Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. Inc. has announced its sponsorship of the Impact Optimize event in Chicago, Illinois, on Thursday, Aug. 11. Impact Optimize is a one-day summit that covers all aspects of modern business technology. With expert speakers, networking sessions and hands-on demos, attendees can explore the newest innovations in the world of business tech and evolve their business.

Konica Minolta's Laura Blackmer, president of dealer sales, and Kay Fernandez, senior vice president of marketing, will lead a breakout session, "Little Innovations, Massive Impacts." The session will be held from 3 to 4 p.m. Eastern and explore how little technological innovations have made a huge difference in the service clients receive or the ways business is done.

"We are proud to sponsor Impact Optimize and have the opportunity to network with other like-minded technology providers — and do it in person," Blackmer said. "With all the ways the pandemic has accelerated our use of technology, it is sure to be an interesting, insightful experience, exploring all the creative ways businesses are preparing for the future."

"At Konica Minolta, we are continuously refining our marketing technology stack and looking at new technologies that can further drive engagement,” Fernandez said. "We are really looking forward to our participation in Impact Optimize, sharing our experiences and learning from other technology experts."

"We are excited to be hosting Impact Optimize for its third year, and to welcome Konica Minolta's sponsorship and the knowledge they will impart as thought leaders in this sector," said Frank Cucco, CEO, Impact Networking. "Attendees can expect unique insight gained from this year's luminaries who continue to drive significant and impactful innovation in technology and leadership."

Konica Minolta will also have its No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 show car on display at the event. Driven by Wayne Taylor Racing through the company's sponsorship, the No. 10 Konica Minolta race team has achieved a great deal of success across North America.

Through its sponsorship, Konica Minolta is offering a $100 discount on registration. Visit the Impact Optimize registration page and use code Konica100.

In other news, Konica Minolta has announced it has won a Buyers Lab (BLI) 2022 Color PRO Award from Keypoint Intelligence for its AccurioPress C7100 with EFI Fiery IC-319 Print Server in the Outstanding Mid-Volume CMYK Production Device category. The AccurioPress C7100 was launched worldwide in July 2021, and the company is pleased to capture this important accolade.

"At Konica Minolta, we pride ourselves on delivering great customer value through products, software and services that work smarter, and we are so pleased to be recognized by Keypoint Intelligence for the AccurioPress C7100's performance," said Dino Pagliarello, senior vice president of product management and planning, Konica Minolta. "We designed this device with our clients in mind, providing a press packed with innovative technologies that lets them reimagine print possibilities to create more profitable business opportunities."

Konica Minolta's AccurioPress C7100/C7090 toner press series runs at 100/90 pages per minute (ppm). A range of technology and software innovations help customers to focus on agility, expansion and operational efficiency. Print service providers benefit through advanced automation, fewer human touchpoints and improved total cost of ownership (TCO).

"In a teeming market, we are very pleased to show how brilliantly this press performed to win one of our BLI 2022 Color PRO Awards," said David Sweetnam, director of research & lab services EMEA/Asia,  Keypoint Intelligence. "We use an algorithm across multiple test attributes to judge overall performance. The devices must deliver at a very high level in the first place to even be eligible for a PRO Award, so it's not just a case of being best in category."

In other news, Konica Minolta has announced it has won two awards from Cyber Defense Magazine (CDM). The annual CDM InfoSec awards seek out best-of-breed, next-generation InfoSec solutions, and Konica Minolta was named in both the "Most Innovative Cloud Backup" and "Hot Company Endpoint Security" categories.

Entries were judged by CISSP-, FMDHS-, CEH-certified security professionals who voted based on their independent review of company-submitted materials on the website of each submission, including, but not limited to: data sheets, white papers, product literature and other market variables. CDM has a flexible philosophy to find more innovative players with new and unique technologies, than the one with the most customers or money in the bank. CDM is always asking "What's Next?" to find best-of-breed, next-generation InfoSec solutions.

"It's more critical than ever for organizations to have a document and data security strategy as comprehensive as the number of touchpoints through which their company's data passes," said Todd Croteau, president of global information technology services, All Covered. "As an experienced managed security services provider, we offer vital information security monitoring and management, and we are thrilled to receive one of the most prestigious and coveted cybersecurity awards in the world from Cyber Defense Magazine Data for our work."

"Konica Minolta embodies three major features we judges look for to become winners: understanding tomorrow's threats today; providing a cost-effective solution; and innovating in unexpected ways that can help mitigate cyberrisk and get one step ahead of the next breach," said Gary S. Miliefsky, publisher, Cyber Defense Magazine.