Blog Posts for Technology

There are several different ways we can help schools with physical security needs. Examples include active shooter situations, family abductions, problematic teacher/student relations, as well as vandalism. The unfortunate reality of today is that these scenarios, almost unthinkable a generation ago, have occurred with increasing frequency. Schools today regularly practice ‘active shooter’ drills, complete with classroom lock downs and door barricades. (more…)

According to the 2015 U.S. Census Report, 99 percent of all firms in the country employ less than 500 people. It’s really an amazing statistic. When you think of companies most representative of businesses in the U.S., your mind tends to default to the likes of General Motors, Microsoft, Boeing and Caterpillar, not the small shops and professional offices that most likely employ many of your neighbors. (more…)

As a contributor within the product management team for Konica Minolta for over the past 11 years, I have launched many types of products from office workgroup MFPs, desktop scanners, production printers and many wide format products. However, wide format products are the roots of my product management experience and nothing has been more exciting for me than to launch the first ever Konica Minolta branded wide format printers, AccurioWide. It is one thing to launch a third-party product, but a whole different level of experience and passion to build out a product line from day 1 planning a couple of years ago through the product launch and beyond. (more…)

With the Labelexpo Americas just a few days away, we are making the final preparations for our third year of exhibiting at what has become the Global Digital Label Press showcase event. And in those three years, 250 clients around the globe have trusted KM to be their answer to their ongoing question of “should I invest in digital printing and with whom?” In the history of the digital label print story, has any manufacturer been so trusted so early in the evolution of their product? (more…)

With PRINT 18 just weeks away, this is an opportune time to mention which products Konica Minolta will have on display in our 9,000 square foot exhibit.  Our team aims to impress by showcasing our broad range of capabilities in digital printing, decorative embellishment, packaging, wide-format printing, and finishing. It’s no small effort to get these colossal machines out to Chicago up and running on the trade show floor each year. But we believe it’s worth the effort for our customers to see the finished product firsthand as it’s made. (more…)

As a company invested in the future of work, but also committed to healthcare, we pose this question: What does the future of healthcare look like?  This question likely has many divergent, interesting and potentially controversial answers, especially depending upon who is asked. Konica Minolta, through close collaboration with our Business Innovation Center’s Healthcare Advisory Council, has attempted to answer this question by introducing our Value Based Care Platform  to deliver better care at lower costs.  These two objectives are closely aligned with Triple Aim of Care: enhancing the individual experience of care, improving the health of populations and reducing the per capita cost of care.  This initiative, begun by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI)¹, was driven by our exploding healthcare cost and eroding quality.  So, before we illustrate the exciting advances in technology, and how it’s helping to meet the IHI’s critical objectives, let’s take a moment to reflect on the many changes that are occurring right now that are driving this new landscape of healthcare.  (more…)

It has been our 7^th year participating at the International Society for Technology in Education conference (ISTE) and 2018 did not disappoint!  While no single technology led the show this year, student learning and helping teachers be more effective was at the center of discussion.  This idea was further punctuated by keynote speaker David Eagleman, (https://www.eagleman.com/) when he described the science behind learning. To paraphrase him, students have moved from “just in case learning” such as the history of a country you may need to know about, to “just in time learning,” like how to solve a math problem, which can be looked up instantly via technology.  For digital natives, otherwise known as today’s students, this is the norm.  And with that idea in mind, educators are on point to think and teach differently.  As he puts it, “the onus is on educators to meet their students half way.” (more…)

As an educator, my summers should be typically lighter with school sessions out. But since I represent Konica Minolta at the popular International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) conference each June, I get to teach administrators and educators about the latest technologies for educators we offer and hear from them about the hot issues on their minds. I recently attended ISTE 2017 in San Antonio, TX – along with about 20,000 other attendees – and learned a great deal from them myself. (more…)

The evolution of document management is astounding.  When I was growing up, I handwrote my homework until I had access to a typewriter at my mother’s real estate office. What a treat to type  my reports for school!  They looked so professional. What could beat that?! Enter home computers. My father’s and grandparents’ computers were the holy grail of my homework experience. I no longer had to use white-out to correct my mistakes or start over entirely. Plus, I could save  my work inside  of a computer?! Amazing! (more…)

Change is in the Air: Transformation Underway

Konica Minolta has always been a brand with transformation and change as part of its DNA, ingrained in the company culture. From having a Minolta camera on the first American manned shuttle that went into space in 1962, to releasing the world’s first 35 mm camera with auto focus in 1977, we have had many world firsts. As our CEO Shoei Yamana mentioned in a recent interview with the Financial Times, innovation at Konica Minolta has historically been focused on ‘over engineering’ our products. In times of stability, such product innovations absolutely have their place. However, today our traditional market place has shrunk dramatically. For Konica Minolta to retain market relevancy, we have to shift our focus to customer value. It is definitely a very different focus to “how can we make our products better.” And so, over the last four years, Konica Minolta’s innovative journey has been accelerating like never before. With the establishment of our Business Innovation Centers, expansion of our R&D facilities globally, and our acquisitions, Konica Minolta is closer than ever to our clients. All this is supporting Konica Minolta’s transformation into a leading edge IT Services business. (more…)