As the world goes digital, wireless communication represents the future of the printing industry.
So says Robbie Johnson, retail manager at DCC, who notes technologies like near-field communication (NFC) are gradually being embedded in the modern printers.
NFC is a set of standards that allows devices to establish radio communication, either by physically touching together or by being within close proximity of one another, usually no more than a few centimetres.
The technology builds upon RFID systems, allowing two-way communication between endpoints, where earlier systems such as contactless smart cards were only one-way.
Printer manufacturers like HP and Samsung are all tapping on NFC technology to accommodate increasingly mobile consumers.
Johnson points out the emergence of NFC, whereby a user can tap an NFC-enabled printer with their smartphone to print a document, also known as touch-to-print, is a milestone for the printing industry.
This is of particular benefit when considering that 80% to 90% of documents are accessed via a smartphone, he reveals.
"For those people that use NFC, it is a great help and a time-saver," says Johnson. "Users don't have to start up their PC to print a picture or document from a mobile device. You simply send it directly and wirelessly to the printer."
However, he says, although NFC is not yet mainstream in SA, the trend of wireless communication to printers is growing daily.
"This is driven by the functionality on the printer and mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. It is now more a market education issue as most consumers are not aware of this functionality," he points out.
With wireless printing, Johnson says the possibilities are endless. "Consider an executive rushing to the airport to catch a flight for his business meeting. The person can print their own boarding pass and as such, eliminate the need to stand in long queues. A parent can print photos of their kids on the fly and sales people are able to print invoices while sitting in front of their customer."
He points out apart from wireless technology, there are many technology innovations and enhancements being put into printers to reduce costs.
These include duplex printing, printer management, easier printer interface (touchscreens) and in-line printing (inkjet printers that have a print head the length of a page so the print head does not need to move) to mention a few. All these features and technologies increase page throughput dramatically, he says.
Some printers even have their own 'app stores' with apps that are developed specifically for users of printers, Johnson adds.
On some printers, for example, users select the printer applications from the front panel, he notes, adding these are then downloaded to the printer if they are not already there.
"App functionality varies according to the design of the app. Therefore, a news app, for instance, can gather all the highlights of news or markets and print it out for you to review over your morning coffee and catch-up.
"Other apps can print Sudoku or crossword puzzles on demand. There are even printer apps for children such as printing out outlines of their favourite cartoon character so that it can be coloured in," he concludes.
Share