We provide PaperCut based solutions using a number different front-ends for user login and feedback. We can use a number of hardware solutions, a number of PaperCut Embedded solutions and of course an m3i based solution.

Broadly speaking your choice is initially driven by your environment. You probably wouldn't choose a hardware device these days unless you planned to switch MFD manufacturer or have some special interfacing requirement since embedded software versions are now cost-effective and functional.

If you want to use an embedded solution and you have non-Ricoh MFDs then you would choose the PaperCut Embedded solution as m3i is exclusively a Ricoh based product.

When we get to Ricoh environments the situation gets interesting. Superficially you might imagine that PaperCut's embedded solution and a selectec m3i embedded solution would be competing products but there are many differentiators. The two solutions are different and equally valid. 

PaperCut Embedded (Ricoh) integrates a screen into the MFD where users log in and view their account balances and costs. Users switches between this and the MFD's original User Interface as they use the device. The solution provides Copy and Print Accounting. Due to certain limitations of the Ricoh platform the solution is mainly recommended for controlled environments such as education and business at this time.

An m3i based solution is not primarily about MFD accounting. This is just one facet of the platform and it is not a fixed set of components since you can mix n match to your requirements. For comparison, the closest match would be one based on Chameleon which replaces the entire functionality of the MFD and can disallow access to the MFD's original screens as it defines its own (or your own) way of working.

Purposely omitting the features of m3i that do not directly contribute to MFD Accounting, the solution provides secure communications, customisation, extensibility, accessibility and is suitable for any environment. Granular accounting for virtually any attribute of the MFD and external m3i services is possible and the fully integrated solution merges Accounting seamlessly into the task being performed. Please see the rest of this site for a more complete understanding of m3i.

Both solutions bring all the necessary PaperCut functionality to the user, just in different ways, and with different goals in mind. Relative to traditional hardware solutions, both are competitively priced.

We are happy to promote whichever solution is most suitable for your application and environment.