22 January 2012 – Epson has announced the UAE launch of the MG-850HD, the first HD-Ready 3LCD home cinema projector featuring an iPod docking station[1], leveraging the company’s experience as global leader in the projector market[2]. Users don’t need to download apps or clip on attachments, they simply connect their iPod, iPhone or iPad[3] to the docking station.

The MG-850HD, which comes with inbuilt 10W stereo speakers, is able to play music, videos and photos, as well as TV programmes and feature-length films previously downloaded from iTunes, on a large, cinematic scale that can reach up to 300 inches. Its versatile connectivity also means that content can be viewed from traditional Blu-ray, DVD, PC, TV and gaming sources.

Harnessing Epson’s latest technologies, the projector delivers equally high White and Colour Light Output of 2,800 lumens and a high contrast ratio of 3,000:1, ensuring high quality images are projected, even in daylight. Epson’s 3LCD technology ensures that images are clear, bright and easy on the eyes.

Moreover, the plug and play functionality allows users to set up and use the projector quickly and easily. Whatever the angle of the actual projector, users can easily align the projection to ensure a straight and correct image with its user-friendly horizontal keystone slider.

Khalil El-Dalu, General Manager, Epson Middle East, said, “Epson continues to stretch the boundaries of innovation as is clearly evident with the MG-850HD. The user-friendly menu, for example, has been designed to help viewers navigate with ease, while a unique remote control design features a stylish button layout and backlight for ease of use while watching content in the dark.”

21 November 2011 – Epson has announced the appointment of Feras Al Sweilam as the new Business Sales Manager for Epson Middle East. Al Sweilam, who rejoins the company after starting his career with Epson 10 years ago, previously worked at the Canadian Foreign Affairs and International Trade since 2008 as a Trade Commissioner within the diplomatic corps in the UAE. In his new role, Al Sweilam will have an opportunity to fully utilize his expertise in sales management, negotiating and building relationships as he leads Epson Middle East’s sales team and oversees the company’s sales projects in the region.

Commenting on the appointment, Khalil El-Dalu, General Manager, Epson Middle East, said: “Feras Al Sweilam’s extensive experience in business development and sales management will play a pivotal role in further strengthening Epson’s sales initiatives in the region. His appointment adds muscle to our Middle East sales team, which is crucially important as we are aiming to capitalize on exciting sales prospects that have emerged. Epson is very pleased to welcome Mr. Sweilam back to our fold and we are confident that he will help us achieve our sales target in the region.”

Feras Al Sweilam said: “I am deeply grateful for the trust and confidence that Epson has given to me. This is indeed a great opportunity to lead Epson Middle East’s sales team and to help the company further strengthen its status as one of the best-selling technology brands in the region.”

Al Sweilam holds a degree in information systems and post graduate studies in international business. He has worked with clients in telecommunication and IT, life science, biomedical and ocean technologies sectors. Al Sweilam has built a solid track record in business development and sales management with some of the top global companies such as RIM, Nortel, Bell Canada, Etisalat, Du and Dubai Airports among others.

Choice, performance, economy and ecology sum up new range

October 31, 2011

Epson has announced the Middle East launch of its new range of single and multi-function printers specifically designed to offer high quality output, durability and cost and energy efficiency to small and medium-sized businesses. The WorkForce Pro WP-4000 Series of single-function printers and the WorkForce Pro WP-4500 Series of multi-function printers that have been launched in line with Epson’s new ‘Engineered for Business’ strategy offer laser-like looks and performance, combined with great reliability and significantly low cost per page.

These high-speed inkjet printers offer a genuine alternative to laser products and provide further cost savings due to a super-fast automatic double-sided printing function, reducing paper usage. Businesses benefit from lower ink costs with a choice of high-yield cartridges of up to 3,400 pages, and a print resolution of 4800×1200dpi that ensures clearer text and sharper images.

Khalil El-Dalu, General Manager, Epson Middle East, said, “The WorkForce Pro line-up is a highly competitive business range that perfectly complements Epson’s Engineered for Business strategy, which is based on choice, performance, economy and ecology. Businesses in the Middle East and elsewhere need high-quality, reliable, functional, high-performance and cost-effective products, which is exactly what the WorkForce Pro series offers.”

