TOSHIBA AMERICA BUSINESS SOLUTIONS INC. LAUNCHES GLOBAL SERVICES PORTAL ENABLING CUSTOMERS TO MORE EFFECTIVELY MANAGE THEIR DOCUMENT PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT
Customizable Web Portal Gives Customers Instant Access to Ordering, Service and Support Capabilities
IRVINE , California ( Aug 23, 2006 ) :
Toshiba America Business Solutions Inc. (TABS) today announced the introduction of its new Global Services Portal, a proprietary online tool designed to provide the company’s end user customers with a customized Web portal to manage their fleet of office equipment, as well as obtain Toshiba support services. The Global Services Portal replaces TABS’ GEMConnect portal, offering new, more robust capabilities, and increased usability and flexibility. Customers will be able to make online purchases, manage assets and view detailed reports. Users can access the site 24 hours a day, seven days a week to ensure direct, single-source access to a full spectrum of online services and real-time information.
“The Global Services Portal will make conducting business with Toshiba easier than ever for our customers,” said Bill Melo, vice president, National Accounts, Marketing and Operations. “The ability for our customers to manage their fleet of office equipment online through a single, flexible point of service enables them to efficiently and effectively make purchases and obtain service and support capabilities according to their needs and workflow.”
Customizable Environment for Online Commerce
The Global Services Portal ordering system is designed for flexibility, allowing customers to set different levels of buying authority, as well as spending limits. As a secure, role-based system, each user is only able to perform tasks for which they have been authorized. Companies can give purchasing authority to different departments or individuals while limiting others. Similarly, some purchases may be automatically routed to the department manager for approval.
TABS’ customers are given access to customizable catalogues of Toshiba MFPs, printers, facsimiles and supplies, as well as other Toshiba equipment such as notebook computers and projectors. TABS also can customize the check out process to meet customers’ exact requirements. Additionally, the Global Services Portal integrates with customers’ spend management systems and supports EDI transactions, saving customers time, money and duplication of effort.
Enhanced Asset Management
The Global Services Portal is designed to enable customers to manage and retrieve information pertaining to the fleet of equipment. The asset management function provides access to a wealth of product information, including device configurations, order ship dates, lease and service contracts and detailed service histories.
In addition, the Global Services Portal simplifies service dispatch ticket entry and enables notification back to the customer. The portal also leverages the Unattended Meter Collection capabilities of Toshiba e-BRIDGE-based MFPs. Meters sent through e-BRIDGE or third party software are integrated directly to Toshiba’s Oracle ERP system, reducing inaccurate and estimated billing to save time and customer inconvenience.
Detailed Reporting Capabilities
For further account manageability, the Global Services Portal has a sophisticated reporting component that provides in depth service, usage, population and total cost of ownership data. Reports are available for the customer’s entire fleet by location, model or even down to the individual machine.
About Toshiba America Business Solutions Inc.
Toshiba America Business Solutions Inc. (TABS) manages product planning, marketing, sales, service support and distribution of copiers, facsimiles, multifunction printing products, network controllers, and toner products throughout the United States, Mexico, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., TABS has four divisions: the Electronic Imaging Division; the Toner Products Division; the Document Solutions Engineering Division; and TOPAC U.S.A., Inc., dba Toshiba Business Solutions (TBS), a wholly-owned subsidiary corporation of TABS, that operates a network of wholly owned office equipment dealers throughout the United States.
Named the most favored manufacturer seven times by the Business Technology Association (BTA), Toshiba’s entire product line, customer support and marketing distribution policies are markers for the industry. Among the many other awards garnered in recent years, Toshiba was named the “Copier Manufacturer of the Year” six times by the Marketing Research Consultants (MRC), and has twice been named to the CIO 100 for being among the top 100 “bold” (2005) and “agile” (2004) companies in the world.
TABS is an independent operating company of Toshiba Corporation, the sixth largest electronics/electrical equipment company and the world's 72nd largest company in terms of sales. Ranked by Fortune magazine as the 9th Most Admired Electronics Company in the World, Toshiba Corporation is a world leader in high technology products with more than 300 major subsidiaries and affiliates worldwide. Fiscal year revenue in 2004 was approximately $55 billion.
For more information on Toshiba copier, facsimile, multifunction printing products, network controllers or toner products, or for a dealer in your area, call 1-800-GO-TOSHIBA or visit the TABS Web site at www.copiers.toshiba.com.