Konica Minolta bizhub MarketPlace

bizhub MarketPlace is technology of development of opportunities of the MFP of devices of Konica Minolta.

2019: MarketPlace as part of the management concept Connected Office business processes

On July 15, 2019 the Konica Minolta company announced release of upgraded version of the MarketPlace platform which allows to load and use the applications and licenses expanding functionality of the MFP of the company. The platform is a part of the management concept Connected Office business processes.

The concept of Connected Office includes four key spheres: Connect IT (consolidation of IT infrastructure), Connect Security (consolidation of solutions for security), Connect People (consolidation of people), and Connect Work (consolidation of instruments of work). Within the Connect IT direction development of hybrid IT services and services of management of IT infrastructure is performed. Connect Security ensures safety of all elements of office, including the MFP and devices using IoT. The Connect Work and Connect People directions help to implement the potential of employees: optimize management processes and the organizations and simplify access to tools for work and creativity.

"Our purpose – to help clients to create a working environment which will conform to individual requirements and will form a basis of success in the digital world. We mean it when we speak about the joint office", noted Toshimitsu Tayko, the senior chief executive of the direction of technologies for business in Konica Minolta

According to the developer, the MarketPlace platform offers a broad spectrum of productivity applications, information processing, safety and also works with cloud solutions. Applications expand functionality of the MFP and elements of IT infrastructure unrolled within projects of Konica Minolta.

As noted in Konica Minolta, the MarketPlace platform is preset on devices of Konica Minolta of the bizhub i-Series series. Clients can connect the MFP to cloud services, load files for printing from cloud storages and send the scanned materials to "cloud". Besides, MarketPlace is also a billing system due to integration with ERP systems of Konica Minolta. It allows to apply model of payment for specific services and to increase efficiency. The company guarantees that bills will be made out only for the used applications.

Thanks to the Design Tool web tool clients can independently create or request development of individual design of the user interface MFP.

"Konica Minolta aims to rethink the concept of a workplace and to change processes of work of the organizations. MarketPlace not just app store for bizhub devices. It is the key platform allowing clients to add new features to devices on the basis of IoT. The preliminary MarketPlace installation on Workplace Hub and bizhub i-Series devices reflects the aspiration of Konica Minolta to optimize work of customers. Providing tools for business development and simplification of service of IT infrastructure – the basic principles of the concept of Connected Office. It combines a full range of IT services, solutions for office and consulting services" t, noted Ikuo Nakagawa, the senior chief executive of the direction of creation of digital jobs of Konica Minolta

As of July, 2019 the MarketPlace platform is available in 133 countries.

2017

Possibility of loading of the applications and licenses expanding functionality of the MFP

At the end of 2017 Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. and provided to Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe GmbH upgraded version of the MarketPlace platform which allows to load and use the applications and licenses expanding functionality of the MFP. Konica Minolta MarketPlace (before bizhub MarketPlace) integrates modern applications, instruments of individual preference of the interface and centralized operation.

In MarketPlace applications for management of scanning, performance improvement of the MFP, data management and security and also for work of page are pre-installed cloud storages. The platform allows to create easily user interfaces MFPs or to perform their individual preference according to processes of the company. If new features are necessary, then they can be added or changed independently, without calling the specialist of customer service.

The Konica Minolta MarketPlace interface is improved: navigation became simpler and more convenient, the recommended applications are selected on the home page, sorting of applications is performed on categories or filtering on a key word now. Creation of an account became more simply and quicker too, the online help for user support appeared. In addition, installation processes of applications and individual user interfaces MFPs, device managements, viewing history of transactions in MarketPlace were updated.

Start of a system

On January 17, 2017 the Konica Minolta company announced start of the upgraded version of the bizhub MarketPlace platform.

As a part of updating of the application and the functions increasing efficiency and reducing costs for a program part of printing infrastructure. As a part of the version possibilities of personal setup of the MFP interface are provided.

Representation of bizhub MarketPlace, (2013)

bizhub MarketPlace has annexes connectors to cloud services OneDrive Google Drive, SharePoint and Evernote. The platform expands functionality MFP without additional expenses on the third-party software. Initial setup and updates of the platform and also the choice and the subsequent installation of applications are executed far off. Current status of versions of applications is maintained automatically.

In bizhub MarketPlace the administrative instruments of customization of the MFP interface allowing to create individual design and to define control panel feature set, necessary for the end user, operate. The customized user interfaces are unrolled far off, in the same way as updates and additional applications that is important for the large organizations with a large number of the MFP.

One of the most powerful benefits consists that bizhub MarketPlace allows to adapt the MFP to features of business of the client, and not vice versa. The wide choice of applications allows to improve easily workflows, to save time and resources, releasing time of employees for accomplishment of the main objectives. Daniel Schellhase, a product manager on software platforms and technologies of Konica Minolta

The company announced availability of release in the European and Russian markets since January, 2017.