Fairfield, NJ – December 8, 2008 – Kyocera Mita America, Inc., one of the world's leading document solutions companies, today announced the launch of the TASKalfa 500ci series of Color Multifunctional Products (MFP). Designed for today's demanding businesses, the TASKalfa 500ci color MFP series combines exceptional color printing, scanning, copying and optional faxing, along with easy-to-use features that maximize efficiency and streamline tasks.

The TASKalfa 500ci series, features a bold new black and silver exterior, delivers power, performance, quality and ultra-reliability, in four new models: the TASKalfa 500ci (40 pages per minute (ppm) color/50 ppm black); TASKalfa 400ci, (40 ppm color/40 ppm black); TASKalfa 300ci (30 ppm color/30 ppm black); and the TASKalfa 250ci (25 ppm color/25 ppm black).

Kyocera's long-life technology, known to deliver the ultra-reliability that businesses demand, helps reduce required service intervention while maximizing performance in every environment.  The TASKalfa 500ci series is built with Kyocera's long-life consumable technology, including the company's Amorphous Silicon (ASi) drums, thus delivering maximum business "uptime" through a class leading 300,000 page preventive maintenance (PM) schedule.  This incredible PM cycle creates longer intervals of time between required service visits and helps minimize maintenance costs for end-users.

The exceptional and consistent image quality of the new TASKalfa 500ci series is the result of a new color engine by Kyocera, featuring 8-bit color output and incorporating Kyocera's new micro-particle toner.

"Kyocera understands the importance of quality color imaging and streamlined document workflow solutions, so we purposefully aligned our R&D efforts to build every possible enhancement into this new series," said Michael Pietrunti, president and CEO, Kyocera Mita America.  "We are confident our dealers and their end-users will clearly recognize the value of the TASKalfa 500ci series – no matter the size or complexity of their imaging needs.  TASKalfa raises the bar for the industry, and will be a successful solution by which Kyocera will be measured by for some time."

All models incorporate a vibrant 8.5-inch color touch screen control panel, standard duplex and can include up to a 4,100 sheet paper capacity with the ability to accommodate heavier paper stock (up to 120 lb Index), all with advanced finishing and paper handling options.

The TASKalfa 500ci and 400ci comes standard with two 160GB Hard Disk Drives (HDD) and the 300ci and 250ci features a standard 80GB HDD.  The TASKalfa series offers the choice of two optional document processors, Dual Scan or a Reversing Automatic Document Processor.  With speeds up 100 images per minute, the optional dual scan document processor reads double-sided pages in a single pass for maximum productivity.  In addition, the TASKalfa 500ci series offers several standard scanning destinations, including Scan-to-E-mail, Scan-to-Folder (SMB), Scan-to-FTP, Scan-to-USB, WSD scanning (Windows Vista) and TWAIN scanning, with resolutions ranging from 200-600 dpi.

The 500ci series offers an optional Super G3 fax/network fax for high-speed document delivery.  Each model boasts solid monthly duty cycles (200,000 for the 500ci, 160,000 for the 400ci, 130,000 for the 300ci and 100,000 for the 250ci), and comes standard with a USB host interface for convenient print-from and scan-to any USB drive in PDF, JPEG, TIFF and XPS file formats – all via the touch screen control panel.

Security and Performance Delivered

The TASKalfa 500ci series offers cross-platform compatibility, connecting to virtually any environment including Windows, Mac and Linux, with the drivers, tools, utilities and software options to optimize workflow and help guarantee performance in any business.

This comprehensive suite of value-add solutions assists in document creation and output via Kyocera's KX Driver and PRESCRIBE Solution for on-demand color and black & white document creation; advanced document workflow solutions such as KYOcapture; and flexible network and device management tools such as KMnet Viewer and PrintQ Manager.  For those businesses with heightened security or compliance requirements, the 500ci series comes standard with Secure Print and Security Watermark capabilities.  An optional Data Security Kit is also available which provides security overwrite and encryption for printing, copying and scanning, ensuring that highly confidential and critical information is never compromised.

The TASKalfa 500ci series also integrates with several third-party solution providers, such as Equitrac, a leading cost accounting and recovery software.  In addition, Kyocera's document workflow solutions such as KYOcapture and KYOcapture Express integrate with many of the industry's leading document management systems, including SentryFile, LaserFishe, Documentum, and Microsoft SharePoint.

Introducing TASKalfa – Kyocera's New Product Brand

Kyocera's new TASKalfa product brand mark, which means that every end-user's need – or task – is always a top priority, is also defining a new global, strategic direction for future Kyocera MFP solutions.

This "#1 Priority" mission has been the inspiration behind the advanced technology features that Kyocera has incorporated within its new TASKalfa 500ci series, as well as the stimulus for a new global branding initiative and the company's bold move in designing the product line's new sleek black and silver exterior.

"There is true excitement behind the TASKalfa 500ci series and our new brand, as we undeniably advance Kyocera's respected position and engineering reputation in the global marketplace," said Peter Hendrick, vice president, marketing, Kyocera Mita America.  "With TASKalfa, business users can trust that their imaging needs will be done right, the first time, every time, with a low total cost of ownership, ultra-reliability, and technical excellence they've come to expect from Kyocera."

Pricing and Availability

The TASKalfa 500ci, 400ci, 300ci and 250ci are available today through authorized Kyocera Mita dealers at a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price of $16,460, $12,955, $9,950 and $8,915 respectively.  To find the nearest dealer, or for more information, please visit Kyocera's web site: www.kyoceramita.com/us.