislation by Dec 31, 1992, by which time all newly installed workstations must meet regulations. Inevitably, firms will have to afford workers a greater choice in their office furniture.

A new generation of color photocopiers is being marketed in the UK. Color photocopiers have two functions: to copy color originals, and to produce copies from black and white originals that have been tinted. Color copies have a wide variety of uses, including presentation, marketing, and design. Copiers available in the UK include the Canon NP4835i, which can produce 35 copies per minute (cpm) and has a text editor; the Konica 8028, which produces 28 cpm and can turn black images into color; and, at the lower end of the market, the Sharp CX-4500, which uses color encapsulated paper for producing color copies.

Desktop laser printers affordable by small business enterprises in Great Britain are compared to more conventional printing systems (dot matrix and daisywheel printers), using a cost-benefit approach. Among the products discussed are: the Hewlett Packard LaserJet, the Apple LaserWriter, the LZR 1200 and 2600 printers from Dataproducts, the EPS 1000 from Electronic Printing Systems, the Lightwriter from Partner Data (UK), the Zygal 4045, the QMS KISS laser printing system from Pragma, the PagePrinter 8 from Centronics, and the 5010 laser printer from Genicom. Prices and performance data are provided for each printer discussed. On the whole, desktop laser printers are a better investment than conventional computer printing systems, especially with competitive prices making them increasingly affordable. Also discussed are printing system technologies (including ink jet, thermal transfer, LED, and ion deposition, as well as conventional and laser printing methodologies), cost justification of printing system purchases (with economic formula), and various capabilities to look for when selecting a desktop printer.

Technological innovation has made the concept of the mobile office a reality. There now are available a wide variety of portable PCs, printers, facsimile machines (faxes), telephones, calculators, dictating machines, modems, and personal organizers. Portable palm-top and notebook-sized PCs are available from between 199 to 1,000 pounds sterling, while laptops range in price from 400 to 7,000 pounds. There are battery operated lightweight printers available for between 345 and 3,895 pounds. A portable fax costs 995 pounds, while cellular telephone are available for between 200 to 1,000 pounds. Various types of dictation machines are available from between 90 to 178 pounds.

The office automation industry has introduced several new products, including electronic publishing systems, printers, photocopiers, filing systems, facsimile machines, and telephone systems. Corporate budgets are being reduced, but the new products are designed to save money, save time, improve productivity, improve competitive advantage, and reduce the need for costly third-party services. The new products include Rank Xerox's DocuTech Publishing Series desktop publishing system, which allows in-house users to produce documents more easily, quickly, and cheaply; Canon's Fax 80 facsimile machine, which combines integral handset with telephone answering and automatic facsimile/telephone switching; and Toshiba's Strata DK, a 48-port digital, hybrid non-blocking key telephone system with advanced networking capabilities.

The UK became the first major country to completely transfer its telecommunications lines to a digital network, the result of a 3 billion pounds sterling investment program by British Telecom (BT). These developments are in anticipation of the implementation of an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) that will provide customers access to voice, image, data, graphics, and video telecommunications services. BT hopes to implement its ISDN service by the end of 1991. Customers currently can chose from three kinds of telephone systems in the UK: a private automatic branch exchange, which is managed by a designated operator and supports up to 5,000 extensions; a keysystem, which distributes control to extension users and can handle up to 20 lines and 60 extensions; and hybrids, which have a designated operator, but allow extensions to act as a master console, and can support up to 60 lines and 180 extensions.

Organizations can choose from several new facsimile machines for meeting their communication needs. The popularity of small facsimile machines is increasing. Recently introduced smaller machines have such features as a 15-to-25-second transmission time, a liquid crystal display, and speed dialing of as many as 40 numbers. The popularity of machines with page memories is also increasing because of their convenience, cost-efficiency, and speed. Specific fax machines, with their capabilities and prices, are listed.