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CSR Activities
About Konica Minolta
Together with Customers
Providing Useful Products to Meet Social Needs
- Concept for the use of universal design
- Example 1 : Initiatives for the MFP bizhub Series
- Example 2: CUD Certification Obtained for Color-measuring Instruments
- Document Security Solutions
- Ensuring the Reliability of Security Features
- Biometric Security Solutions
Universal Design
Pursuing product creation that includes accessibility and usability
Concept for the use of universal design
Konica Minolta creates products based on the concept of universal design. This involves accessibility, so that anyone regardless of age, gender, stature, or disability can use a product with practically the same degree of ease. It also involves usability, which means making a product as comfortable to use as possible. Universal design is particularly important for products like MFPs, which are often shared by many people working in an office. In light of this, Konica Minolta has prepared its own Universal Design Guidelines based on detailed proprietary standards, and is designing products according to these guidelines. The company also tests the products' usability by having people in wheelchairs and senior citizens use products and provide feedback. The company also conducts verification under various potential usage conditions. Konica Minolta aims to realize products where universal design is not an option but a standard specification, based on the belief that this kind of design is simply common sense and should be available to everyone.
Introduction of Color Universal Design
There is variation in the way individuals perceive colors, and many people find it difficult to see certain hues. Therefore, color universal design seeks to ensure that information is properly conveyed to all people regardless of their color perception. Starting with the color MFP bizhub C650/C550, launched in 2007, Konica Minolta has employed this concept when designing the colors of indicator lights and the colors and shapes of operation buttons. The bizhub C650/C550 has received the color universal design (CUD) certification mark from the non-profit Color Universal Design Organization (CUDO). Konica Minolta actively obtains the same certification with new MFP products.
Example 1 : Initiatives for the MFP bizhub Series
Operation panel that can be tilted easily for greater operability
LCD touch panel that enables users to magnify the display by one-touch operation
Start button and data light employing a blue LED that is easy to distinguish
Paper outlet colored gray to make white paper stand out, and with grooves to enable users to pick up paper with greater ease
"Free-grip" that can be grasped from above and below
Example 2: CUD Certification Obtained for Color-measuring Instruments
CUD certification*1 was obtained for the first time in the field of color-measuring instruments for the CM-5 spectrophotometer*2 and the CR-5 colorimeter*3 introduced in December 2009 by Konica Minolta Sensing, Inc.
Both products ensure that coloration on all screens and in the design of operation panel switches is easy to discern for users of all color perception types. They also ensure ease of operation for diverse users by employing variations in shape, line type and tone differentiation pattern, and display color descriptors such as “vivid” and “dull” to help users better envision the color scheme.
These new products have made it possible to perform measurements at an array of development and production sites—such as for foodstuffs, medical supplies and cosmetics—which require careful color management or analysis, without being limited by individual differences in color perception.
- *1
- CUD certification: Certification by the NPO organization Color Universal Design Organization (CUDO)
- *2
- Spectrophotometer: Instruments that measure color at high precision levels by means of multiple sensors for each wavelength
- *3
- Colorimeter: Instruments that quickly measure color via red, green, and blue sensors using a function similar to that of the human eye
Security Functions for MFPs
Offering document security management as a standard feature
Document Security Solutions
In recent years, there have been growing problems relating to information security, including computer hacking, viruses, and information leaks. Even for MFPs, which are evolving into network information stations, the need for document security is greater than ever before. In response to these social needs, Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc. has developed various security solutions for its products. In order to give customers a strong sense of security, the following are all standard features in MFPs.
User Authentication
This function can restrict access on individual users.
Department Management
In conjunction with user authentication, this function enables sophisticated user access and cost control.
Network Security
The network security system supports the following functions: IP filtering to prevent unauthorized access from unknown computers or devices, IPsec to prevent the eavesdropping of network data, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), and, in the latest models, IEEE802.1X.
Memory Erase
This function can completely erase document information from the hard drive after printing and before disposing a hard drive.
Box Security
In addition to the user authentication and department management functions, customer document information can be protected using a box password or confidential document password.
PDF Encryption
This function enables PDF documents to be created, encrypted, and sent out via email. Information saved on the hard drive can also be encrypted.
Ensuring the Reliability of Security Features
Konica Minolta Business Technologies began to obtain ISO 15408 certification for its MFPs early on. This certification is the international standard for ensuring the reliability of security features. Since the launch of the color MFP bizhub 7145 in December 2002, almost every subsequent model has obtained the certification.
Biometric Security Solutions
AU-102 Biometric Authentication Unit
Reliable and quick security management using finger vein authentication
The AU-101/AU-102 Biometric Authentication Unit is included as an option in Konica Minolta MFPs and printers. This biometric finger vein reader allows highly secure, simple, and immediate user access. When combined with the standard features of user ID and password authentication, this function realizes even more sophisticated security management. The Biometric Authentication Unit can authenticate users simply by scanning a finger. As users are identified by vein pattern, an individual characteristic that is difficult to forge, user access management can be extremely reliable. Furthermore, since printer output can be initiated by placing a finger on the authentication pad, unauthorized people are prevented from seeing or accidentally taking confidential printouts.
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