HP Launches New Enterprise Printers

April 12, 2007

The company adds to its printing portfolio with two new ink-based color multifunction printers, updated management tools and a universal print driver.

Hewlett-Packard announced April 11 that it has added to its color multifunction printer line with its latest offering for business professionals, the CM8060 and CM8050 Color MFPs, which use Edgeline Technology to give users both ink and laser functionalities in a single device.

According to HP, Edgeline Technology allows both the CM8060 and CM8050 to distribute ink across paper in one pass, as only the paper moves and not the printheads, which allows for faster print speeds.

"These new printers can provide enterprise industries such as banking, legal, financial and government with a multifunction printing platform that can enhance productivity and is easy to use," Todd Gregory, enterprise segment lead of Global Enterprise Business Outbound marketing at Palo Alto, Calif.-based HP, told eWEEK.

The two new color MFPs feature the HP Easy Select Control Panel, which gives users a 10-inch touch-screen with a 12-key number pad, as well as HP AutoNav, which features a live-action video and a series of LEDs to help users locate the source of problems such as paper jams.

Both new printers from HP include the Jetdirect print server, which gives users printing security features as well as support for a range of network operating systems and protocols, according to the company.

The CM8060 and CM8050 also use HP Vivera office inks and bonding agents that provide users with a wide range of color images and also give users water-resistant prints, which helps prevent smearing, HP officials said.

The CM8060 prints at an average of 60 pages per minute in black and white and 50 pages per minute in color, while the CM8050 prints at an average of 50 pages per minute in black and white and 40 pages per minute in color.

The CM8060 and CM8050 are available now for $23,530 and $18,930, respectively.

HP also announced that it has released Web Jetadmin 10.0, a printing and imaging fleet management software tool for remotely installing, configuring and managing a range of HP and non-HP network devices.

Web Jetadmin 10.0 now features enhanced security capabilities such as IPSec, which helps protect data by creating a secure printing environment and also features a user interface with a single screen that gives instructions on how to use the printer as well as information on status, configuration, alerts, groups, printer supplies and troubleshooting.

The printer management software from HP also features Smart Client Technology, a printer management tool that gives business professionals access to their printers from anywhere on the network through a Web browser and also features HP Color Access Control, which allows users to edit color access lists for multiple devices and offers the ability to report by user who is printing in color.

HP Web Jetadmin 10.0 is expected to be available for download on April 30.

The company also announced that its HP Universal Print Driver 4.0 will be available by the end of April. HP's UPD uses SNMP to talk to the printer and then creates a driver and user interface that can adapt to the features installed on the device, helping to provide the user with a common interface for all printers as well as the ability to access features installed on the device.

The new UPD 4.0 features a new user interface while also having the ability to operate in two different modes, dynamic and traditional. Dynamic mode is designed for mobile users and allows users to find an HP printer on the network, while traditional mode is designed for office users and allows users to install and operate a product-specific driver.

HP UPD 4.0, now compatible with Windows Vista and other Vista-certified products, also features a new single-click print setting that can be used for common print jobs to provide a printing shortcut for users. It also includes a user job and device status feature that allows users to view their print job status as well as any issues that may have impacted printing throughout the particular job.

The HP UPD 4.0 is expected to be available at the end of April as a free download.

Copyright 2007 by Ziff Davis Media, Distributed by United Press International