Ricoh and Cisco sign strategic alliance to empower digital workplaces

Weston, March 04, 2019 - Ricoh Co., Ltd. and Cisco Systems have announced the signing of a global strategic alliance aimed at providing cloud solutions to empower digital workplaces to deliver greater productivity in an even more secure environment.
The two companies will jointly develop solutions that deliver simpler and more secure environments across three layers (cloud, network and device) to promote digital transformation and improve productivity.

Today, enterprises face the significant challenge of improving productivity through the use of the latest digital technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT). While multiple organizations are already promoting new ways of working, they must also address increasingly diverse work styles that are not restricted by location or time while using cloud computing and mobile devices.

At the same time, security threats such as unauthorized access and data leakage are becoming increasingly sophisticated. A Ponemon Institute study revealed that the global average cost of enterprise security breaches was $3.86 million in 2018, up 6.4% from 2017. Undoubtedly, addressing the evolution of cyber attacks proves to be a priority, but it also involves expertise and huge costs for companies. Small and medium-sized companies that cannot afford to have IT administrators on staff. On the other hand, large companies with multiple locations need a solution to maintain and manage a secure environment at a low cost.
In early 2019, Ricoh launched the next-generation RICOH IM C series of smart multifunctional printers along with the RICOH Smart Integration Cloud platform. By connecting multifunction printers and other office devices with the latest cloud services, Ricoh unites collaborators and contributes to developing a digital workplace that supports intellectual productivity and enables smarter ways of working for customers.

To enable secure use of the cloud, more than 250 professionals from Cisco's security research team collect threat intelligence and improve security products. Cisco also offers Cisco Meraki for simple cloud-based network management that supports customers' digital transformation.

RICOH Smart Integration and Cisco's cloud security solutions will connect using Cisco Meraki, Ricoh's next-generation IM C series of smart multifunctional smart printers and other office devices seamlessly and securely with multiple cloud services. This solution will reduce the time required for deployment, operation and management. In addition, by combining RICOH Smart Integration Cloud with Cisco's information leakage prevention/detection and other advanced authentication features, the solution will support processes that require higher levels of security.

The two companies will work to provide secure, standalone network connections for multifunction printers and other IoT devices. This will offer more secure connectivity for a diverse set of devices. The integration of Ricoh and Cisco technologies will enable automated operation and management of connected devices and appropriate security configurations, which are increasingly in demand by enterprises, while enabling them to make propositions that support Software Defined Networking (SDN) and IoT.
The two companies will work together to contribute to the creation of digital workplaces that are more secure and enable greater productivity, thus supporting the growth of their customers.
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