Foster City, Calif. - Electronics For Imaging, Inc. (NASDAQ: EFII), the world leader in enabling networked printing solutions, announced today that its next generation server - the Fiery X3 - will support Minolta's new DiALTA Di550 and Di450 high speed black-and-white copiers. The new Fiery server, marketed by Minolta as the Pi5500, offers features that make it faster and easier for corporate workgroups to print, copy and scan black-and-white documents. Until recently, EFI supported two Minolta black-and-white devices printing at speeds of 62 and 75 pages per minute (ppm). With the addition of the Pi5500 Fiery X3 server to Minolta's existing line of black-and-white copier/server solutions, EFI's Fiery technology will support a wide array of Minolta black-and-white digital printing solutions, printing at speeds of 45, 55, 62 and 75 ppm. Businesses will find the user interface similar regardless of which Minolta solution they use. This benefits users by making it easier to learn how to use the new Minolta/Fiery products, shortening learning curves and increasing productivity. Similarly, companies who invest in multiple Minolta/EFI black-and-white solutions for their businesses will find their total cost of ownership is decreased through one source for sales, support and training, and lower maintenance costs. "We are extremely pleased to take our relationship with Minolta to the next level, by working together to develop another innovative solution that so precisely meets market needs," said Guy Gecht, CEO, EFI. "EFI and Minolta have a successful history of working together on Minolta's black-and-white copier servers. With this latest solution, customers gain a fast, flexible solution for printing in-house and on budget -- with superior finishing options. EFI gains new black-and-white sales opportunities with one of the dominant manufacturers in the industry." Bud Murphy, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Minolta's Office Systems Sales and Marketing Division added, "We are pleased to expand the range of Fiery solutions available to our customers. The DiALTA copiers and EFI's Fiery X3 Pi5500 server form a powerful combination to improve businesses' productivity by keeping documents moving efficiently through the corporate workflow." Regardless of the size of most files, the Linux-based Fiery X3 Pi5500 drives the Di550 and Di450 at their full-rated speeds for greater overall throughput. It also includes NetWiseÅ 2, EFI's networking architecture, to help to accelerate setup and ensure seamless connectivity. WebScanÅ, EFI's new scan retrieval utility, now allows users to retrieve scanned documents over the Internet via EFI's WebToolsÅ software. Utilizing Fiery ScanÅ technology, users can scan and store single images or multiple page documents from the Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) or copier glass, then easily retrieve them using WebScan, making the Di550 and Di450 more versatile multi-functional devices. Minolta's Di550 and Di450 copiers include advanced standard features, including an electronic document handler, stackless auto duplexing and a large paper capacity (1,150 sheets standard and 7,250 sheets maximum). A paper buffer in the paper path ensures that 100% productivity is maintained in the finishing mode and the multi-job function allows the units to receive up to five copying jobs simultaneously for greater copy productivity. In addition, the new copiers feature NMT (New Micro-Toning) Processing, for high print quality and faster printing, LIMOS (Laser Intensity Modulation System) technology for better tone reproduction, and an improved image stabilizing system. In addition, EFI loaded the X3 with such connectivity-enhancing features as Automatic IP configuration; SNMP support; simultaneous auto-switching protocols; auto-sensing ports; and printing for AppleTalk, TCP/IP, and IPX/SPX protocols. Standard hardware features include a 366MHz Intel Celeron processor, 64MB of DRAM, and a 10.2GB IDE hard drive.