competitive assessment - sharp...

Competitive AssessmentSharp MX-3570Nvs. Ricoh MP C3504

Key Benefits• More standard features deliver greater value

• Intuitive tablet-style touchscreen with Easy Scan and Copy modes simplifies user experience

• Standard wireless connectivity connects users with mobile and cloud workflows

• Standard integrated retractable keyboard improves usability and productivity

• Standard OCR capability converts documents to popular Microsoft® Office file formats

• Ability to print Microsoft® Office files from thumb drive adds convenience

• Standard PANTONE® licensing means precise color matching with no added cost

This report is provided by Sharp with data sourced from Buyers Laboratory LLC (BLI), with written permission from BLI, the document imaging industry’s leading source of unbiased and reliable test services and competitive intelligence. Test data was collected in BLI’s U.S. and U.K. laboratories and published in BLI’s Lab Test Reports, Field Test Reports and Environmental Test Reports.

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Sharp MX-3570N vs. Ricoh MP C3504

Cost Comparison* MX-3570N MP C3504

Base MSRP of MFP $15,675 $15,155

QWERTY Keyboard No charge (Integrated retractable)

$165(External option)

Paper Feed Unit $1,570 (Paper-feed unit 3 x 550 sheets) $1,455

Scan to Text Searchable PDF No charge $345M13 OCR Unit

Scan to Microsoft Office Files No charge $739M19 File Format Converter

Direct Print of Microsoft Office Files No charge Not available

Serverless Print Release No charge Not available

Adobe® PostScript® 3™ Standard $589Automatic Toner Cartridge Eject No charge Not available

PANTONE Color Matching No charge $6,279(Fiery print controller)

Wireless Connectivity No charge Not available (not compatible with Fiery controller)

Total Cost $20,375 $27,219

Advantages are indicated in red.

*Based on MSRP for device and options, as provided by the manufacturer.

Value Analysis: More business-critical features for less money provides greater valueThe Sharp MX-3570N provides more productivity-enhancing features for a lower price. The base price is slightly higher than the Ricoh MP C3504, but when you take into account the wide range of standard capabilities, the device is much less expensive. For example, the Sharp device provides a retractable keyboard, integrated optical character recognition (OCR), and wireless connectivity as standard. Once you add in all the options needed to comparably configure the Ricoh model, it’s clear that the MX-3570N is a better value.

Sharp MX-3570N: Highly recommended by BLI

In BLI’s exhaustive lab testing, the Sharp MX-3570N proved highly reliable, and received the highest possible rating of “Highly Recommended.”

In addition to the unit’s excellent reliability, BLI analysts praised the intuitive design, robust scan preview, and above-average feature set, calling it a strong choice for small to mid-size workgroups.

“The MX-3570N easily earned BLI’s highly recommended rating, proving highly reliable throughout our rigorous testing. Designed to meet the needs of any small to mid-size workgroup, this model offers the ease of operability, output quality, and flexibility business users need.”

– BLI Senior Editor for A3 MFPs George Mikolay

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Enhanced user experience with 10.1" (diagonal) tablet-style touchscreen and integrated retractable keyboard

Sharp makes walk-up functions nearly effortless, letting users spend less time at the control panel and more time doing their job.

The MX-3570N’s control panel features:

• An intuitive menu system and simple navigation procedures

• A choice of two different copy screens (Easy Copy and advanced Copy) for faster programming of common jobs that can be easily switched between

• A standard integrated retractable laptop-size keyboard for simplified data entry (if Ricoh users want a keyboard, they have to pay extra for an external option)

• Remote Front Panel, which simplifies training, support and administration, letting administrators easily configure or troubleshoot the MFP

• An easy interface for printing Microsoft Office files from a thumb drive, eliminating the need for a PC to print these common file types

• A walk-up motion sensor that detects a user approaching and wakes up the device

“The MX-3570N’s ease of use is another highlight. In the case of users, the device’s drivers and user interface have been completely redesigned, and programming jobs and building workflows are a cinch.” -- BLI Senior Editor for A3 MFPs George Mikolay

Tablet-style menu with flick, tap and slide navigation, and multi-touch pinch-and-zoom capability to reduce/enlarge images simplifies programming jobs and increases worker productivity.

