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Frequently
Asked Questions:
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Q: What are copier
control devices and why would I use one?
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A: Copier control devices restrict copier access by requiring either keyboard entered data, coins or a credit card to gain access to the photocopy system. Once the control device has received the appropriate data it will unlock the copier and allow for copy production. The number of copies made will be counted by the device and the account, client, job, user etc., will be charged for the impressions.Companies use these devices because they can reduce waste, increase profits and extend the life of a copier by reducing volumes.
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Q: How much money can I save by using a copier control device?
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A: Most copier control devices pay for themselves in less than six months. There are few, if any systems that a company could install that would achieve such dramatic results. With paper costs increasing 200% over the past ten years and toner costs skyrocketing – many companies are looking for methods that can help reduce these costs. Copier control devices can turn a cost center into a profit center.
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Q: What type of copier control devices are available on the market?
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Magnetic carding system can be used in both a credit or cash mode. When a user wants to make copies they simply place their card into a device. This device reads the card and either allows or denies access to the copier. If access is granted, copies can be made. The total number of copies or cost of the job can be either charged to an existing account (credit mode) or charged to the card like a debit card (cash mode).
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Smart cards operate in much the same way a magnetic card does, however, they can store substantial amounts of data and provide a higher level of security. The data that can be stored on these cards is typically frequency type data indicating the number of times a cardholder has visited a certain store, machine or location. Money can be loaded onto a smart card and spent for copies or other purchases.
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Coin operated copier control devices have been around for several years. When a coin is placed into the coin slot, the coin is verified and the copier is unlocked. A charge is made for each copy produced. Many users of coin operated copiers are moving away from such devices because of the increased potential of thieft. Due to the number of moving parts in a coin operated unit, reliability is also an issue.
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Keyboard entry devices require the entry of data to gain access to the copier. This data can be alpha, alphanumeric or numeric. The entered data is typically checked against a database. If the entry is valid, access is granted and the total number of copies made are charged to the appropriate account. Extensive reports and downloading capabilities are available with these systems. In addition, a substantial number of unique features can also be utilized. |
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Touch screen copier control devices are the "state of the art" in this industry. They provide superior features and functionality at a lower price point than any keyboard type system available. Our SoftTouch product line includes a networkable copier control system know as CopyTouch. CopyTouch includes e-mail, internet access, copier service paging, intranet and incredible color graphics with a virtual keyboard. The beauty of the virtual keyboard is that it is sealed in a ruggedized case, which prevents damage from liquid spills or particulate fallout. The touchscreen also provides great longevity compared to the depressible keys on the keyboard type devices. Our SoftTouch System carries a five year warranty. If a liquid is spilt on a copier control unit with depressible keys, the result could be a costly repair. With a sealed touch screen, such a spill would result in no system damage.
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Q: Why are touchscreen type devices becoming so popular?
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A: Touchscreen products are very reliable. They can work under extreme conditions and are sealed to protect them from liquid spills and particulate fallout. A C.C.S., touchscreen is warranted for 35 million contacts per pixel. By comparison, terminals with keys that depress can be destroyed by a liquid spill and damaged by toner fallout.
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Q: Will a C.C.S. touchscreen device work on all types of photocopiers and facsimile
machines?
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A: Yes. Our devices will work with all popular model photocopiers and facsimile machines as well as digital copiers. This means that all your copier and fax equipment can be accessed in the same manner using a uniform device.
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Q: Our company is going digital. Can these devices work on our network.
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A: Yes. Our touchscreens can reside on your NT or Novell network. Because the touchscreen is actually a computer with a network card, it will be a node on your network. In fact, we support TCP/IP and IPX protocol.
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Q: What does it cost to install a control device on a copier?
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A: This depends on what features the control device will be expected to provide. We provide coin operated systems, magnetic card systems, smart card systems, keyboard systems and touchscreen systems. A C.C.S. representative can assess your needs and provide a detailed proposal once your needs have been identified.
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Q: What is the Y2K challenge and how did it happen?
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A: The problem stems from how computers manipulate dates. For years the standard in computer programming has been to store the "year" in a date format as two-digits. For example, December 10, 1997 is stored as 12/10/97. The problem that is created by storing the year in a two-digit format is that software functions such as report generation, data exporting and costing that requires a date range will fail when calculating a date range across the year 2000.
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Q: We have a Danyl System. Is it Y2K compliant.
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A: Danyl Systems do not calculate date ranges across years. For this reason you cannot run a report from 12/1/99 thru 1/21/20. As a result, Danyl Systems that are not exporting data to other systems have no issues with Y2K compliance.
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Q: Are C.C.S. CopyTouch and FaxTouch products Y2K compliant.
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A: Yes. These products are designed for Windows 95&98 and run NT, they are fully Y2K compliant.
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