CHICAGO -- Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta), a leading provider of advanced imaging and networking technologies for the desktop to the print shop, and EFI, a world leader in customer-focused digital printing innovation, today launched the most advanced Fiery server technology for the bizhub PRO C6501 / C5501 Series of color production print systems from Konica Minolta. Ideal for the graphics arts and production print markets, the Fiery IC-305 v3.0 server is based on Fiery System 9 software that is up to 70 percent faster than the previous generation. Delivering exceptional color, blazing performance, automated workflows and powerful make-ready and Variable Data Printing (VDP) tools, this new technology increases return on equipment investment for Konica Minolta customers and will be on display at PRINT 09 taking place at McCormick Place through Sept. 16th in EFI booth #2500 and Konica Minolta booth #6118.

"We are passionate about continuing to innovate and advance the digital print industry. This next generation Fiery server delivers documents faster than ever before, with vibrant and consistent color every time," said John Henze, vice president of marketing, Fiery division, EFI. "Now, Konica Minolta customers can easily manage documents of any complexity, exceeding the high expectations of their end customers."

"Fiery technology has driven the powerful bizhub PRO line-up for many years, and we're excited to raise the bar again by pairing our flagship color digital presses with the most advanced print technology available from EFI," said Kevin Kern, vice president, marketing, Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. "Konica Minolta customers have grown accustomed to the ease of use and reliable features of the Fiery server, and this new release will surpass their expectations and ensuring that they can always count on Konica Minolta to deliver the best in technology and innovation."

The Fiery IC-305 v3.0 server ensures precise, consistent color at all times with Fiery ColorWise technology, which delivers great "out of the box" color that is consistent across applications, computer platforms, color spaces and color file formats. EFI also offers several optional color packages. For extreme color requirements, the Fiery Graphic Arts Packages seamlessly group together expert tools for managing color, proofing, and controlling workflow. The optional Fiery Color Profiler Suite easily creates precision color profiles with a single profiling solution.

This latest Fiery release also brings enhanced job submission automation tools and advanced job management features to shorten turn-around times and provide flawless integration with the printer's finishing options.

The Fiery server has integrated make-ready tools that are intuitive and visual, so document management and preparation can be performed quickly and effectively with minimal waste. The new Fiery Command WorkStation 5 print job management software centralizes the entire print workflow, connects to all Fiery servers on the network and achieves optimal results in real-time to increase productivity. The advanced queue management capabilities eliminate bottlenecks and minimize downtime, raising the productivity and profit potential on every job. A new booklet maker wizard allows professional looking booklets to be created in only a few steps.

EFI's VDP solutions available for the bizhub PRO line offer scalable tools for producing effective one-to-one marketing campaigns, and lead the print industry in speed, ease-of-use and flexibility. The optimized solutions work with all industry and legacy languages, including PPML.

The Fiery IC-305 v3.0 and other EFI solutions designed for Konica Minolta customers are available now through Konica Minolta's North American direct sales, authorized dealer and value-added reseller channels. More information is available at www.CountOnKonicaMinolta.com. More information regarding EFI is available at www.efi.com and 800.875.7117.