The 660,000 deal is for a range of kit including a VarioPrint 5160 with Duplo bookletmaker and two VarioPrint 2110s. Oce has also provided, a VarioPrint 2090, two CPS800 colour printers, a Watkiss bookletmaker and two high-speed colour scanners. The equipment is driven by a range of software including Prisma Pro and DocWorks Pro.

Newcastle City Council's Oc print centre will produces tax bills, letters, minutes and library booklets. The centre was opened by Newcastle's Mayor David Slesenger (far left).

"The council wanted full convergence," said Oc national sales manager for public sector and education, Roy Bartholomew (far right).

"Newcastle was like many public-sector set-ups, with a data centre operating at night and a print room running by day. All offices are now linked to one centre and software directs jobs to the most efficient device."

Bartholomew said 5% of jobs often accounted for half the volume and most were for one- to four-page documents.

Newcastle's data-centre manager Graham Lumsdon (second left) said the Oc kit "revolutionised" the way the council handled print.