HP, Canon expand print alliance

HP has expanded its alliance with Canon to supply a broader variety of managed print services and multifunction devices, reports InformationWeek.

HP will rely on Canon for multifunction device technologies and Canon will provide technical support for such jointly produced devices. HP's printer business tends to add new functions to the standard office printer, from adjustable colour printing to secure scanning and faxing of documents.

HP CEO Mark Hurd said in a Webcast that the expanded alliance will allow both companies to offer new Web-enabled products and services. Each will gain access to the other device management software and future products from each will be included in their joint offerings.

Printer maker Ricoh has updated its locked print security solution, Enhanced Lock Print NX v1.3, states eWeek.

The new version, which protects an organisation's confidential and proprietary information by allowing users to store, print and manage confidential documents with the security of user authentication at a multifunctional product, now adds the distribution and retrieval option of FlexRelease Server.

According to Ricoh, ELP-NX helps an organisation capture all the benefits of shared, centralised MFPs without compromising document security. With ELP-NX, users can protect specific documents by selecting 'locked print' from the print-driver menu, while network administrators can set 'locked print' as the default for organisation wide document protection.

Epson has brought out two large format colour printers aimed at architects, engineers, construction companies, spatial data analysts and retailers, says ProPrint.

The Epson Stylus Pro 7700 (24 inches wide) and Epson Stylus Pro 9700 (44 inches wide) were designed for the reproduction of architectural drawings and colour presentations, engineering plans, spatial data maps, and attention-grabbing point-of-sale displays.

Both printers use MicroPiezo inkjet technology for colour consistency. The printers' printhead has 10 channels supporting five-ink configuration.