BLI Announces Additional Winter 2015 Pick Awards

Buyers Laboratory LLC (BLI) has announced the winners of its most coveted awards in the Printer/MFP category, selecting Hewlett-Packard (HP) as the winner of its 2015 Color Printer/MFP Line of the Year and Samsung Electronics Co. Inc., as the winner of its 2015 Monochrome Printer/MFP Line of the Year.
Bestowed once a year by BLI, Line of the Year awards honor the manufacturers whose product lines are determined to be the best overall in their category based on the cumulative test results of all models tested in BLI's rigorous two-month laboratory evaluation. The selections are made by BLI's staff of technicians and editors after subjecting scores of devices from every major OEM to BLI's exhaustive, comprehensive lab tests.

• 2015 Color Printer/MFP Line of the Year — Hewlett-Packard Co.
• 2015 Monochrome Printer/MFP Line of the Year — Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.

For the fifth consecutive year, HP has claimed BLI's Color Printer/MFP Line of the Year award.
"A testament to the reliability and the excellence of HP color products, the color models tested in our lab in the past four years produced more than 1,000,000 pages combined with no misfeeds," said Marlene Orr, senior analyst for printers and A4 MFPs, BLI.
Further proof of the strength of its line, 21 of the 22 of HP's currently available color devices tested received BLI's highest rating — Highly Recommended — and also took home a BLI Pick.
From low-volume inkjets to A3 hardware for high-volume workgroups, HP delivers quality color output, outstanding ease of use and unparalleled reliability. Other key strengths of HP's line include the HP Easy Select control panel, straightforward scanning and support for multiple ways of printing from mobile devices.
What else helps set HP apart from the competition? In a word: value.
"HP has always been the industry leader when it comes to packing their color printers and MFPs with value-added features that help users print faster, smarter and be more efficient at their jobs," Orr said. "Combine this with the superior management and color control software that helps administrators lower costs and heighten security, and you've got the recipe for a winning portfolio."
"HP is committed to providing our customers with a portfolio of products that deliver the highest quality output and help organizations work more efficiently," said Tuan Tran, vice president and general manager of the LaserJet hardware and technology business, HP. "HP is proud BLI has recognized our color LaserJet MFP devices with this prestigious title for the fifth consecutive year."
For the third time since 2012, Samsung has won BLI's Monochrome Printer/MFP Line of the Year award. From personal devices all the way up to large workgroup and departmental printers/MFPs, Samsung's monochrome portfolio is as strong as it has ever been.
"Samsung monochrome printers and MFPs are consistently reliable, with nearly every model tested completing BLI testing with no misfeeds or malfunctions," Orr said.
From an environmental standpoint, Samsung devices also shine. Standard automatic duplexing and toner-save mode represent basic features, while scanning — easy to use and fully featured — is a great way for organizations to promote an environmental message and conserve resources. To help further conserve resources, the drivers have an Eco tab and the Easy Eco Driver, which won a BLI Outstanding Achievement award for Innovation in Winter 2012.
Value is another key strength of the line. "Value is not just about low cost, it's about the complete package: overall performance compared to price," Orr said. "Without a doubt, Samsung delivers a robust monochrome line that offers peak performance while providing the tools users need to do their jobs quickly, easily and more efficiently."
"It is an honor to receive the prestigious Monochrome Printer/MFP Line of the Year award," said Sungwon Song, senior vice president of sales and marketing, Samsung Electronics. "This recognizes our ongoing efforts to introduce innovation and transform workspaces for productivity and efficiency. Ever since we started, our goals have never changed: Enhance productivity and efficiency with faster, more durable, more versatile devices, and through printer solutions that seamlessly fit into the IT and office ecosystem. Our printers and solutions are designed to be simple, easy and quick to use, and offer security and protection built in. Samsung Electronics will continue to strive to exceed customer expectations and deliver breakthrough innovation."
BLI has also announced the winners of its Winter 2015 Pick awards in the monochrome printer and printer MFP categories, with the honors going to Canon, KYOCERA, Pantum and Samsung.

