ROCHESTER, N.Y., March 7, 2001  -- Xerox Corporation (NYSE: XRX) is No. 1 in digital copiers for the third year in a row, accounting for nearly one in three U.S. black-and-white digital copiers placed in 2000, according to estimates recently released by Dataquest, a Gartner Group company. In a second study, which surveyed copier user wants and needs, Dataquest found Xerox was the most frequently mentioned digital brand, the one users rated most reliable, and the brand they had most recently acquired. "Digital copying and printing are core strengths of Xerox," said Gil Hatch, president, Xerox Office Systems Group. "We pioneered digital document technologies, and we continue to create new ways to bring value to the office. Our products have been leading the way as the market transitions to digital; customers know they can depend on Xerox digital technology to deliver unsurpassed image quality and reliability." The Dataquest market survey found that Xerox had a 31.1 percent share of the black-and-white digital copiers placed in 2000, or an estimated 352,800 units. The company offers a full range of digital copiers with speeds from less than 10 pages per minute (ppm) to more than 91 ppm. Sharp was No. 2, followed by Canon in third place. Xerox also was No. 1 in the Dataquest rankings with a 19.6 percent market share even when 1-10 ppm personal copiers were excluded from the tally. The survey of user wants and needs pinpointed the crucial role copiers continue to play in the workplace. It reported, "Almost 70 percent of users said that people would openly revolt if all copiers were removed." In addition, Dataquest found that almost 70 percent of users believe copiers and printers will continue to coexist in today's office environment. In that same user survey, Xerox ranked first in brand-name recognition with 39.5 percent of digital copier users saying it is the first brand to come to mind; and 31.6 percent mentioned Xerox as the most reliable brand.