Imagine being able to print any document from anywhere you are to anywhere you desire – from your mobile device.
It is here – all thanks to the cloud.
From smartphones to iPads, mobile devices have become a new staple in the workforce, and that’s not likely to change. The latest statistics show that 9 in 10 people in the United States own a phone and the increasingly majority are smartphones. Children are now more likely to own a mobile phone than a traditional book with 85 percent of kids owning a phone. Call it crazy, but it’s the new reality and manufacturers like HP are taking notice.
HP recently launched a new ePrint app that allows mobile workers to print while on the go from any smartphone, tablet or laptop simply by sending an email. HP takes it to another level by allowing businesses to create an internal cloud printing solution and provide anytime, anywhere access to secure printing.
Businesses of all sizes are taking interest and implementing new mobile printing solutions to allow their workers to print to devices across their organization and on the go.
How it works: HP cloud printing solutions make it possible to print documents, presentations, reports, photos and other files from their email on their smartphone or other mobile device to the nearest registered printers in the workplace, commercial hot spot locations and the home. Printing a file is only three clicks away:
- Click 1: Hit print.
From a smartphone or another mobile device, the user clicks the “Print” button to begin the HP ePrint Enterprise mobile printing experience.
- Click 2: Select a printer.
Users can quickly locate the nearest available printer with easy-to-use rich search functionality. GPS-enabled devices even allow searches by location. The overall experience is similar to a simple web search.
- Click 3: Send to print.
Users can see a full description of the printer, review the selection of e-mail messages and attachments, and click “Print” again to initiate a speedy printout.
Why businesses are using it: The workforce has gone mobile with 20 percent of the workers spending at least three hours a day on their smartphones for work, according to Forrester Research. Gartner Research estimates that by 2014, 90 percent of the Fortune 1000 companies in the world will implement cloud printing services for their mobile workforce.
How it’s making a difference: Businesses are seeing significant productivity gains. Cloud printing allows workers to print without the hassle of booting up a laptop, logging on to a VPN, or installing drivers. Workers now can send print jobs to remote offices before they arrive or convert mobile content into a hard copy for easy reading, writing and sharing on the go.
Getting started is easy. Since the mobile printing application doesn’t require drivers, it supports printers regardless of manufacturer, and it works within the organization’s existing print environment. It’s also easy to manage and is scalable to meet varying needs.
The truth is if you’re not thinking about mobile printing now, you soon will be.
As published at MinnesotaBusiness.com.
