Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. Inc. has announced the successors of its bizhub i-Series multifunctional printers (MFP) and single-function printers (SFP). This next generation of devices features functionality that places ease of use in the modern workplace at the forefront, and directly tackles concerns around security in the workplace with its advanced firmware upgrade that delivers even greater protection against malicious activity.

Enhanced Security

Notably, just 11% of organizations with between 250 and 499 employees and 27% with 500 to 999 employees have complete confidence in the security of their print infrastructure, according to the latest Quocirca "The Print Security Landscape, 2023" report. Konica Minolta's new bizhub i-Series (bizhub 1 Series) provides increased visibility and information of security-related topics throughout the organization, enabling users to be more alert and responsive.

The new "Authentication Attack Detection" function offers the ability to block unauthorized attempts deriving from brute-force attacks, to crack passwords and other access data and infiltrate devices from outside. Brute-force attacks are a preferred vector by cybercriminals and are reported to be growing by 160% annually. If an attempt is made with this new functionality in place, the IT administrator is informed and can take appropriate action.

If organizations select BitDefender protection, additional layers of security are added for different target groups. BitDefender prevents the spread of malware to other networked devices and ensures the MFP does not become a springboard for the loss of corporate information. In case of a threat detection, the antivirus solution immediately notifies the IT administrator, providing enriched information about the type and origin of the threat, while end users can see the current state via the home screen.

Improved Ease of Use

Every new bizhub 1 Series model has an improved and more intuitive user interface. Applications can now be grouped into folders by theme or by frequency of use, similar to smartphones, for quick access. For increased user convenience, regularly used functions which previously needed to be installed via the Konica Minolta MarketPlace are now preinstalled as standard.

The new models also simplify the login process for customers using Microsoft Azure (Microsoft Entra ID) or Google Workspace, and offer the ability to connect to their files or folders with the use of single sign-on (SSO). The option to add a third paper tray — expanding the A4 online paper sources to four — increases paper capacity, ensuring different media can be processed in one print job and reducing the frequency with which media needs to be replenished.

"As the workplace continually evolves, our MFP lineup keeps pace to ensure user productivity and data protection," said Michael Mathé, chief of operations and sales enablement, Konica Minolta. "Based on the success of our previous generation and award-winning design for ease of use, we are excited about this refresh of our entire portfolio of MFPs, developed with our users' needs and pain points in mind."

Konica Minolta's new bizhub 1 Series includes eight A4 devices: two color MFPs, two black-and-white MFPs, one color all-in-one (AIO), two color SFPs and one black-and-white SFP. More specifically:

• A4 color: bizhub C3301i, bizhub C3321i, bizhub C3351i, bizhub C4001i, bizhub C4051i
• A4 monochrome: bizhub 4051i, bizhub 4701i, bizhub 4751i