HP To Roll Out Web-Connected Printers in Spring 2010

999inks.co.uk News: HP To Roll Out Web-Connected Printers in Spring 2010

A new range of printers from Hewlett Packard enable printing from the internet without the need for a PC.


Some might query the value of a printer that lets you print straight from the internet without using a computer. What’s wrong with right-clicking from the desktop to receive your desired image? Yet at Hewlett Packard, Vice President of Marketing for the Imaging & Printing Group Ralph McNeil is certain this is the future of printing. In Spring 2010, he intends to begin global distribution of a new range of printers that enable users to produce documents straight off the internet, without the need for a PC.

In an interview with Marketnews.ca, Mr McNeil outlined his vision for the new printers. He said that the internet printers operate using a large touchscreen, eliminating the need for a computer. The details of the interface have yet to be finalised though, and this is something Mr Macneil recognises is crucial: "The easier it is, the more I'm going to use it," he told Gordon Brockhouse, in an article dated 11th December 2009. Regarding the value of the new printers he is more certain. He asserts that the expanding internet does not detract from the printed image, but increases the number of potential documents to be produced. "Where does it [the HP web printer] take you? To a repository of value on the Internet."

In 2009 HP greatly expanded their range of web applications, with programs that enabled users to print from their iPhones. A similar app for the Blackberry is expected soon. Mr Macneil anticipates that the HP web printers will mark another new platform for printing, making 2010 “a very exciting year” for the printing brand.