Panasonic has announced the release of three value-priced, high-performance A4 multifunction (Print/Scan/Copy/Fax) products featuring 24ppm laser printing and copying, fully networked multi-format color scanning, Super G3 network faxing with incoming fax preview and a robust suite of Panasonic office-enabling software.

Aimed squarely at the Home Office, Small Office and Remote Office market, the new compact KX-MB2000 ($129 MSRP), KX-MB2010 ($159 MSRP), and KX-MB-2030 ($189 MSRP)* models bridge the gap between slow, consumer-grade single-purpose inkjet printers and larger laser MFPs in the $399-$599 price range.

"When it comes to image quality, productivity and efficiency, laser printing and photocopying have been the unchallenged technology of choice for midsize to Enterprise-level companies for more than 25 years," said Bill Taylor, President, Panasonic System Networks Company of America. "From the SOHO market perspective, the challenge has always been making a feature-rich laser-process MFP that's cost competitive with generic ink-on-paper inkjet printers.

"With the under-$200 MSRP KX-MB2000 Series, Panasonic has broken the price barrier which historically has prevented small business owners and professional service providers from outputting the same precisely defined, pixel-perfect printouts as their larger competitors."

In addition to offering the quality and efficiency benefits inherent in laser printing, the KX-MB-2000, 2010, and 2030 are the first Panasonic MFPs in the sub-$200 category to include a 10/100 Base-TX Ethernet port for shared network printing and scanning.

Also included in the standard software bundle is the new Easy Print Utility which enables on-the-fly merging of multiple file types such as Microsoft Word and Excel into a single print job, or PDF file with a custom header, footer or watermark.

Weighing less than 30 pounds and cubicle-workspace sized at 16.5" (W) x 17.0" (D) x 12.0 (H), the KX-MB2000-series models are equipped with 250-sheet paper input trays and 20-sheet automatic document feeders (ADF) and incorporate numerous advanced features previously available only on much larger and more costly office machines.

Included among these enhancements is 9600 x 9600(3) dpi maximum resolution TIFF, JPEG or PDF-compatible color scanning to a local computer, networked PC, FTP server, Network Shared Folder or email address and Quick ID copying of both sides of a single card for printing on a single sheet of paper in 2-in-1, 4-in-1, or 8-in-1 configuration.

A 33.6 kbps Super G3 fax exclusive to the top-of-the-line KX-MB2030 is coupled to Incoming Fax Preview technology, enabling operators to minimize wasteful printouts by viewing stored incoming faxes on a PC and deciding whether to archive them, print them or delete them.

Continuing Panasonic's tradition of ergonomic and user-friendly engineering, all models in the KX-MB2000 series boast an easy-access front-facing maintenance and consumable loading bay. In addition, the angled control panels provide comfortable viewing while sitting or standing, and a Configuration Web Page that allows users to change settings and check device and toner status via a standard Web browser.