Ricoh offers glimpse into the future of the office
Ricoh offers glimpse into the future of the office
At the launch of its new "flexible office" range of printing, scanning, copying and multi function devices, Ricoh's CEO Nigel Shepherd went a little further than discussing the new products on display, offering an insight into the company's vision of what lies ahead in the office environment.
Most significant was Shepherd's prediction that the commercial introduction of paper which can be copied over up to 20 times may not be too far away.
"I have already seen such a product undergo testing," said Shepherd, "but testing and general availability are quite different things. It may be some time yet before the product is available for general consumption."
The ramifications of the introduction of such a product for the environment would be immense, with the drastic reduction in the amount of paper we would require greatly reducing the pressure on our natural resources.
Another innovation under development by Ricoh as part of its US$1 billion annual R&D spend is an alternative to inkjet printing called Geljet, which is up to four times thicker than ink, but is faster drying, more economical and of higher quality.
Among the products on display at the event that are ready for imminent release was a multi function device with interchangeable hole punch technology to create a variety of documents and presentation materials. The company also unveiled a network colour scanner which can be linked to up to 100 printing devices, and a high-speed document production system with a capacity of over 8000 sheets.
Shepherd added: "The best offices of the future will be built on the sharing of information, on flexibility and enabling people to be leaders through the technology provided to them, to create visions of the future and shape change."
Related Article: