Buying a Printer or MFP
Network Devices – Printer or Multifunction Product (MFP)
CiCS supports and recommends Hewlett Packard printers and Sharp Multifunction Products (MFPs). The best advice is always to purchase the device that is best suited to the job. If you require a device to Copy, Print and Scan then purchase a Sharp MFP. If you only require the Print facility then a Hewlett Packard Printer is likely to best suit your needs. Please note: CiCS strongly recommends the purchase of a warranty or a maintenance contract on all printers purchased - see details further down.
CiCS has identified and recommends certain models of device. These have been agreed in conjunction with the University Print Management Team (UPMT), which consists of people from CiCS, Procurement, the Energy and Environment Team, and Animal and Plant Sciences. This will enable the University to stock consumables in Central Stores offering best value for money and standardize our support across the whole University.
Printers are bought outright due to the relatively low purchase price where as MFDs are hired over a rental period of 4 years. Departments seeking further advice on Print/Copy should contact the University Print Management Team, and information relating to Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of these devices for comparison purposes will be made available.
Recommended Models – Hewlett Packard Printers
CiCS recommends buying printers with a network card (signified by an ‘N’ in the model name), and a duplex unit to allow 2 sided printing (signified by an ‘D’ in the model name) wherever possible. All these models in the table below support both PC and Macintoshs through the standard CiCS Printing system.
| Model | Type | PPM | Paper Size | Usage* | Price (guide only) | Total Cost of Ownership (4 years)* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LJ P1505N* | Mono | 23 | A4 | 2000 | 169 | 3411 |
| LJ P2055DN | Mono | 33 | A4 | 3000 | 269 | 3521 |
| LJ P3015DN | Mono | 40 | A4 | 5000 | 386 | 4435 |
| LJ P4015DN | Mono | 50 | A4 | 15000 | 929 | 9034 |
| LJ 5200DTN | Mono | 35 | A3 and A4 | 10000 | 1829 | 9044 |
| LJ CP3525DN | Colour | 30 | A4 | 5000 | 485 | 4586 |
| LJ 5550DN | Colour | 28 | A3 and A4 | 12000 | 2147 | 10030 |
*Only the LJP1505 is a non-duplex printer. PPM – Pages Per Minutes, Usage – Recommended Monthly Usage, TCO figures taken from UPMT findings.
Recommended Models – Sharp MFPs
CiCS recommends buying MFPs with full Print, Copy and Scan capabilities as specified below. All these models support duplex printing too, from both PC and Macintoshs through the standard CiCS Printing system.
| Model | Type | PPM | Paper Size | Usage | Quarterly Rental Price | Total Cost of Ownership (4 years)* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARM201RN | Mono | 20 | A4 | 3000 | 49.98 | 1878 |
| MXB382N | Mono | 38 | A4 | 12000 | 132.38 | 5925 |
| MXM283N | Mono | 28 | A3 and A4 | 25000 | 154.61 | 8692 |
| MXM453N | Mono | 45 | A3 and A4 | 35000 | 205.43 | 13149 |
| MXM503N | Mono | 50 | A3 and A4 | 50000 | 225.41 | 14837 |
| MX3100N | Colour | 31 | A3 and A4 | 30000 | 196.81 | 15930 |
| MX5001N | Colour | 50 | A3 and A4 | 40000 | 256.24 | 20939 |
PPM – Pages Per Minutes, Usage – Recommended Monthly Usage, TCO figures taken from UPMT findings.
Sharp have produced a brochure in conjunction with CiCS giving more details on the models listed in the table above. Please click this link to view the brochure found on the procurement web page
Local Printers
Modern printers are capable of supporting a large number of users simultaneously, and because of this CiCS do not recommend the use of local printers, instead recommending fully networked models which make more efficient use of resources. Where confidentiality is an issue, the use of an MFP is recommended, allowing people to release their print jobs only when a pin number has been entered.
Suppliers - Printers
There are 5 recommended suppliers of printers to the University: DTP Group, European Electronique, Getech Ltd, Phoenix Office Supplies Ltd and XMA Ltd. Further details can be found on Procurement and Central Supplies website.
CiCS strongly recommends the purchase of a warranty or a maintenance contract on all printers purchased.
Warranty: Hewlett Packard can also supply extended warranties called HP Care Packs. These can be purchased at any time within the first standard year warranty from the suppliers above.
Maintenance: There are a number of suppliers who offer printer maintenance contracts that offer very good value for money offering a next day fix. The IT Maintenance contract on the procurement web site has details of three recommended suppliers, Calyx, Computerland, and Xenon Network Service.
Recommended Hardware Maintenance
Suppliers – MFPs
Sharp Electronics Ltd
Recommended Photocopier Suppliers
Warranty and Maintenance – these are fully included in the rental price.