October 2, 2011

Epson has revealed that its 2011 GITEX Technology Week Dubai product showcase will be marked by its latest range of 3D projectors, business inkjets and label makers. Epson will occupy stand D4-10 at hall 4 at the upcoming edition of GITEX taking place from October 9 – 13 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.  

Epson’s high-definition 3D projectors on display at GITEX 2011 include the EH-TW6000 and EH-TW6000W. These projectors – which produce the brightest 3D images available on the market  - offer easy-to-use features, including Full HD wireless connectivity, ensuring any film enthusiast, gamer or sports fan will be able to enjoy a powerful 3D experience in the comfort of their own home as well as high quality 2D images. Thanks to Epson’s 3LCD technology, high quality images are projected and images are clear, bright and easy on the eyes. 
 
The WorkForce Pro business inkjet range set for showcase at GITEX this year complements Epson’s new ‘Engineered for Business’ strategy. The WorkForce Pro WP-4000 Series of single-function printers and the WorkForce Pro WP-4500 Series of multi-function printers offer laser-like looks and performance, combined with great reliability and up to 50 percent lower cost per page than competitive lasers . These high-speed inkjet printers offer a genuine alternative to laser products and provide further cost savings due to a super-fast automatic double-sided printing function, reducing paper usage. Businesses benefit from lower ink costs with a choice of high-yield cartridges of up to 3,400 pages, while a print resolution of 4800×1200dpi - much higher than comparative lasers for clearer text and sharper images.  

Khalil El-Dalu, General Manager, Epson Middle East, said, “For the past several years, GITEX Dubai has served as an ideal platform for Epson to launch and showcase our new products targeted at the region’s business sector and consumers. Epson has recently launched its ‘Engineered for Business’ strategy, and accordingly the business sector will be a major focus for us at this edition of GITEX. Moreover, visitors to our stand will get a better understanding of our continuous commitment to innovate and exceed customer expectations.”

Other products that will be on display at the Epson stand include the EB-1800, an affordable and compact projector designed to deliver high-quality presentations quickly and easily; PP-50 Discproducer, an affordable model aimed at users publishing up to 400 discs per month; and the EB-D6250, EB-455Wi, EB-W12, and EH-MG850HD projectors.  

GITEX is the leading international IT trade event for enterprise and SMBs in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia and provides visitors with the opportunity to explore an innovative range of business solutions and pioneering technologies. This year’s show will allow business leaders and technology executives to experience Epson’s broad range of cutting-edge printers, projectors and other products for key sectors. 

Company commends stringent measures taken by UAE Government to curb counterfeiting 

September 19, 2011

Ahmad Qasem - Channel Sales Manager

According to Epson Middle East, nearly 75 per cent of consumers in the UAE use only original printing ink cartridges, making the UAE the country with the lowest level of counterfeit ink use in the region. Epson attributes the stringent laws passed by the UAE Government against the sale of counterfeit products as the fundamental reason for the higher adoption of original ink in the country.

Ahmad Qasem, Channel Sales Manager, Epson Middle East, said, “The GCC market in general has a low level of usage of counterfeit inks compared to countries like Egypt, Iran and some other global markets. The UAE market in particular has been exemplary with regard to the use of original ink, which reflects the government’s strong commitment to eliminate counterfeiting.”

“Nevertheless there is a continuous need to educate end-users and resellers about the hazards of using counterfeit ink, and also about ways to distinguish between original and counterfeit ink cartridges,” added Qasem.

Epson points out that the risks and consequences of using counterfeit ink can range from sub-standard and illegible prints; reduced page yield; damage to printer; and invalidation of warranty to leaking cartridges; increased long-term costs; paper wastage; and environmental pollution.

“Our advice to end-users will be to not think of short-terms gains and always opt for genuine ink cartridges. We recommend Epson customers to buy inks from an authorized Epson reseller only as far as possible, and also to look for the watermark on the ink package to make sure the product is genuine,” added Qasem.

“If the print quality is inconsistent, if the cartridges are delivered in poor quality packaging, if the number of printouts from the cartridge is very low, or the print cartridge fails, this could mean that the product is not original,” pointed out Qasem.