• Canon U.S.A. Inc. - imageCLASS MF227/MF229 Series - Outstanding Personal Monochrome MFP
• KYOCERA Document Solutions America Inc. - ECOSYS M3550idn - Outstanding A4 Monochrome MFP for Mid-Size to Large Workgroups
• Pantum International Limited - P2500 Series - Outstanding Personal Monochrome Printer
• Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. - MultiXpress M5370LX - Outstanding A4 Monochrome MFP for Large Workgroups

Providing the right set of features at a low cost, the Canon imageCLASS MF227/MF229 Series has claimed the BLI Winter 2015 Pick for Outstanding Personal Monochrome MFP. "The imageCLASS MF227/MF229 family is compact, affordable and easy to use," said Tony Maceri, senior test technician, BLI. "Add in features like automatic duplexing, a touchscreen, standard wireless interface and support for mobile print apps, and you've got a great little desktop MFP that's ideal for low-volume users."
The KYOCERA ECOSYS M3550idn has been honored with the BLI Winter 2015 Pick for Outstanding A4 Monochrome MFP for Mid-Size to Large Workgroups. "The ECOSYS M3550idn is an excellent choice for business users — offering high reliability, low cost and strong image quality, along with KYOCERA HyPAS technology to allow for the integration with time- and money-saving solutions," said Priya Gohil, senior editor, BLI.
"We are delighted that our high-speed ECOSYS M3550idn A4 monochrome MFP has been awarded BLI's Pick for Outstanding A4 Monochrome MFP for Mid-Size to Large Workgroups," said Masayuki Higuchi, president, KYOCERA Document Solutions Asia Ltd. "This compact, highly productive and cost-effective device is specially designed for high-volume users who demand a minimum footprint, top reliability and consistent output quality, with superb energy efficiency. The unmatched scan capability, low TEC value and 7-inch customizable panel, together with KYOCERA's proprietary long-life consumable design, contribute to low running cost and minimum burden on the environment. Customers can also expand the functionality of the device with a number of easy-to-use business applications, developed by KYOCERA and renowned third-party developers, to enhance device productivity and document security."
A perfect choice for users in need of a monochrome printer, the Pantum P2500 Series has earned the BLI Winter 2015 Pick for Outstanding Personal Monochrome Printer. "The P2500 Series is dependable, compact and easy to use, but the most outstanding thing about this family is the low cost of ownership, which can mean significant savings over the life of the printer," said Carl Schell, senior writer, BLI.
The Samung MultiXpress M5370LX has won the BLI Winter 2015 Pick for Outstanding A4 Monochrome MFP for Large Workgroups, thanks to its superior productivity, strong reliability and innovative design. "One of the first MFPs on the market to do so, the MX5370 leverages Samung's tablet technology for the control panel to create a highly customizable, flexible device," Orr said. "Add in superior performance and low cost of ownership for mid- to high-volume users and you've got a winner."
"We are proud to announce that our innovative MultiXpress M5370LX has been awarded the BLI Pick for Outstanding A4 Monochrome MFP for Large Workgroups," said David SW Song, senior vice president of strategic marketing and sales, printing solutions, Samsung Electronics. "The award recognizes the many strengths of the MultiXpress M5370LX, including the ability to power through large printing projects quickly, with a fast rated speed of 55 pages per minute [ppm] and up to 80 images per minute [ipm] for double-sided scans. It is also customizable and expandable, providing support for a variety of solutions for XOA. The MultiXpress M5370LX provides various finishing options such a mailbox and stapling. We are confident that this device helps companies establish a smarter and more productive working environment for their offices."
BLI has also awarded Outstanding Achievement accolades to the most energy-efficient devices tested in the past six months, with honors going to models from Brother, Canon, Konica Minolta, Kyocera, Ricoh and Samsung. The winners exhibited significantly lower-than-average energy consumption for their respective product categories and offer a variety of environmentally friendly features to help users reduce their overall environmental impact.
After analyzing the results for the top performers in a range of printer and MFP categories, BLI gave Winter 2015 Outstanding Achievement awards to the following products:

• Brother International Corp. - MFC-L8850CDW
• Canon U.S.A. Inc. - imageCLASS MF6180dw/imageCLASS MF6160dw
• Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. Inc. - bizhub C3350 and bizhub 4750
• KYOCERA Document Solutions America Inc. - ECOSYS M6526cdn/M6026cdn, ECOSYS M3550idn and ECOSYS M3560idn
• Ricoh Americas Corp. (also sold under Lanier and Savin) - MP C2003, MP C2503, MP 3554 and MP 5054
• Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. - Xpress M2885FW

