Hewlett-Packard brings an easy solution to printing via Android-based mobile devices with its first HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M476.
Hewlett-Packard announced the latest multifunction printer with support for printing from mobile devices. The HP LaserJet Pro M476 is the first printer to be certified by Mopria, a non-profit group of printer manufacturers including Canon, HP, Samsung and Xerox that aims at making wireless printing easier from mobile devices. Smartphones running Android 4.4 KitKat will take advantage of HP's latest printer as the OS features desktop-like print command from a tablet and smartphone.
The process of wireless printing from a mobile device is as simple as clicking print on a desktop and pairing with the right machine. Similarly, with Mopria plug-in, users can directly transfer a file that has to be printed on the HP M476, without having to go through a mobile application such as HP's printer app.
"The expectation of today's business customer is to print securely from any location or device," George Brasher, vice president and general manager of HP Worldwide Laser Printer Business, said in a press statement. "HP remains committed to delivering simple, secured mobile print solutions aimed to help customers solve the mobility challenge of working while in the office or on the go. With the addition of these new enterprise-grade mobility offerings, HP is helping [small to medium-sized businesses] increase productivity and workflow solutions, allowing them to be more productive in their businesses."
According to David Laing, HP's director of innovation for LaserJet and enterprise solutions, the new printing solution brings the ease of connecting to a printer even without a wireless network using the M476's peer-to-peer Wi-Fi or near-field communication (NFC) connections. The printer features a 3.5-inch display and options such as copy, scan and fax. Users can print files directly from cloud storage services such as Box.net and Google Drive.
The LaserJet Pro M476 also features two-side printing and scanning and comes with a base price of US$529 in the U.S.
