LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y.--Feb. 7, 2005-- Canon U.S.A., Inc., the nation's market share brand leader in black-and-white and color laser copier/printer solutions(1), today introduced the new Canon Clustering Kit-A1 for the Color imageRUNNER C3220 - a powerful color production solution designed to support the pairing of two 32 page-per-minute(2) (ppm) Color imageRUNNER C3220(3) devices to appear as a 'virtual' single 64 ppm printer on the network. Created in response to the growing demand for a color solution that would enable users to better control workflow for increased productivity and improved return-on-investment (ROI), the Canon Clustering Kit-A1 manages jobs by communicating with a printer group comprised of two identically configured Color imageRUNNER C3220 devices to present a 'virtual 64-ppm' print solution. As users send print jobs to a pre-configured printer group, the Canon Clustering Kit-A1 software dynamically manages job splitting and print workflow. The 'virtual' solution appears to the end-user as a single printer with faster performance and automated error recovery across multiple engines. "For high-volume users who may be spending thousands of dollars monthly to outsource their color documents - this technology acts as an in-house color solution that is fast, reliable, affordable and in direct competition with other comparable high-volume devices," said Sam Yoshida, director and general manager of Product Marketing for Canon U.S.A.'s Imaging Systems Group. "The Canon advantage is that - by automatically routing and managing jobs across multiple devices - we essentially offer the luxury of having two independent systems that can function as one to achieve full, concurrent, multifunctional high-volume output when needed." The Canon Clustering Kit-A1 provides a complete workflow solution for organizations looking to improve efficiencies, reduce labor costs and gain more control over their print environment. By combining and controlling the workflow using the Canon Clustering Kit-A1, print jobs are expedited and engine usage is maximized. Jobs are sent to the fastest printer in a printer group, based on concurrent loads, as well as automatically redirected to other available printers if the first printer is experiencing an error. Users no longer have to sacrifice productivity when one device needs to be filled with paper or if it requires maintenance as the other device will still be available. The Canon Clustering Kit-A1 serves as a complete job management tool, featuring a friendly, intuitively designed user-interface allowing users to quickly access the system's advanced features and tools for automated workflow. In addition to offering Job Splitting and Smart Job Routing features, the Canon Clustering Kit-A1 offers Hot Folder submission, which allows users to simply "drag and drop" jobs into color-coded folders with pre-specified parameters for automated job submittal, processing and finishing. A comprehensive set of Job Management Tools aid administrators and operators with job submission, status checks and editing capabilities. Canon Color imageRUNNER C3220 Based upon Canon's highly successful Color imageRUNNER C3200 - a product that has set new standards for general office color since its initial introduction in 2003 - the Color imageRUNNER C3220 features a four-drum, single-pass engine that achieves speeds up to 32 pages-per-minute (ppm) for both color and monochrome output(4). With support for up to 2400 equivalent x 600-dpi output resolution and Canon's third-generation of oil-less S toners, the C3220 produces crisp, eye-catching output. Extensive document-handling options, finishing capabilities and support for a variety of media allows users to create effective, attention-grabbing documents in-house at reduced cost. The Canon Color imageRUNNER C3220 also features the power of Canon's innovative MEAP(TM) (Multifunctional Embedded Application Platform) development architecture, an industry unique, Canon-developed, Java-based platform for which embedded applications can be specifically written, installed and run on an imageRUNNER device. Pricing and Availability: Canon Clustering Kit-A1(5) Availability: February 2005 MSRP: $4,950.00