TM-H6000IV brings down power and paper consumption

September 5, 2011

Khalil El-Dalu

Epson has announced that it has further strengthened its POS range in the Middle East with the launch of the TM-H6000IV, which combines greyscale receipt printing, slip printing and cheque processing in one compact device with a low total cost of ownership (TCO). Building on the success of the TM-H6000III, the TM-H6000IV features improved power efficiency and reduced paper usage to help retailers lower their overheads. It’s designed to keep administrators satisfied too, with a new remote management feature, easy installation and two interfaces onboard.

Retailers can shrink their paper usage by up to 31 per cent with the TM-H6000IV’s paper save feature. Instead of squeezing logos and text, which causes distortion and can compromise legibility, the paper save feature automatically reduces blank spaces and barcode height. It also prints the top of the next receipt before cutting the current one to decrease the top margin.

Further reducing TCO, the TM-H6000IV lowers utility overheads with its ENERGY STAR-qualified power efficiency .

Khalil El-Dalu, General Manager, Epson Middle East, said: “There is a growing need for more powerful POS capabilities in the Middle East as business enterprises in the region seek to capitalise on the latest technological advances to enhance business performance. Epson has developed and introduced the TM-H6000IV to address this emerging demand. Among its new features, the TM-H6000IV offers a new remote management functionality that saves time and helps simplify network management.”

Integration is just as simple, thanks to the TM-H6000IV’s wide interface compatibility. With USB included as standard in addition to the changeable second interface, retailers have the freedom to switch to a USB environment at any time.

Epson is the only POS printer manufacturer  to offer true greyscale receipt printing, and can help retailers make a good impression on customers with high-quality receipts. The TM-H6000IV delivers eye-catching greyscale logos and graphics, ideal for reinforcing branding or communicating special offers more effectively.

Every transaction is fast and fuss-free with the TM-H6000IV’s improved print speeds of up to 300mm/sec for receipts and 5.7 lines per second for slips. To ensure customers are not frustrated by cheque processing failures, the optional MICR reader has an accuracy rate of over 99 percent.

Straightforward to use, even for inexperienced operators, the TM-H6000IV has a large paper slot to allow trouble-free insertion of slips and cheques. Changing consumables is a safe, one-handed job, with no sharp edges or exposed parts.

The TM-H6000IV has a small footprint (186 x 278 x 181mm) to fit easily into most environments, including counters with limited space. Other key features of the TM-H6000IV are fast thermal receipt printer with dot matrix printer for slips and cheques, ribbon lasts up to 3 million characters, and optional endorsement printing at up to 4.0 lines per second.

Epson ELPCB01 offers easy-to-access functions with convenient Control and Connection Box

August 8, 2011

Khalil El-Dalu

Epson, the global market leader in projectors, has announced the Middle East launch of the ELPCB01 Control and Connection Box, which has been developed in response to a growing demand for easy-to-use teaching equipment. This straightforward, wall-mounted box puts Epson projector controls within easy reach at the front of the classroom, while keeping cables tidy.

Using the ELPCB01, teachers can switch between signal sources, such as laptops or DVD players, at the touch of a button. This saves valuable teaching time by removing the need to fiddle with ceiling-mounted inputs or remote controls.

Improving the look of classrooms and minimising trip hazards, the ELPCB01 keeps cables tidy with the included cover. It also boosts the USB signal so that USB cables can be extended by up to 10 metres, giving teachers more freedom of placement. The ELPCB01 also works with all Epson education projectors as well as the Epson ELP-DC06 USB visualiser.

Khalil El-Dalu, General Manager, Epson Middle East, said: “Epson is very pleased to introduce a new projector that has been developed with the classroom setting in mind. The ELPCB01 enhances the learning experience and empowers teachers to develop more innovative and creative classroom presentations without being burdened by technicalities. The ELPCB01 certainly unlocks exciting possibilities in the delivery of education, especially in light of the growing investment in education technology among governments and private sector organisations in the Middle East.”

In addition to being easy to use, the ELPCB01 is simple to install. It is fixed in place with just four screws, plus its inputs and buttons are identical to those on all Epson education projectors for easy recognition.

Schools can create a total audio-visual solution by connecting the two optional Epson 15W active speakers, which have an internal amplifier to ensure powerful sound.

