Sharp Wins BLI'S 2009 MFP "Line of the Year" Award

MAHWAH, NJ--(Marketwire - December 7, 2009) - Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America (SIICA), a division of Sharp Electronics Corporation, today announced that it has received the 2009 "Line of the Year" Award from Buyers Laboratory, Inc. (BLI), the leading global provider of information and testing services to the digital imaging industry. BLI's "Line of the Year" is awarded once a year to the vendor whose product line is determined to be the best overall based on its cumulative test results in BLI's rigorous two-month laboratory evaluation. Among the many factors considered are reliability, image quality, productivity, ease of use, scanning, a host of connectivity attributes and overall value. Also considered is the breadth of each vendor's line.

"We are honored to once again receive this award. We believe it to be the result of our continued focus on where the market is heading, not just where it is today," said Mike Marusic, vice president of marketing and service, Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America. "In doing so we work closely with end users to understand their needs and where their business is moving, and then design products that will help them work more efficiently and ultimately improve their bottom line. The result is our award winning line of MFPs -- from A4 to production class -- that are customizable, easy to operate, secure and reliable."

Last year Sharp became the first of the traditional copier vendors to launch workgroup-level A4/letter MFPs that, like copiers, feature separate drums, developer and toner. These are the BLI highly recommended MX/DX-B401 and MX/DX-C401, along with the MX/DX-C311, which received a BLI "Pick" Award earlier this year.

This award acknowledges that Sharp offers A4 products that meet the differing service requirements of various customers alongside A3 models that offer a host of innovative features, including the industry-first standard retractable QWERTY keyboard, and the third generation of Sharp OSA technology™.

In total this year Sharp's A3 MFPs have earned eight "Picks," covering the entire spectrum of color and monochrome. Sharps current A3 product line offers a total of 17 "Pick of the Year Award" winners, more than any other copier vendor. "Pick" awards recognize the outstanding combination of high reliability and above average ratings for all aspects of connectivity, including feedback to workstations, administrative utilities, and print drivers. Sharp products also score very well for ease-of-use, with a high-resolution color touch-screen display that is customizable to allow commonly used features to be placed on the main screen for each function.

"While all of the dynamics driving change may not be clear, what is clear is that dealers must expand their business model beyond focusing exclusively on selling higher-priced ledge/A3 hardware," said BLI Managing Editor Daria Hoffman. "With A4 MFPs that are just as robust as traditional A3 MFPs in this important segment, Sharp has a leg up on its competitors."

The "Line of the Year" Award also recognizes the exceptional scanning capabilities of Sharp A3 devices, including the ImageSEND function; Sharpdesk, "a favorite among BLI technicians"; and dual-head scanning, which leads to less wear and tear, less chance for misfeeds and quicker scan speeds. BLI goes on to mention that Sharp devices "set the benchmark for programming LDAP destinations."

For more information about the complete line of Sharp document solution products, contact Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America, Sharp Plaza, Mahwah, N.J. 07495-1163, or call 800-BE-SHARP. For online product information, visit Sharp's Web site at sharpusa.com or sharpusa.com/documents.

About Buyers Laboratory

Since 1961, Buyers Lab has been the leading independent office-equipment testing lab and business consumer advocate. In addition to publishing the industry's most comprehensive and accurate test reports on office document imaging devices, each representing months of exhaustive hands-on testing in BLI's US and UK laboratories, the company has been the leading source for extensive databases of specifications and pricing on copiers, printers, fax machines and multifunctional products. The company's databases cover over 10,000 products and have a long-standing reputation for being the industry's most trustworthy and complete source for global competitive intelligence. They are available to BLI subscribers online via the company's bliQ competitive information service. This encyclopedic resource also provides quick and easy access to BLI's First Look Reports, Field Test Reports, Lab Test Reports, Solutions Reports, and BLI-produced articles.

In addition to the testing of office equipment for its subscribers, Buyers Lab provides consulting services to buyers and a vast array of confidential for-hire private testing services that include document imaging device beta and pre-launch testing, performance certification testing, consumables testing (such as toner, ink and photoconductors), software and solutions and print media testing (including virgin and recycled papers).

For more information on Buyers Lab, please call (201) 488-0404, visit www.buyerslab.com, or e-mail info@buyerslab.com.

Sharp Electronics Corporation is the U.S. subsidiary of Japan's Sharp Corporation, a worldwide developer of one-of-a-kind home entertainment products, appliances, networked multifunctional office solutions, solar energy solutions and mobile communication and information tools. Leading brands include AQUOS® Liquid Crystal Televisions, 1-Bit™ digital audio products, SharpVision® projection products, Notevision® multimedia projectors, Insight® Microwave Drawer® appliances, SuperSteam™ ovens, Plasmacluster® air purifiers and the OnEnergy™ solar system. For more information visit Sharp Electronics Corporation at www.sharpusa.com

Sharp, Sharp OSA, and related trademarks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sharp Corporation and/or its affiliated companies. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Contact Information: CONTACT: Karl Pawlewicz Crenshaw Communications Phone: 646-484-4523 Email: karl@crenshawcomm.com Chris Loncto Sharp Electronics Corporation Phone: 201-529-8680 Email: lonctoc@sharpsec.com