HP enhances SMB focus with new products

BEIJING, CHINA: HP has unveiled its latest range of LaserJet printing solutions for the SMB and enterprise segments in APAC. Enhancing its focus on ‘green’, the vendor has also announced the availability of the energy-efficient HP LaserJet Pro P1100 Printer series.

Apart from this, HP has also introduced a series of MFDs and a mobile scanner. Most products are armed with new technologies such as HP Smart Install and the Auto-On/Auto-Off.

“Today’s SMBs need to use their resources wisely, working smarter and faster to maintain their competitive edge as the economy recovers,” said John Solomon, Senior vice president — Imaging and Printing Group, HP Asia Pacific and Japan. “HP offers SMBs an unrivaled opportunity to accelerate growth through innovative technologies and products for the APAC market,” he added.

The Smart Install technology addresses the difficulties faced by customers while installing a device on their computers. It eliminates the need for CD drivers and allows users to connect to the printer with a USB cable.

“From the moment one plugs the computer to the printer using the USB, it takes less than two minutes to take out a print,” said Wai Koon Chow, Mono LaserJet Product Manager–Imaging and Printing Group, HP APAC.

New monochrome printers featuring HP Smart Install include the HP LaserJet Pro P1100 series, LaserJet Pro M1130/M1210 Multifunction Printer (MFP) series and LaserJet Pro P1566/P1606dn series.

The vendor has also introduced an authentication solution to help SMBs secure printed documents. EzStampGuard uses patented Optical Watermark technology to create an authentication watermark stamp, which can only be viewed with unique film keys. Once installed, the software will insert the secure watermark onto selected pages unless disabled through the control panel.

HP has also embedded a host of environment-friendly technologies along with the print solutions. The Auto-On/Auto-Off technology uses up to three times less energy than a device’s normal sleep mode. It sense activity such as when a print job is sent to the printer and awakens the device automatically from ‘off’ mode.

“With this innovative technology, SMBs can configure their device to automatically turn off either when it senses there is no activity after a set interval or at a predetermined time each day to help save energy, using less than one watt of power consumption in Auto-Off mode,” said Cecie Lim, Product Manager–Colour Laserjet, Imaging and Printing Group, HP APAC. “SMBs can save energy without sacrificing speed with the first page printed out in 8.5 seconds, even coming out of Auto-Off mode.”

EzPrintSaver is a cost-management solution based on printer and user-based rules such as forced duplex printing. Business owners and IT managers are free to enable or disable functions based on business needs, and can set restrictions on printing of office documents and unwanted documents.

Users are also able to set toner-saving printing mode for specific file types, which save up to 25 per cent on toner usage. The solution has been developed in collaboration with EPSoft International Pte. Ltd., an HP Solutions Business Partner, and is embedded on a USB memory stick or hard disk respectively for single function printers or multifunction printers.