NEW YORK--April 23, 2002--Canon U.S.A., Inc., a subsidiary of Canon Inc, and industry leader in networked imaging solutions, and Advanced Hi-Tech (AHT), a market leader in digital output solutions, today announced the availability of the Document Server for Canon (DSC) Version 2.0. The DSC 2.0, developed by AHT through collaboration with Canon Inc., now includes clustering support for Canon's high-volume CLC 5000 color production systems and imageRUNNER 105, 8500, and 7200 black & white copier/printers. The solution also provides integration of these devices into Xerox DocuTech workflow environments. DSC 2.0 offers AHT's newly patented Universal Print Driver to streamline printing to all connected devices. With this driver and the additional printer support, Canon and AHT are providing Print On Demand (POD) professionals with greater flexibility, ease-of-use, and higher levels of control over their document production processes. The system as a whole caters to the highest end of the POD market. Included with this browser based system is a Document Management Suite; users can take advantage of Vite for variable data, Archiving for job management and reprinting, DocComposer for bookmaking, and PageSetter for imposition/document layout. DSC 2.0 will be demonstrated at the Canon Digital Solution Forum, and the On Demand Printing & Publishing Conference, both taking place at New York's Jacob Javits Convention Center April 23 - 25. The DSC 2.0 start-up system sells for $25,000 (MSRP), including integrated server, Document Management Suite, and 2 b&w digital copier connections. Additional b&w digital copier connections are $1,000 each. Additional printer connections for Canon CLC 3100 and CLC 5000, Canon imageRUNNER110, and the Xerox DocuTech are available for $15,000 each. Additional scanner options are also available. The DSC is available through all Authorized Canon U.S.A. dealers and Canon Business Solutions locations. DSC 2.0 uses a web browser-based printing system with dual processors to centrally control a total of ten devices through a single server. These printers can be any combination of up to ten imageRUNNER 105, 8500, 7200, 600, 550 and/or 60 models, up to two imageRUNNER 110 models, and up to two Canon CLC 1000, CLC 2400, CLC 3100 or CLC 5000 models. The system can also integrate up to two Xerox DocuTechs, which permits the Canon devices to seamlessly co-exist in customer environments that have already made this equipment investment. "DSC 2.0 offers our Print On Demand customers the power to drive greater color and b&w throughput from a combination of several high-speed Canon engines," said Dennis Amorosano, director of Marketing, Canon U.S.A. Copier and Networked Office Systems Division. "This amounts to a major competitive advantage in output cost savings, as the DSC 2.0 can route black-and-white and color pages to the appropriate engines in a single job." "DSC 2.0 represents a great opportunity for both Canon and AHT to reach more customers. A fully maximized system can run 100 ppm in color and over 700 ppm in black & white. That's the kind of printing power the high-end market needs, and now Canon is poised to take that market," said Sue Liu, program manager for AHT. The DSC 2.0 uses Canon color calibration tools for accurate reproduction of high quality original documents. By driving up to two CLC 5000 models, the solution has the capability to generate 100 page-per-minute output of Canon color quality documents. By producing materials closer to the point of delivery, the DSC 2.0 optimizes resources and reduces hard copy inventory, production, and shipping costs. Users can complete document production on-site with the finishing options available on Canon devices, including multi-position stapling, saddle-stitching, and V and Z-folding for making booklets. Based on the Microsoft Windows 2000 platform, the DSC 2.0 also offers productivity enhancing capabilities that include automatic load balancing and job routing, color and black and white document integration, and full device status delivered to operator consoles.