LEXINGTON, Ky., -- Lexmark International, Inc. (NYSE: LXK) today made printing, copying, faxing and scanning easier and more affordable for business customers with the introduction of two new OptraImage multifunction printers, priced under $3,900*. "Today, the speed of business is often gated by the speed at which companies can move paper," said Paul Rooke, Lexmark corporate vice president and president, Business Printer Division. "Our new OptraImage multifunction products enable our customers to print out information on paper, but more importantly, help them capture that information and move it back into the electronic realm so they can move their business at electronic speed, shorten cycle times and reduce operating costs." OptraImage T614dx The OptraImage T614dx, priced at $3,899*, is a versatile and fast network multifunction printer (MFP) for workgroups that combines print, copy, fax and color network scanning functions into a single device. The OptraImage T614dx combines Lexmark's Optra T614 monochrome laser printer with Lexmark's new OptraImage 443 multifunction option, which features a single pass color duplex scanner. The device scans at 21 page per minute (ppm) monochrome and 12 ppm color and can scan two-sided documents more reliably with one pass, saving considerable time and money. With the OptraImage T614dx, businesses can improve productivity, reduce costs and improve document workflow by consolidating printing, faxing, copying and network scanning devices into a single, space-saving, OptraImage multifunction printer. Users can print and copy documents at up to 25 ppm ("scan once, print many") and then fax them from the device itself or from their workstations. The OptraImage T614dx also allows users to scan monochrome or color documents that can then be emailed or filed electronically. For example, a color magazine article can be scanned, filed in an electronic folder or emailed to interested staff throughout the company directly from the OptraImage T614dx. The document could also be sent, using File Transfer Protocol (FTP), to a departmental color laser printer located elsewhere on the network for printing. For faxing, users can connect Lexmark's OptraImage MFPs to an analog telephone line at speeds up to 33.6 kilobytes per second or to many corporate SMTP fax servers, saving considerable costs associated with extra phone lines and toll charges. "Lexmark's philosophy is that businesses should consolidate printing, copying, faxing and scanning capabilities into a single device within workgroups," said Rooke. "Placing easy-to-use, networked MFPs closer to users helps them perform job tasks more quickly and saves the company considerable hard and soft costs associated with using disparate devices that are located farther away from users." Independent testing results Independent testing performed by Business Equipment Research and Test Laboratories USA (BERTL USA) measured Lexmark's OptraImage T614dx as outperforming the HP LaserJet 8100MFP in overall copy quality and was found to be comparable to the Ricoh Aficio 270 and the Xerox Document Centre 440ST on standard business documents when using the default settings. "For users that require predominantly printing and some copying, the OptraImage T614dx may prove to be a better solution than a copier based system and provides far better value for the money," said Mark Nadel, director of Testing at BERTL USA. "The Xerox Document Centre 440ST and Ricoh Aficio 270 had a wider, more extensive copy capability but we believe that some of these capabilities will not be used in a mainly print environment and are not essential for standard business copying. The Ricoh and Xerox devices are priced starting at $9,189 and $18,695 respectively, which is substantially higher than the OptraImage T614dx." BERTL USA analysts tested a total of 55 different documents on each of the devices and scientifically measured all copies. BERTL USA also asked a panel of users to assess each of the test documents and rated every copy sample. OptraImage C710sx The OptraImage C710sx, priced at $3,449*, is an affordable, small workgroup, color network multifunction printer. It combines Lexmark's Optra C710 color laser printer with Lexmark's OptraImage 242 multifunction option. The OptraImage C710sx can perform the same basic functions as the OptraImage T614dx with the addition of color printing. From this device, users can scan color documents at seven ppm, make color copies at up to three ppm or monochrome copies at speeds up to 16 ppm ("scan once, print many"). The OptraImage C710sx affordably brings color network printing and scanning to workgroups needing color laser output while incorporating all the functionality of an MFP. Lexmark Document Distributor All OptraImage MFPs include Lexmark's Document Distributor software (standard edition). Lexmark Document Distributor is a robust document management and workflow tool that helps companies automate and streamline electronic document distribution. Automating repetitive processes such as claims processing, speeds up business, frees up staff time for other projects, and reduces cycle times. An advanced version of Lexmark Document Distributor, priced at $692*, now integrates with Open Data Base Connectivity (ODBC) compliant relational database management systems and groupware systems such as Lotus Notes and Microsoft Exchange. New features in Lexmark's Document Distributor software can route documents automatically based on information, such as predefined values or user inputs. For example, a bank loan application for $100,000 or less may be routed to one employee for processing, while loan applications greater than $100,000 can be routed to another employee. In this example, Lexmark Document Distributor will route the loan application to the appropriate person or location based on the specific loan amount, determined through optical character recognition (OCR). The bank would benefit from faster and more accurate transactions, reductions in cycle times and improved productivity that saves them significant hard and soft dollar costs. The OptraImage T614dx and OptraImage C710sx are integral parts of Lexmark's family of MFPs, which also includes the OptraImage T610sx for smaller workgroups and the OptraImage W810s for large workgroups and departments. Upgrade existing Lexmark printers easily Current Optra T and Optra C710 customers can upgrade their printers with the new OptraImage 242 and 443 multifunction options from Lexmark, thereby protecting their initial investment and adding new multifunction capabilities. Pricing and availability The OptraImage T614dx and OptraImage C710sx are available immediately for $3,899* and $3,449* respectively. The OptraImage 443 and 242 options are priced at $2,199* and $1,119* respectively. The new OptraImage MFPs and options are available from authorized Lexmark resellers and partners or from the Lexmark Web site at www.lexmark.com.