Exceptional Printers and MFPs from Five Vendors Earn BLI Awards
Fairfield, NJ – Keypoint Intelligence - Buyers Lab (BLI), the world’s leading independent provider of testing services and analytical information to the document imaging industry, announces the winners of its coveted Summer 2018 Pick awards for color and monochrome printers and MFPs, with the honors going to Brother, Canon, HP, Lexmark, and Sharp. Awarded twice annually for office equipment, Picks acknowledge the products that gave the best performances in Buyers Lab’s extensive suite of lab tests in the previous six months.
BLI’s Summer 2018 Printer and MFP Pick and Outstanding Achievement awards go to the following exceptional products*:
Brother MFC-L2750DW
Outstanding MFP for Small and Home Offices
Canon imageCLASS LBP214dw/LBP215dw
Outstanding Printer for Small and Home Offices
Canon imageCLASS MF525dw
Outstanding MFP for SMBs
HP Color LaserJet Pro M254dw
Outstanding Color Printer for Small and Home Offices
HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M281fdw
Outstanding Color MFP for Small and Home Offices
HP LaserJet Enterprise MFP M631 Series
Outstanding MFP for Large Workgroups
HP LaserJet Enterprise MFP M633 Series
Outstanding MFP for Enterprise Environments
HP LaserJet Enterprise M607 Series
Outstanding Printer for Large Workgroups
HP LaserJet Enterprise M609 Series
Outstanding Printer for Enterprise Environments
HP PageWide Managed Color E75160dn
Outstanding Ink Printer for Enterprise Environments
HP Accessibility Assistant
Outstanding Achievement in Ease of Use
HP Smart App
Outstanding Achievement in Ease of Use
Lexmark CS923de
Outstanding A3 Color Printer for Enterprise Environments
Sharp MX-B455W
Outstanding MFP for Mid-Size Workgroups
* Not all products are sold in all regions.
Brother Provides Simplicity and Value to Home and Small Office Users
“The Brother MFC-L2750DW gives home and small office users the perfect mix of affordability, ease of use, and reliability,” said Marlene Orr, Director of Printer & MFP Analysis for Keypoint Intelligence - Buyers Lab. “And with value-adding features like Brother Web Connect to let users scan to and print from an impressive array of popular cloud services and a document feeder that scans both sides of a page in a single pass, the MFC-L2750DW keeps workers productive throughout the day.”
Canon Wins for Entry-Level Monochrome Printer and MFP
Two of Canon’s entry-level devices were awarded Picks for their strong performance in testing. “Compact and easy-to-use, the imageCLASS LBP214dw/LBP215dw printer and imageCLASS MF525dw MFP are ideal for lower-volume workgroups that need a fast and reliable monochrome device,” said Tony Maceri, Senior Lab Technician for Keypoint Intelligence - Buyers Lab. “These compact devices from Canon keep workers productive through intuitive design and robust mobile support, letting them stay connected even while away from their PCs.”
HP Delivers Quality, Performance, and All-Around Ease of Use
No vendor stood out more than HP this test season, taking home three color Picks, four monochrome Picks, and two Outstanding Achievement awards. “HP’s printers and MFPs are known for their quality, performance, and reliability,” noted Orr. “Compact and affordable, the Color LaserJet M254dw and M281fdw are ideal for smaller environments that need high-quality color, while the PageWide Managed Color E75160dn supports printing on sizes up to 11 x 17, with a cost of ownership that is among the lowest in its class. In addition, the monochrome M600 series printers and MFPs deliver fast speeds and robust functionality, making them ideal for even the busiest environments.”
And thanks to their outstanding ease of use, the HP Accessibility Assistant and HP Smart App were honored with Outstanding Achievement awards.
“Making HP printers easier to use, the HP Smart app lets mobile users quickly connect and print from their mobile device. The app has a fully-customizable interface and provides at-a-glance status information, so users know right away if the printer has enough ink or toner to print their job,” commented Maceri.
“And the HP Accessibility Assistant is a simple and affordable option expanding usability for the visually impaired. Installation takes seconds, the ability to use voice commands simplifies programming copy jobs, and an integrated screen reader function helps the user easily navigate menus.”
Lexmark Brings Outstanding Value to Enterprise Color Printing
Lexmark took home a Pick for its flagship A3-size color printer this season. “The Lexmark CS923de is an excellent choice for higher volume color environments,” Orr remarked. “Delivering superb color quality, excellent reliability, class-leading speeds, and unparalleled ease of use that busy enterprise users need, the Lexmark CS923de also offers a low cost of ownership, making it an economical choice for users that need larger-format color prints.”
Sharp’s Intuitive Design Means Maximum Productivity for Mid-Size Workgroups
Buyers Lab analysts identified the Sharp MX-B455W as the ideal choice for mid-size workgroups in need of a monochrome MFP. “Despite its compact design, the MX-B455W delivers peak performance, robust scan functionality, and seamless integration with network applications and cloud services thanks to Sharp OSA, which comes standard,” said Maceri. “Plus intuitive drivers and a well-designed control panel simplify programming even the most complex tasks, helping to increase users’ productivity.”
About Keypoint Intelligence - Buyers Lab
Keypoint Intelligence is a one-stop shop for the digital imaging industry. With our unparalleled tools and unmatched depth of knowledge, we cut through the noise of data to offer clients the unbiased insights and responsive tools they need in those mission-critical moments that define their products and empower their sales.
For over 50 years, Buyers Lab has been the global document imaging industry’s resource for unbiased and reliable information, test data, and competitive selling tools. What started out as a consumer-based publication about office equipment has become an all-encompassing industry resource. Buyers Lab evolves in tandem with the ever-changing landscape of document imaging solutions, constantly updating our methods, expanding our offerings, and tracking cutting-edge developments.
About Buyers Lab Pick Awards
Buyers Lab Picks stand alone in the industry and are hard-earned awards, as they are based on rigorous testing, including an extensive durability assessment and evaluation of key attributes such as usability, image quality, and value. Each product that passes our lab test earns Buyers Lab’s Recommended or Highly Recommended seal and our Certificate of Reliability, with the best performers qualifying as Pick contenders.
About Buyers Lab Outstanding Achievement Awards
Buyers Lab Outstanding Achievement awards acknowledge products or capabilities that stand out for attributes such as innovation, usefulness, or value.
Contact
Deanna Flanick
+1 973-797-2100
deanna.flanick@keypointintelligence.com