Serverless Printing LK-114

[jayg30]

Hello,

Does anyone here have info on this i-option? It is supposedly needed to allow serverless printing, which allows you to have up to 10 prints in a group and the "print release" ability so that you print a job and then release from any printer you want (via authentication).

I'm trying to get the cost of it from 2 KM resellers (KMBS being one of them). So far it seems like neither is all that familiar with it. They seem to be having issues even finding it listed as an option in their systems even though it is listed in their documentation, marketing material, website, etc. KMBS seems to want to sell me sentinel or something, which does more then what I'm looking for and no doubt will cost more.

Competitors have this function (mostly standard) like Sharp, Xerox, Canon, etc. So this has been a bit surprising to see the difficulty in getting an idea of the cost associated.

Thanks

[allan]

Re: Serverless Printing LK-114

Jip also tried to get some lesser used LK's and they are clueless.
Please let us know if you can get it and more so how it works!

[jayg30]

Re: Serverless Printing LK-114

So far what I've been told by a KMBS sales rep is that LK-114 is not available currently to the US, only the EU.
Mind you that this option has been around for a while actually (on older models) and is promoted on the US material.
For some reason I find it hard to believe what I'm being told. Not to mention, it is a license key to unlock a function it is already capable of. Geography isn't going to limit a license key.

I've done some of my own digging. I've read the KM manual on License Registration, for instance HERE.
I then happen to find the LMS site HERE where you can create a login or perform "license registration".
While I don't currently have a KM458/558/658, I do have a C353. So I stepped through the process a bit to see what I could find.

Enter MFP Serial #
1.jpg

Generate a Request Code on the MFP and enter it in the next screen.
2.jpg

Now this is what I found interesting.
3.jpg

First, I don't believe I have (or can provide) a Token Number. According to the definition it is;

Used to identify a contract that is set up to purchase a license for an advanced function. This is required to enable a target advanced function.

And on how to get a Token I find this info;

Purchase a required license kit.

• For details on the types of license kits, refer to Here.
  
• License registration requires a token certificate included in a license kit.
  
• For details on purchasing a license kit, contact your service representative.
  

So I'd need a service representative to purchase a "license kit", and I'm not sure if that is provided to the end user or the service representative holds that. I imagine this is what they are having an issue with because they can't "buy the license kit" in their system and therefore can't get a token.

However, all of the i-options are listed here, including LK-114. Now I don't know how much further I'd have to go beyond that point. However I imagine if you can indeed get the token you will be able to install the option on the machine.

If they are indeed blocking this functionality to only the EU, that is absolutely ridiculous. Second, what would be stopping someone from getting the option through an EU reseller and using it on a machine in the US? There are large companies that deal in multiple regions. It also wouldn't be unfathomable for a machine in the EU from being shipped elsewhere. I really wish I had a way to contact someone in KM (not KMBS) and get an explanation and/or file a complaint.

[jayg30]

Re: Serverless Printing LK-114

Well, I just heard back from the other KM group today. They contacted a DSM at Konica Minolta in Washington, DC.

They are saying the LK-114 was never officially launched which is why they have all the information on the option but no pricing in the system. At this point they do not have the option available to customers.

These are the models (that I'm aware of) that have the "Server-less Pull Printing" i-option publicly promoted on the KM websites, marketing material, and so on.

• bizhub C458/558/658
• bizhub C554e/C454e/C364e/C284e/C224e
• bizhub C754e/C654e
• bizhub C368/C308/C258
• bizhub C287/C227
• bizhub C3851FS/C3851/C3351
• bizhub 958/808/758
• bizhub 754e/654
• bizhub 558/458/368/308
• bizhub 554e/454e/364e/284e/224e
• bizhub 367/287/227

Some of these models, I believe, have been available to purchase for quite some time (I know at least 1 line was released in 2012!). Which makes it hard to believe that they will EVER make the feature available. To put even more of a point on this, it seems the issue is simply that they don't have the pricing/option to PURCHASE the i-option. All the admin software tools are downloadable and instructions are written.

