Konica Minolta Donates Systems, Software to Cal Poly

Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. has donated bizhub printing systems and multi-channel marketing software to California Polytechnic State University (CalPoly), to benefit the institution’s graphics communications program.

“We are elated to have this state-of-the-art Konica Minolta technology at our fingertips," says Ken Macro, Ph.D., professor and chairman of the Graphic Communication Department. "Our students have been using the bizhub exclusively from design and publication output, variable data publishing experimentation, and for test sheet color comparisons between other competitive machines and sheetfed lithography. It is remarkable output and we are glad to have Konica Minolta as an educational access provider to our technologists of the future.”

The donated products include:

• Konica Minolta bizhub C1100 PRESS – It boasts a print speed of up to 100 impressions per minute (or 6,000 per hour), a 13,890-sheet maximum paper capacity for long runs and a wide array of inline finishing options.
• Konica Minolta bizhub C754e – One of the company’s first multifunctional products to feature the INFO-palette design, a big, bright 9˝ color touch screen with enhanced resolution for previewing color documents before they are printed.
• FD-5BT Spectrodensitometer – This instrument enables color evaluation while taking into consideration the fluorescence of the paper under Illuminant D50, the standard light source used by the printing industry for color evaluation. It’s the world’s first instrument to provide industry-standard spectral measurements critical for producing high-quality graphic arts images.
• EngageIT XMedia – SK&G, a Konica Minolta strategic partner, is the developer of this cloud-based software for simplifying data management, segmentation, creative design and deployment of multi-channel marketing campaigns.

“This donation will enable CalPoly students to experience our innovative products and services that are currently shaping the industry and prepare them to be leaders in the world of graphics communications,” says Kevin Kern, senior vice president, Marketing, Konica Minolta Business Solutions, U.S.A.

The Graphic Communication Department at Cal Poly is one of the best known and largest programs of its kind in the Western U.S. The department is home to more than 33,000 square feet of laboratories filled with cutting-edge equipment donated in large part through industry partnerships. The department serves approximately 300 undergraduate students pursuing a degree in graphic communication.