RAMSEY, N.J., Dec. 15 -- Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta) today announced that the Konica ColorFORCE 8050 was named the "Most Reliable Color Imaging Device in its Class" in Office Products Analyst's (OPA) 2003 Color Product Reliability Study. With an 8.3 overall rating, Konica's 8050 surpassed all of the color production devices included in the study. "Congratulations to Konica for such an impressive showing in this year's survey," said Andy Slawetsky, vice president, Industry Analysts, Inc. "As a relative newcomer to the production color market, our research has shown that the ColorFORCE 8050 is more reliable than competitors who have manufactured devices in this class for many years." To compile the data for its 2003 Color Product Reliability Study, OPA, a monthly newsletter devoted to the cost/performance analysis of office products published by Industry Analysts, Inc., interviewed service managers from dealerships across the United States. Respondents were asked to rate the reliability of each color model in their primary brand -- the brand that accounts for the most revenue in the dealership -- on a scale of one to ten, with ten being the best. Responses encompassed 9,516 units. "OPA's survey affirms that the ColorFORCE 8050 was designed to maximize equipment productivity," said William H. Brewster, Jr., vice president, marketing, Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. "We built this product from the ground up, tapping into our renowned engineering expertise in the B&W production print and photographic fields, to deliver a high-speed digital color system that is setting a new standard in terms of performance, as well as speed and price." Designed for cost-effective color and B&W on-demand printing for the CRD and print-for-pay environments, as well as high-volume workgroups and the graphic arts industry, the ColorFORCE 8050 bridges the gap between the 24ppm- plus digital copier/printer segment and the color production print market. The 8050's features include: print and copy speeds of 50ppm color and B&W, a rated monthly page volume of 150,000 pages, Konica's Simitri Color Polymerized Toner technology, the Konica IP-901 Fiery print controller and Fiery system software, and advanced finishing capabilities.