technology has developed
adequately on its own without the help of gimmicks or apps. In practice, particularly when it comes to mobile applications, you don’t need a
Citizen’s CMP-20 and CMP-30 have been specifically developed to provide compact and robust printing virtually anywhere.
certainly moving into this new mobile era, with leading companies developing their offerings to bring them back up to date, without compromising the benefits that we’ve become so used to enjoying.
Take for example, the recent advances and growth in mobile printing technologies. Do you need an app to be able to produce high quality barcodes and labels on the go, wherever and whenever they are needed? In a word: no, despite what people, especially app builders will tell you. Indeed, this revolutionary
dedicated printing app. Most modern devices, whether it be a laptop or a palm PC, are equipped as standard with a common output format that handles communication with the latest mobile printers, either wirelessly or through cables.
However, there are some companies who have jumped on the app bandwagon with many of these introducing apps for mobile and remote working that can actually deliver significant commercial benefits. Indeed, these new apps are enabling many businesses to connect frontline workers to complete transactions at the point of sale or point of service, such as retail sales assistants scanning barcodes and checking prices on the shop floor to reduce checkout lines at peak times. Using a combination of the latest mobile technologies, including scanners, card
Moreover, the apps for use with portable printers go beyond just retail and food service environments. For example, the use of mobile printers in the parking industry for local government is rapidly growing. Traffic wardens can now be issued with portable belt carried printers to issue parking fines on the spot. While, in the public transport sector, conductors can now be equipped with mobile printers with integrated magnetic card readers to enable passengers to pay on the train or bus, rather than at rail and bus stations. Another example is the growth in use of portable printing devices and applications in the utilities sector. Meter readers can now use handheld equipment, with custom written software packages, that allows them to key in meter readings, print out and instantly deliver bills in the same visit to residential and business premises. As well as the time saving benefits of this service, it is also proven to reduce discrepancies to improve accuracy and customer satisfaction.
Realising the full benefits
It is important to understand, however, that the key to realising the full benefits of these latest apps is through the use of the most appropriate portable printing technology. The CMP-20 and CMP-30 from Citizen, for example, have been specifically developed to provide compact and robust printing virtually anywhere. These printers are simple to use and save time, while reducing errors when printing a wide range of receipts and labels, such as mobile receipts, tickets, price markdowns and delivery slips.
readers, apps and printers, transaction can now be carried out right at the customers’ point of decision in a sports stadium or restaurant, for instance.
In particular, the printers appeal to a wide range of customers in diverse industries as they have a number of revolutionary features that make them simple and fast to use. For instance, the devices have been designed to provide quick and easy media change over with a drop-in paper loading and
34 IT RESELLER – MARCH 2011
paper out indicators, while simple feed paths eliminate the risk of tangling or jamming. These elements help to improve efficiency considerably and reduce the risk of human error, with staff being free to focus on more important tasks. The printers also feature an integral tear bar to cut paper to the required length and there is the option to include a magnetic stripe reader and IC-card (chip card) reader for retail applications.
Perhaps most importantly, the latest mobile printers typically come with an AC adapter to recharge batteries onboard the printer or via an external charging station. Additionally, these devices include Windows drivers and software development toolkits as standard to ensure
compatibility with a wide range of application platforms, ensure resilience and eliminating the risk of redundancy as business requirements develop according to market changes.
New generation
While there’s a plethora of apps that represent no real benefit to users, serving purely as entertainment, there are some new technologies that bestow businesses with a level of flexibility that has never before been possible. Such apps and portable printing devices have come at an ideal time as more and more people now work in untraditional office environments, such as travelling sales representatives and remote workers who only touch base every once in a while. Equally, this new generation of portable equipment enables VARs to provide customers with a tool for replacing paper intensive business processes with forms based applications. Ultimately, the increased efficiency and accuracy of capturing and sharing data quickly using mobile devices results in increased employee productivity, faster business reporting and reduced operational costs.
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OPINION
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