I feel like this is actually a pretty big issue and I suspect might effect other i-option features as well. This feels a lot like deception and misleading customers. I'd be much more willing to forgive if they either came out and said "no, we aren't releasing this anymore and will remove it from all our material" or "we expect to release this option for purchase within the next X mo/yrs". Right now it seems like they do offer the option when they actually don't.

[REGSIS]

Re: Serverless Printing LK-114

Double post. Sorry

[REGSIS]

Re: Serverless Printing LK-114

So far what I've been told by a KMBS sales rep is that LK-114 is not available currently to the US, only the EU.

I'm an official sales and service partner of KM (EU region), and can't seem to find LK-114 i-option on any price list from last 3 years, and is NOT definetly on any brochure (tech spec) either on 4 series or 8 series.

In price lists there are 9 other LK options and most expensive one is around 250€.

Accordingly, I don't think it's available in EU either.

[jayg30]

Re: Serverless Printing LK-114

Thank you for the information and taking the time to look.

Just to be clear, KMBS told me (at least initially) they thought it was an EU option only.
The feature from what I have gathered came after a firmware update to the older models.

Here are some of the places you will find information related to this feature throughout various KM websites.

(US) C458/558/658 Security Overview: https://www.biz.konicaminolta.com/co..._security.html
(US) i-Options page: https://www.biz.konicaminolta.com/solutions/i_option/
(US) i-Options PDF (no 8 models yet): https://www.biz.konicaminolta.com/so...i-option_E.pdf
(US) LK-114 Utilities Download: https://www.biz.konicaminolta.com/do....html?pid=3228
(EU) User Manual (8 models): Using the Serverless Pull Printing Function
(EU) User Manual (4e models): http://manuals.konicaminolta.eu/bizhub-C554e-C454e-C364e-C284e-C224e/EN/contents/id09-_101509727.html

You will find from the various links above references to all the models I listed as "supporting" LK-114.

The only other logical explanation I can come up with is that this is a new feature they have developed (within the last few months) that was retroactively enabled on older models via a firmware update. And while the manuals and software downloads have been created, it hasn't been officially launched and made available for purchase. But that seems really strange to me and something SOMEONE should be able to provide an answer for within Konica Minolta.

[habik]

Re: Serverless Printing LK-114

Should be released in 2017. No closer date available...yet. Hope this helped.

[jayg30]

Re: Serverless Printing LK-114

Should be released in 2017. No closer date available...yet. Hope this helped.

Thanks, assume you have some inside knowledge . I followed up with someone a bit higher up the chain in KM. They supposedly had a few requests for info related to this matter recently. I basically got a corporate response of "it's a real thing and coming to the US market soon, but we can't confirm anything".

I haven't read through the whole documentation yet, but there is some concern that if the primary "controller MFP" for the print group is down, that there won't be any method of high availability, and also probably a lack of account tracking. I don't think either would be specific to KM though, other serverless printing options seem to have the same limitations. But those are two things you can work into a server based pull print setup (like papercut).

[dirtyfingers]

Re: Serverless Printing LK-114

We have the LK114 available for the Asia Pacific market.
But the price of the LK-114 is over $600 USD to the customer.
Therefore papercut is a much better (and cheaper ) in most cases.
Release notes say you can do up to 100 MFDs now (up from 10)
But I think that's wishful thinking!

There are about 11 different LKs now ... But very few used.
Mainly the web browser.

Hope that helps

[rrrohan]

Re: Serverless Printing LK-114

First and only time we ordered this from KM they were surprised someone was buying it lol.

Id get PaperCut. Will be slightly more expensive but for small price increase your getting a lot more value and features

[Coggers]

Re: Serverless Printing LK-114

First and only time we ordered this from KM they were surprised someone was buying it lol.

Id get PaperCut. Will be slightly more expensive but for small price increase your getting a lot more value and features

we have sold a lot of the lk114 kits and find them amazing
everything is kept within the host network and very simple to set up and run
whoever invented it did a great job