Do must people still call Multifunctional Devices copiers? The copier industry has tried to rebrand itself from copier dealer to a document company. This is due to the expanding role of the copier dealer.  A document company is more accurate a description.  Copier dealers like Seamless Solutions have become experts in not only selling copiers but improving work flows with document manager, automatic routing software, and devices that perform multiple functions like scan, print, fax, and copy.   Even though document companies now use words like MFP (multifunctional printer) and MFD (multifunctional device); end users still prefer the term copier.  Copier is not a negative term; it is just now merely inaccurate.   These devices now perform all the rolls of scanning, coping, faxing, and printing just like their predecessors. 

Where did the MFP or MFD come from?  The reason we now have multifunctional devices or printers is due to the creation of the digital copier.  A digital device uses a digital signal and a laser to create the image.  Older analog copiers used light and mirrors to create the image.  Fax machines and some printers have always been digital.  So with all three using the same technology and with the size and processing power of the digital copier, it was easy to combine them into one unit.  Over time we have seen the technology add scanning and reduce the size of the MFP.    Today almost every device scans, prints, and copies.  This change of scanning and emailing documents has almost eliminated the traditional fax machine.