Peripherals: The Right Fit

They are ubiquitous, yet they have remained in the periphery for
a long time. But in the last few years they have been given their due across the
world. We are talking about IT peripherals-for long subjected to step-motherly
treatment by IT managers. But, not any more. Today most enterprise have, or are
planning to have a peripherals management strategy, more so due to escalating
costs in managing the plethora of peripheral devices-printers, scanners,
monitors-in the organization. Why is effective management of peripherals
devices vital for the enterprise? For one, the critical enabling roles these
peripherals devices play are indeed many. And the key is choosing the right
technologies that will help enterprises to effectively manage the devices, we
look at the various devices and how to choose the right technology appropriate
to the needs.

Monitors: The Big Picture

Over the years CRT monitors have been on top. But in recent times, LCD
technology is gathering momentum. According to experts, monitors, though default
peripherals devices come with PCs, but should be given due attention. Any
enterprise going in for a large deployment of desktops should ideally choose an
LCD monitor as it brings to table defined benefits in terms of power
consumption.

For labor-intensive industries like BPO, the employee base runs
into thousands where space is premium. Here, LCD becomes an ideal option. If we
look at the last two years, enterprises are going for LCD monitors in a big way,
and more industries and offices are opting for the same keeping in mind its
obvious benefits over CRT, such as minimal desk space, less power consumption,
no radiation, and better durability. Analysts say that the LCD market would
surge ahead driven by widespread awareness, acceptance and affordability of the
technology. Consumer markets should pick up due to aggressive promotions,
attractive exchange offers, and increasing awareness about utility. In the
enterprise segment, there should be huge replacements due to falling prices.

LCDs are seen as the next logical evolution in display devices,
and from a thing of luxury they have now become mainstream. If we look at the
enterprise monitor buying patterns, it favorably tilts toward LCD monitors,
given that they provide CIOs greater RoI in terms of power savings. The LCDs
uses Thin Film Transistor (TFT). The power consumed in the LCD is less because
it requires only a small power to energize the tiny transistors. The key
parameter one should look for before buying an LCD monitor is the presence of
dead pixels. Which will bring down the display quality.

Printers: Making Impact

In the recent times printers have become a key peripherals device. The two
dominant technologies here are the impact and non-impact printers. Impact
printers use the Dot Matrix technology. Vendors like TVSE, Epson, WeP and Lipi
have large mandates on the DMP technology.

Looking at its evolution, Digital Equipment Corporation launched
one of the first fully commercial DMPs called the LA 30 in the 70s. But the main
drawback was that it could print only 80-columns of uppercase and on a custom
specific paper size. In 1974, Digital launched the LA 36, which took the columns
up to 132. In the 1980s DMP was the only established print technology that found
its way into many enterprises. By the late 80s DMP technologies also started
maturing and from the initial 9-pin, the number of pins scaled up to 18 and 24.
Since the early 1990s the popularity of DMPs started thinning down in the West
as non-impact printers now started making inroads. The non-impact technologies
scored over impact on many counts like-ease of operation, noiseless printing,
speed and overall print quality. However, unique application scenarios continue
to drive the DMP market: needs like bill printing in point-of-sale terminals and
ATM machines and the likes.

When we look at the non-impact technology, the dots are
multi-colored and are able to produce quality images. A laser printer produces
far more superior image capabilities. While acquisition cost of the laser
printer is high, running costs are low. Over the years inkjets and lasers are
dominating the printer market. Now, over the last four years, multi functional
printers (MFD) are increasingly coming into the mainstream, providung
convergence capabilities. There are two types of MFDs-copier-based and
printer-based. While the copier-based uses the drum and toner technology, the
printer-based uses cartridges. If the printer requirements are huge, experts
advise it appropriate to go in for copier-based technology. For workgroup-based
printer needs, A4 MFD will be ideal.

In all, printers need to be selected depending upon the need and
requirement. For mass printing needs DMPs are an ideal fit that offer best cost
per printed output. These are most suited for printing bills, receipts, account
statements and reports. Inkjets are more polarized toward individual users and
their presence in corporate environments is less. Lasers are the most sought
after in the corporate set-up and offer the best fit for wide ranging enterprise
print demands. If the enterprise print needs are diverse, then MFDs are ideally
suited.

Scanners: Going Niche

Scanners, once the hot peripherals, are rapidly losing their sheen with the
advent of MFDs, but still have a market. However, while buying scanners
enterprises buyers have to look at certain key factors: There are two types of
scanners-Flatbed and Sheet-fed. The flatbed scanner is the most popular in the
big market capable of producing good quality images. In sheet-fed scanners,
unlike in the flatbed, the paper moves across the stationery head, hence it is
difficult to scan subjects like books and certain documents. Experts suggest
that if the enterprise has good scanning needs it must go for flatbed scanners.
Scanning today has become a niche application. For high-end professional needs
for verticals such as media, production scanners from vendors like Kodak offer
high speed suiting a wide range of scanning requirements.

Whether buying monitors or scanners, enterprises need to
understand their unique needs and select the right peripheral device.

Shrikanth G

shrikanthg@cybermedia.co.in