Standard optical character recognition (OCR): The Sharp MX-3570N comes standard with a convenient OCR solution that converts scanned documents to popular Microsoft Office file formats. Formats supported are Word (DOCX), Excel® (XLSX), PowerPoint® (PPTX), and Text Searchable PDF. In contrast, users must purchase two optional OCR units to add similar functionality to the Ricoh MP C3504.

Better scan preview: The Sharp MX-3570N offers a scan preview mode that supports onscreen editing (erase, delete, move, and erase specified range), move pages and page rotation. In contrast, while the MP C3504 does let users preview scanned pages, its scan preview function does not allow for any onscreen editing or even rotating pages if the orientation is incorrect.

Enhanced scan capabilities offer greater simplicity and flexibility

Scanning is a key component in today’s modern workflows, so users are demanding more from their MFPs. From faster speeds to more advanced functionality, Sharp delivers. The Sharp MX-3570N boasts standard optical character recognition (OCR), breakneck duplex scan speeds, and integrated scan-to-cloud functionality.

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Improve productivity by connecting with mobile and cloud workflows

These days, more and more documents are passing through mobile devices and cloud services. Sharp has capitalized on this trend by linking the MFP with these tools. • Standard Wireless Connectivity simplifies printing from mobile devices. Ricoh users will need to

purchase a wireless upgrade to get the same functionality.• Mobile Device Support: The MX-3570N comes standard with support for Apple AirPrint®, Google

Android™ Printing and Google Cloud Print™. Additionally, Sharp offers Sharpdesk Mobile for advanced printing and scanning from mobile devices.

• Connect to popular online storage: Sharp’s Cloud Connect feature lets users quickly and easily access popular cloud services, such as Microsoft OneDrive® for Business, SharePoint® Online and Google Drive™, to store scanned content or print documents right from the control panel.

Cutting-edge capabilities boost security and save time and money

Sharp has packed even more cutting-edge capabilities into its MFP, including Serverless Print Release, automatic toner cartridge eject, and a built-in walk-up motion sensor.

• Serverless Print Release: With this standard feature, you can send a print job and then retrieve it at up to five compatible devices later on. This boosts security and convenience (releasing the job when and where you need it so it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands), without additional hardware or software costs. • Built-in walk-up motion sensor: The Sharp device automatically detects someone approaching the machine, and begins warming up. With warm-up taking 10 seconds, virtually no wait time is required. By the time you’ve selected your workflow at the MFP, it’s ready to go.

Innovative Toner Cartridge System Helps Reduce Your Costs

Sharp’s innovative toner cartridge design keeps the cartridges for each color locked in place until empty to help make the most of your investment. And when it is ready for replacement, an auto-eject feature makes changing the cartridge mistake-proof.

Standard PANTONE Color Matching

Toner cartridge pops out when it is ready to be replaced

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Standard features for guaranteeing top-notch print quality, color fidelity

Sharp MFPs include key technologies for high-quality color output:

• Standard Pantone licensing provides color fidelity to the PANTONE Matching System, enabling precise printing of corporate logos and other high-value material. The Ricoh MP C3504 only offers Pantone color matching through its Fiery print controller option.

• Standard Adobe PostScript 3 provides additional assurance that visually rich documents are printed reliably. This feature costs extra on the Ricoh model.

• Micro-fine Toner Technology delivers better color fidelity than conventional toners, enhanced image density and balance, and improved edge definition.

• Sharp’s Color Consistency System helps ensure color printing quality is maintained over time.