A3+ high-gloss photo printer uses 50 per cent larger ink cartridges for fewer cartridge changes

July 26, 2011

Responding to customer demand for higher-capacity ink cartridges to improve user convenience, Epson has developed the Stylus Photo R2000 with 17ml ink cartridges. The new A3+, 8-colour photo printer, which has been launched in the Middle East, delivers high-quality photographic prints using Epson UltraChrome Hi-Gloss2 pigment ink, with the advantage of 50 percent higher capacity cartridges compared to previous models in its class. This allows larger print jobs to be completed with fewer ink changes.

Epson has also answered customer calls for wireless connectivity, making the R2000 one of the only printers in its category to feature Wi-Fi. Combined with USB and Ethernet connectivity, Wi-Fi enables the R2000 to fit easily into any studio or home environment. Users can print remotely from iPhones® or iPads® using the Epson iPrint app.

Khalil El Dalu, General Manager, Epson Middle East, said: “Based on the feedback Epson received from its customers, the company has not only added Wi-Fi and larger ink cartridges but has also ensured users get high-quality results, every time, which will be well appreciated by Middle East users. The printhead delivers a variable droplet size down to 1.5pl, resulting in high precision and smooth gradations. It also has an ink mixing function to prevent ink settling in the cartridges, making colour reproduction as accurate as possible.”

Thanks to Epson UltraChrome HiGloss2 Ink, users can achieve an ultra-glossy finish for photos, yet enjoy all the benefits of a pigment ink – including durable, long-lasting prints and the flexibility to work with a wide range of media. In addition to supporting fine art, glossy and matte media, both in cut-sheet and roll-paper formats, the R2000 also prints directly onto CDs/DVDs and thick media such as poster board.

July 18, 2011

Khalil El-Dalu

Epson answers the Middle East demand for a quiet, energy-efficient passbook printer by announcing the regional launch of PLQ-22/22M. Building on the success of the PLQ-20/20M, the PLQ-22/22M further reduces power consumption and noise levels to offer banks, post offices and government institutions a very quiet printer with a low total cost of ownership.

Customers and staff alike will appreciate the PLQ-22/22M’s unobtrusive noise levels, which are as low as 51dBA. It’s efficient, too – the print speed enhancer enables fast printing of bit image data under Windows® environments to help cut queues, while the high-accuracy MICR/MSRW head (M version) makes handling cheques and passbooks a smooth, trouble-free process.

Khalil El-Dalu, General Manager, Epson Middle East, said: “Financial and government institutions in the region can achieve substantial savings with the PLQ-22/22M. It is qualified by ENERGY STAR® and has a very low standby power consumption of 4.5W. Moreover, to further reduce the total cost of ownership, it can print around 10 million characters in draft mode before the ribbon needs replacing.”

The PLQ-22/22M offers excellent passbook handling and data processing flexibility, thanks to its 128kb memory and capacity for passbooks up to 2.6mm thick.

Simple to install, the PLQ-22/22M features a choice of emulations plus parallel, serial and USB interfaces as standard for an easy fit into most IT environments. 

Dust-proof projectors that give high-quality results in all situations ideally suited for Middle East markets 

July 5, 2011

Responding to the needs of organisations in dusty and sandy locations, Epson has developed a projector exhaust shutter system for trouble-free presenting. Featured in Epson’s EB-D6155W and EB-D6250 projectors that have been recently launched in the Middle East, the shutter automatically closes when the projector is not in use, preventing dust and sand from entering and causing damage. The projectors’ optical engine is encased in glass to offer further protection against the atmosphere, delivering high-quality projection that is fully dust-proof.

Khalil El-Dalu, General Manager, Epson Middle East, said, “The EB-D6155W and EB-D6250’s robust design enables them to withstand extreme conditions with minimal maintenance, offering a low total cost of ownership for users such as factories, clubs, arenas, museums and schools. The Middle East region in particular, which is prone to sand storms, will significantly benefit with the introduction of this projector range.”  

Quality has not been compromised, with the projectors using 3LCD technology to deliver superb image clarity and accurate colour reproduction.  Both feature a high-performance 5W integrated speaker and an HDMI input for top-quality digital images and sound through a single cable.

Easy to install and use, the projectors offer automatic vertical keystone correction, optional wireless connectivity and remote network control. The electrostatic filter of the projectors lasts up to 10,000 hours, while the easy-access E-TORL lamp gives up to 4,000 hours of light.