Ricoh South Africa has officially launched @Remote, a remote device relationship management (DRM) system with the ability to monitor as well as manage up to 1 000 different office devices.
 
@Remote collects operational info from networked laser printers as well as multifunction products (such as printer, fax, scanner and copier combo devices) and then sends this info via a secure communication network to Ricoh’s data centre for inclusion within detailed usage reports. IT managers are able to employ these reports in order to spot which of the company’s machines are being over and under-utilised.
 
Users are also able to retrieve a “green report” indicating the amount of paper that was saved via duplex as well as multipage printing across a one, three or six month period. This green report will also demonstrate the equivalent saving in terms of how many trees and how much manufacturing carbon dioxide was avoided.

Fleet reporting is available for analysis 24/7 via a secure Ricoh Web portal. The portal also boasts service features such as the ability to perform remote adjustments, automated service call notifications and the enabling of remote firmware upgrades on the latest Ricoh devices. Print and copy volumes on non-Ricoh devices can also be monitored with the help of a Basil RC Gate (external box).

“With its ready-to-use service and long-term cost savings benefits, the @Remote device relationship management system is the ultimate solution for organisations looking to better manage their output devices and keep costs under control,” says Danjay Seosanker, @Remote administrator of Ricoh South Africa. “Combined with its security features, @Remote provides a safe and automated way for customers to enjoy all the benefits of DRM. With a vast fleet of machines, businesses find it difficult to locate printing devices on the network as well as keeping track of the volumes being generated on these printers and MFPs by different departments in the workplace. By eliminating the tasks and costs associated with manual reporting, @Remote is truly a cost efficient automated alternative that meets business operational needs at a reduced total cost of ownership (TCO).”