Simplified Management Reduces IT Burden

The last thing an IT director wants to worry about is the office MFP, and Sharp makes managing the device fast and easy. For checking device status and troubleshooting errors, both the Sharp MX-3570N and Ricoh MP C3504 web user interfaces are easy to use. But Sharp includes a search function to help administrators find what they need quickly, as well as shortcut creation that allows for one-click selection of common tasks and the ability to access these shortcuts right from the control panel. Ricoh offers nothing comparable for the MP C3504. In fact, BLI analysts were so impressed with the Sharp web page user interface that they awarded it a “Winter 2017 Outstanding Achievement in Innovation” award.

“Sharp’s newly designed web user interface is extremely easy to use and includes a number of capabilities not seen on the web interfaces of competing vendors. The highly intuitive search function lets an administrator search for and click on functions to quickly and easily access them. An administrator can also easily create a shortcut when on a tab or settings page and name it and save it for future use to streamline daily tasks.”

-- BLI Senior Editor for A3 MFPs George Mikolay

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Key Specs at a Glance Sharp MX-3570N Ricoh MP C3504

Rated Engine Speed 35 cpm color/35 cpm black 35 cpm color/35 cpm black

Rated First Copy Time 6.7 sec color/4.7 sec black 7.1 sec color/4.6 sec black

Rated Warm-Up Speed 10 sec 25 sec

Maximum Paper Capacity 6,300 sheets 4,700 sheets

Maximum Toner Cartridge Yield 40,000 pages black/24,000 pages color 29,500 pages black/18,000 pages color

Document Feeder Standard 150-sheet duplex single pass feeder

Standard 220-sheet duplex single pass feeder

Duplex Scan Speed 200 ipm 180 ipm

Genuine Adobe PostScript 3 Printing Standard Optional

Wireless Connectivity Standard Optional

PANTONE Color Matching Standard Optional (Fiery print controller option)

Direct Print Microsoft Office Files Standard Not Available

OCR Scan (DOCX, XLSX, PPTX) Standard Optional

10x Hard Drive Overwrite Yes No (3x after a job)

End-of-Lease feature (deletes all user information and data files at time of trade-in) Standard (10x) Standard (9x)

Advantages are indicated in red.

About BLISince 1961, Buyers Laboratory LLC. (BLI) has been the leading global independent office-equipment test lab and business consumer advocate. In addition to publishing the industry’s most comprehensive and accurate test reports on office document imaging devices, each representing months of exhaustive hands-on testing in BLI’s US and UK laboratories, the company has been the leading source for extensive runnability testing on imaging media and device consumables, as well as extensive specifications/pricing databases on MFPs, printers, scanners, solutions and fax machines. BLI also has a long-standing reputation for being the industry’s most trustworthy and complete source for quality testing services and global competitive intelligence.

Price, design and specifications subject to change without notice.

© 2017 Sharp Electronics Corporation. All rights reserved. Sharp, Sharp OSA and all related trademarks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sharp Corporation and/or its affiliated companies. Ricoh is a registered trademark of Ricoh Americas Corporation. Windows, Windows Server, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive and SharePoint are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Android, Google Drive, Google Cloud Print and Chromebook are registered trademarks of Google Inc. AirPrint is a registered trademark of Apple Inc. PostScript is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems, Inc. EFI, Fiery are registered trademarks of Electronics for Imaging, Inc. All other trademarks are of their respective owners.

Summing upCompared to the Ricoh MP C3504, the Sharp MX-3570N delivers faster duplex scanning speeds, enhanced connectivity through standard wireless connectivity, and productivity advantages like a standard retractable keyboard and optical character recognition. Pantone color matching and Adobe PostScript 3 are also standard in the Sharp model, allowing users to achieve high precision in color printing without costly add-on features. The Sharp MX-3570N dominates in other areas as well, including its faster warmup time, the higher yield of its toner cartridges, and the inclusion of cutting-edge features like Serverless Print Release and automatic toner eject.

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