IBM Announces 20-Page-Per-Minute Printer Extending InfoPrint Family Into Workgroup Market

IBM InfoPrint 20 Features Large Format Printing and True Adobe PostScript 3 As Standard

Boulder, Colo (March 16, 1998) – IBM today introduced the InfoPrint* 20 — a 20- page-per-minute (ppm) workgroup laser printer — the latest addition to its InfoPrint family of printing solutions. Featuring true Adobe PostScript** 3 and large format printing capabilities at a low cost, the InfoPrint 20 is designed for medium-to-large workgroups with support for general business, desktop publishing and graphic arts applications.
IBM’s InfoPrint family of printing solutions combines information and output management in a single solution. The InfoPrint 20 marks the entry-point of the InfoPrint family — a product line which extends to printers that output at 1,002 impressions-per-minute. All IBM’s InfoPrint printers are united with common print management software, InfoPrint Manager, which provides comprehensive print and job control.
“This announcement is a breakthrough in the printing industry. No other company offers a more complete product line to meet the business requirements of any enterprise,” said Bob Kilcullen, vice president, marketing, IBM Printing Systems Company. “Only InfoPrint offers scalable printing solutions from workgroup printers up to digital presses for production printing and print-on-demand.”
“The breadth of its product line distinguishes IBM,” said Keith Waryas, analyst, International Data Corp. “IBM is ranked within the top five in market share in 10 of the 13 printer market segments in which it competes.”
The InfoPrint 20 is one of the first printers to implement true Adobe PostScript 3 technology as a standard page description language (PDL). Through the use of PostScript 3, users benefit from increased print speed and superior print quality for both simple office documents as well as visually rich documents.
“The IBM InfoPrint 20 is a prime example of ‘best-in-class’ printing hardware utilizing ‘best-in-class’ printing software to deliver a high quality product to the end-user,” said Fred Schwedner, senior vice president and general manager, Adobe Printing and Systems Division. “This printer incorporates the combined expertise of IBM in hardware development and of Adobe in software development to reveal the true value of Adobe PostScript 3 technology. Adobe will continue to meet the needs of its customers by refining the standard and working with OEMs like IBM to bring superior products to market.”
The InfoPrint 20 offers many standard and optional functions not found in other printers in its class.
Standard functions include:
–11 x 17-inch paper support for the growing use of ledger/A3 paper
–13 x 20-inch paper support for full-bleed printing
–650-sheet dual tray input capacity
–TonerMiser** technology which can up to double the printer cartridge life
–Up to 75,000 monthly duty cycle
–Edge-to-edge printing
Optional features include:
–Duplex printing/offset stacker
–3,150-sheet total input capacity with optional 2,000-sheet input drawer
–Intelligent Printer Data Stream* (IPDS*) support for easy integration with IBM AS/400* and S/390* environments
Diverse Print Management Software
InfoPrint Manager ensures integrity of printed documents completely and accurately. Users in workgroup printing environments benefit from InfoPrint Manager’s features such as automated job scheduling and tracking, and direct, multiple, digital-copy printing. Through the functionality of InfoPrint Library, a component of InfoPrint Manager, users have the convenience of printing documents anytime, anywhere. Scanned and archived documents, such as financial or human resource forms, can be easily accessed for on-demand printing. Also, using the InfoPrint Library feature, users can submit and manage print jobs over the Web to any supported printer.
Complementing InfoPrint Manager, IBM currently offers its customers one of the industry’s most comprehensive printer management solutions. IBM’s Java**-based Network Printer Manager (NPM) gives network managers an easy way to install, monitor and control workgroup printers. Using a desktop web browser, end-users improve their productivity by using NPM to determine which printers are available and the features of each printer prior to submitting a job. NPM is installed on a web server and requires no additional client software, eliminating the need to manage and maintain software on each desktop.
“Our software offerings are a distinguishing strength and a key element in offering customized solutions,” added Kilcullen.
Pricing and Availability
The InfoPrint 20 will be generally available on March 27, 1998 at a U.S. list price of $2,259 with large format printing printing capabilities, true Adobe Postscript 3 and 8 MB memory as standard. IBM InfoPrint 20 will be sold through a network of resellers which includes IBM PC Company resellers and IBM Printing Systems Company’s printer remarketers.

Source: IBM

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