The 30-ppm Brother MFC-L8850CDW has been awarded BLI's Outstanding Achievement in Energy Efficiency award in the A4 color MFP category for small and mid-size workgroups for an impressive demonstration of energy efficiency. With energy costs 45 percent lower than average, it offers one of the lowest overall projected annual energy consumption rates in its class when running BLI's energy consumption job stream test. To reduce paper use, the MFC-L8850CDW offers job review, proof and blank-page removal modes for print output. The device also has the ability to distinguish text from other content on the page in order to print text using only black toner (while printing the other elements on the page using color toner), which can help to conserve color toner.
BLI has awarded the Canon imageCLASS MF6180dw Outstanding Achievement recognition for its substantially lower-than-average energy consumption rate. When compared with competitive A4 monochrome MFPs for small workgroups, the device's projected annual energy consumption rate was 47 percent lower than average. The unit also demonstrated considerably faster-than-average recovery times from sleep mode, so users can be sure that setting the imageCLASS MF6180dw to enter sleep mode after the shortest amount of time possible will not impede productivity. Additionally, the display remains off when print jobs are sent to the device while in sleep mode, preventing needless energy consumption. The device's tested toner yield also exceeded the manufacturer's rated yield. The imageCLASS MF6180dw shares this award with the imageCLASS MF6160dw, which uses the same engine.
The Konica Minolta bizhub C3350 outshone the competition thanks to its 43-percent lower-than-average estimated annual energy consumption rate, which helped it gain a BLI Outstanding Achievement award for energy efficiency for the Winter 2015 test season. With an estimated annual energy consumption rate that is 51-percent lower than the average of A4 monochrome MFPs for mid-size/large workgroups tested to date, the Konica Minolta bizhub 4750 also earned a BLI Outstanding Achievement in Energy Efficiency award. In addition, both devices' tested toner yields exceeded rated yields during testing. Job review and proof modes help to reduce paper and consumables waste and toner-save mode for print output helps to reduce toner use. The units also meet the requirements for US ENERGY STAR, EU RoHS, Canada EcoLogo, ECMA-370/The Eco Declaration, Germany Blue Angel, Japan Eco Mark and Korea Eco Label.
Three KYOCERA ECOSYS models earned BLI Outstanding Achievement accolades in regard to energy consumption. Compared with the average for A4 monochrome MFPs in its speed band, the KYOCERA ECOSYS M3550idn offers an estimated annual energy consumption rate that is 47 percent lower. The KYOCERA ECOSYS M3560idn's estimated annual energy consumption rate is also 47 percent lower than average, while the annual energy rate of the ECOSYS M6526cdn, which shares this award with the ECOSYS M6026cdn, is about 43 percent lower than average. Each device also comes with a toner-save mode to help reduce toner use while printing and copying, and a proof mode for print output that helps to reduce paper and consumables waste.
With an estimated annual energy consumption rate that is 76 percent below the average for models in its class, the 20-ppm Ricoh MP C2003 has earned a BLI Winter 2015 Outstanding Achievement in Energy Efficiency award for its unmatched environmental performance when compared against competitive devices in its speed range. Ricoh also received energy efficiency recognitions for the MP 5054, MP 3554 and MP C2503. With a projected annual energy consumption that is 49 percent lower than the average, the Ricoh MP 3554 has the lowest projected energy rate in its class. And the Ricoh MP 5054 has a projected annual energy consumption that is 43 percent lower than the average. Not to be outdone, the MP C2503's estimated annual energy rate was a stunning 62 percent lower than average.
The Samsung Xpress M2885FW gave an excellent overall performance during BLI's environmental evaluation, helping it earn a BLI Winter 2015 Outstanding Achievement in Energy Efficiency award. While running BLI's real-world environmental job stream test, the unit exhibited an estimated annual energy consumption rate about 48 percent lower than the average of A4 monochrome MFPs in the personal/small workgroup segment. The unit also enters sleep mode at its set time during an error condition, which helps to reduce energy use while waiting for maintenance or repairs to be performed. Additionally, the unit exhibited faster-than-average recovery times from sleep mode, which helps to increase productivity while conserving energy.