Konica Enhances Konica 7085 and FORCE 85 Production Printing Systems' Performance with New Functionality for IP-602 Print Controller.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

ON DEMAND 2003

Booth #2835

WINDSOR, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 7, 2003

Tandem Printing Capability, Driver-Based Tab Functionality, and

Advanced Network Connectivity Among Key Enhancements

to Fastest Embedded Print Controller Ever Offered by Konica

Konica Business Technologies U.S.A., Inc. (Konica), the innovation leader in digital imaging solutions and a subsidiary of Konica Corporation, today announced the availability of new code for its IP-602 print controller, delivering enhanced functionality to its high-performance Konica 7085 and FORCE 85 Production Printing Systems. With an output speed of 85 pages per minute (ppm), advanced image quality, high-end production finishing capabilities and robust network connectivity, the 7085 and FORCE 85 are built to handle the high-volume demands of central reprographics departments (CRD) and print-on-demand (POD) environments. The new IP-602 print controller code brings the network connectivity, tandem printing capabilities, and the overall performance and speed of the 7085 and the FORCE 85 to the next level.

Enhancements to the powerful embedded IP-602 print controller -- the fastest ever offered by Konica -- include even quicker transmission of information with a 22.0GB hard drive, 866 MHz processor and a maximum memory of 512MB. With the IP-602 print controller upgrade also comes a Visual PostScript(R) 3 Driver, featuring the most commonly utilized drivers right on the front page; driver-based mixplex and tab functionality; expanded hard drive access for virtually unlimited job storage; two-byte character support; IP-602 PCL 5e driver Microsoft(R) certification; and Konica's new Visual NDPS Print Driver support for Novell(R) NetWare.

Tandem print capabilities have also been built into the IP-602, making it ideal for production print, CRD, back-office print shops and print-for-pay settings. Users can now print between two 7085s, two FORCE 85s or a combination of each model -- the equivalent of 170ppm -- without purchasing any supplementary hardware. The tandem printing capabilities also include automatic redundancy to allow for the rare occurrence when one machine has a mis-feed. Additionally, job spooler (PCL 5e only) and email alert capabilities have been added to its IP Connexion(TM) Web Utilities 3.0, allowing for print jobs to be managed through a standard Web browser and the delivery of warning messages to the system administrator's email address when an error occurs.

"The new functionality added to our IP-602 is a perfect example of Konica's commitment to advancing our offerings and providing real-world, practical solutions to our customers," said William H. Brewster, vice president, marketing, Konica Business Technologies U.S.A., Inc. "The combination of the enhanced IP-602 and the 7085/FORCE 85 represents a significant leap forward in functionality and flexibility, a leap that Konica believes will allow even further penetration into production print settings such as CRDs, print shops, print-for-pay and other POD environments."

The IP-602 also supports simplex/duplex functions, and the 7085's and FORCE 85's finisher commands, including accessibility to all five paper trays; stapling, folding and saddle stitching; post-sheet insertion; punching; and z-folding. Also, with the embedded IP-602, the 7085 and FORCE 85 deliver a variety of advanced scanning capabilities such as direct scan-to-email, hard disk drive (HDD) and FTP, sending jobs to their destination in either TIFF or PDF format directly from the 7085/FORCE 85's touch screen.

Highlighted Features of the IP-602:

-- 22.0GB standard hard drive

-- 866 MHz processor

-- 64MB standard memory, upgradeable to 512MB

-- Full-bleed on up to 12" x 18" stock

-- Driver-based mixplex and tabs support

-- Tandem print capabilities for up to two 7085s, two FORCE 85s,

or a combination of each model, with a single IP-602

controller

-- IP Connexion(TM) Web Utilities 3.0, GUI PCL 5e Microsoft(R)

certified drivers, Visual PostScript(R) 3 Drivers, and new

Konica Visual NPDS Print Driver support for Novell(R) NetWare

-- Standard network connectivity supports TCP/IP, IPX/SPX and

EtherTalk protocols utilizing included 10BaseT/100BaseT

Ethernet interface

-- Two-byte character support

Pricing and Availability

Konica is offering the IP-602 code upgrade to current 7085 customers as a free-of-charge service download. Customers wishing to receive the upgrade should contact their local Konica service professional. The new FORCE 85 comes complete with the enhanced IP-602 print controller. The manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) for the 7085 is $39,000 and the MSRP for the FORCE 85 is $36,700. The MSRP for the IP-602 print controller is $3,870.

About Konica Business Technologies U.S.A., Inc.

Konica Business Technologies U.S.A., Inc., headquartered in Windsor, Conn., is an industry-leading provider of digital solutions for document creation, distribution and production. Konica offers a full line of color and black & white printers, multifunctional products, software and network solutions, and professional services. Konica provides world-class service through its extensive network of direct sales offices, authorized dealers, resellers and distribution partners located in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America and South America. For more information, please visit Konica on the World Wide Web at http://www.konicabt.com.

All terms, product and company names used in this document may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners, and are hereby acknowledged.