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CANON @ DEAKIN
TRAINING STAFF
THE BEST TEST
With a staff of 110, the Information Technology Services Division of Melbourne based Deakin University is tasked with the
implementation and upkeep of the University's voice & data network on all of its six campuses. This translates to approximately 4,500 voice extensions, 3000 data connections, 1,200 computers in 53 laboratories as well as 35 IBM, 20 Sun and some Windows 2000-based servers.
In addition to this, the division also runs an
internal program where IT equipment is evaluated for the suitability of its use throughout university departments, with the purchase of approved equipment being made available to those
departments through the university Intranet environment.
"Our scheme is provided on behalf of the whole university whereby we select the models which we think fit
appropriate bands. So if someone was planning to purchase a laser printer for use by a very small workgroup of one to five users, we recommend the appropriate model through the Intranet," explains Craig Warren, Desktop & Network Services Manager at Deakin University.
"So we recommend a broad range of models to our departments from two key vendors, one of which being Canon.
Within my own department, for example, we have a Canon iR3300, but there are also many other Canon iR C2105s,
iR3300s, iR5000s, iR2200s and iR6000 devices out in there in departments covering a wide variety of printing needs," said Mr Warren.
CANON @ DEAKIN
Within the past six months, Canon has placed 17 multifunctional devices (MFDs)into Deakin University, including 10 iR3300s - a device capable of printing, network scanning, faxing Šing with an output speed of 33 (A4)pages per minute.In nearly every case, these devices have replaced units from competing printer vendors.
"We selected the whole imageRUNNER range to be available to the University. We put all our printers through a strict
evaluation process and all of the imageRUNNERs have passed through it, so we can quite happily offer them to our departments," said Mr Warren. Staff within the Information Technology Services Division have been very happy with their own iR3300, making the decision to allow it into other
departments even easier.
"The unit we replaced in our own department was a
sizeable multifunction device around 30ppm which
we had constant difficulty with,and as a result we
constantly had the vendor's servicing department here to repair it. In contrast, the implementation of Canon's iR3300 has been a dream. It's been installed here for some time and turning out 10,000 pages per month without a single service call on it."
"A number of people across the University have made comments about being so much happier with the iR3300
because it's always available. They say it's a very capable unit with a nice, easy to use driver so the people find it easy
to utilise the features of the unit.In the past we often had to conduct an education campaign to advise people the unit was capable of A3 or duplex, but those features have just been utilised from the start on the iR3300," said Mr Warren.
TRAINING STAFF
With regard to training Deakin University staff in the use of Canon printers, Mr Warren explained that they have chosen to train "champion staff ".
"Those champion staff can educate people about a printer's benefits within their own departments. The way a university tends to work is that most departments have an IT champion and,quite often, rather than call in external help, people will turn to that designated IT expert. We call them DUITEs (Deakin University IT Expert)," said Mr Warren.
Return On Investment (ROI)is one of the key criteria examined by the Information Technology Services Division and,in the case of its own iR3300, Mr Warren said that the unit will achieve this within three years.
"We had a reduction in costs with the implementation of the iR3300 of around 30 per cent per page.In light of this, we 'll have a ROI within three years which is what we 've factored as the lifetime of the machine."
"Not that the printer will be finished after three years work. Under the Deakin University Printer Scheme (DUPS),we allow departments to do different sorts of leases as well as purchase equipment outright. This is because some units at the end of three years are still in perfectly good working order and with an extended maintenance agreement can perhaps be utlised for five years.So under the DUPS we don't force the university into a three year position on printers although our ROI calculations are based on 3 years."
Kevin Ferrari, National Product Manager of Office Imaging Solutions,Canon Australia,said Canon was proud to be one of Deakin University's two imaging vendors of choice.
"The decision by Deakin University to offer Canon equipment as one of its two preferred imaging vendors is a great honour and a definite pointer to the affordability and reliability of our imageRUNNER network imaging solutions," said Mr Ferrari.
THE BEST TEST
Ultimately,the best test for Canon equipment in the university environment sometimes comes from those you'd least expect, according to Mr Warren.
"Even though we offer the ranges from two vendors,we still get the odd department ordering something unusual. Our supply department stops those orders and refers them through to us. We then approach the department to let them know that the university is standard on our two vendors,which includes Canon."
"Now, many staff in the university are rational; some are not. As soon as they're confronted with what they see as an obligation from the institution,they want to try and buck that.That always creates some interesting situations and they usually spend a month trying to find a fault with those devices.So the fact that the Canon devices sail through those situations is a clear testament to the devices."
"This university prides itself on having long term relationships with its suppliers.We've had more than 10 years with Sun Microsystems and Dimension Data, and I suspect this is the start of a more than 10 years relationship with Canon," concluded Mr Warren.
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