HP Introduces Web Connected and Cloud Aware Print

HP unveiled a new category of web-enabled printing solutions designed for the cloud that will, for the first time, allow people to print from any e-mail device to any ePrint-enabled printer from anywhere in the world through the new HP ePrint platform; Store documents or files in the cloud and print direct when needed; Transform their printers into publishing platforms from which they can customize print apps and schedule timed delivery of content directly to their home or business printers; And manage and customize their full printing experience through the new HP ePrintCenter.

To showcase these new solutions, HP announced a suite of Web-empowered e-All-in-One printers for home and business that start at $99. These will be the first printers able to “talk” to the “Google Cloud” without requiring a local proxy PC or web appliance, which means people will be able to access Google Docs, Photos and Calendar directly from their printers. A selection of new print apps from partners such as Yahoo!, msnbc.com, Facebook, Live Nation, Crayola, Reuters, DocStoc and Picasa Web Albums also will be available.

“We are once again revolutionizing printing to make Web-empowered, cloud-enabled printing the new industry standard,” said Vyomesh Joshi, executive vice president, Imaging and Printing Group, HP. “We know that our customers want an easy way to print their content, anywhere, anytime. We’re making that a reality today by giving people the power to print from any web-connected device—smartphones, iPads, netbooks and more—to any printer in our portfolio above $99. The world has changed.”

The ePrint platform harnesses the cloud to break down the barriers of distance and connectivity and allow people to send the files they want to print from their mobile devices. Every HP ePrint printer will have a unique email address that allows the sender to deliver a print the same way they would send an email message. Customers also can send documents to print through an HP ePrint mobile app on their smartphone device to a home, office or public print location such as a hotel or FedEx Office store. Customers will be able to send Microsoft Office documents, Adobe PDFs and JPEG image files, among others.

Following a successful pilot study in two major cities, HP also announced a new service called Scheduled Delivery, which allows customers to choose content to be pushed to a printer at a designated time each day or week. For example, they might choose a customized news feed to arrive at 7 a.m. for picking up on their way out of the door, or they might choose kids activities from Disney to be ready when the children get home from school. Users register for the news or content feeds of their choice through the HP ePrintCenter and schedule the day, time and frequency of delivery so items will be printed and waiting when they want them. The Scheduled Delivery service also opens up a new era of digital print advertising for HP and content partners. HP and Yahoo! plan to launch the service as a pilot program to help marketers consider ways to provide added value to their audiences by populating select print content from partners with customized messages, promotions and information like coupons or local services.

Later this year, business customers can enjoy print apps from services such as: Marketsplash by HP for a shortcut to print customized marketing materials such as brochures and flyers; Google Docs for easy document scanning to the web for printing at a later time; Box.net to scan, share, manage and access business content online; Portfolio.com and Reuters for the latest news articles; Daily Brief for business essentials in one place including calendar, to-do list and news from American City Business Journals; and DocStoc and Biztree for immediate access to business forms such as invoices, contracts, receipts, legal agreements and checklists. HP is working with a select group of developers to refine its beta software developers kit and to add hundreds of print apps by the end of the year. Developers can request the kit from the developers tab of the HP ePrintCenter.

Also now available for Android smartphones, HP iPrint Photo is a free photo printing application for quick and easy direct wireless printing to HP inkjet printers connected to a local Wi-Fi network. The Android version joins HP iPrint Photo for Symbian, Windows Mobile, iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. The Snapfish by HP mobile app for Android is expected to launch this summer.