Toshiba Introduces Cloud Service Offering

IRVINE, Calif. (Sept. 2, 2014) —To optimize the operation and functionality of its customers’ e-STUDIO print fleets, Toshiba America Business Solutions, Inc. today unveils its e-BRIDGE CloudConnect, cloud-based application to enhance tech support for its dealers and customers. Toshiba’s state-of-the-art support app – designed to significantly improve the user experience by gathering and transmitting service updates via the cloud – is currently available through the company’s nationwide reseller channel. 

Compatible with all e-STUDIO multifunction products (MFPs) featuring Toshiba’s latest e-BRIDGE controller (introduced in 2010), CloudConnect offers continuous remote monitoring, diagnostics and firmware updates to e-STUDIO devices to proactively and more effectively serve end users. In addition to allowing for faster response times while improving the everyday operation of its customers’ print fleets, Toshiba’s new proactive cloud service will reduce its dealers’ administrative time and service calls. 

"For the dealer looking to improve service productivity benchmarks, Toshiba has created its e-BRIDGE CloudConnect platform,” said InfoTrends Director of Channel Strategy Service, David Ramos. “The tool enables real-time and proactive troubleshooting and diagnostics to reduce customer downtime while avoiding having service technicians being unnecessarily dispatched. Most important though, CloudConnect will enhance the customer experience."

By providing real-time technical alerts, warnings via the cloud for proactive troubleshooting and more secure performance, customer downtime becomes significantly minimized. As a result, the company’s more than 100 Toshiba Business Solutions subsidiaries’ and nearly 300 independent dealers’ service operations can operate in a more streamlined fashion. 

Via its innovative diagnostic capabilities, CloudConnect receives and transmits real-time alerts to instantly detect any anomaly existing within a user’s print fleet while triggering a service update to quickly resolve the matter. Toshiba’s proprietary cloud service additionally utilizes secure web communications enabling the MFPs to access cloud environments for remote device configuration and management. CloudConnect also establishes custom settings and separate benchmarks for an entire print fleet or even a single device affording Toshiba customers’ optimal performance. 

Though the inherent and primary benefit of CloudConnect is optimizing device performance, Toshiba’s service offering better allows both customers and dealers to more accurately collect and monitor meter information as well as toner use. To facilitate the unveiling of its innovative cloud service offering, Toshiba worked with select dealers and customers for more than a year to ensure its effectiveness. 

“The concept for our cloud service was envisioned by brainstorming how we may better enable our customers and dealers to operate as efficiently as possible,” said Toshiba America Business Solutions Vice President and General Manager of Service, Supply Chain and Innovation, Steve Tungate. “While everyone on our support team was naturally eager to launch CloudConnect, we decided to take a step back to more carefully test the software with select customers and dealer partners. As a result of this vetting process, we will soon allow our customers to significantly reduce service times while optimizing the operation of their print fleets.”