PRINT
IT
RESELLER.UK
7
BULLETIN
Aisle displays save print
Lexmark is addressing the needs of
customers in the retail sector with the
launch of a digital alternative to paper-based
posters and price tags on retail endcaps
– the shelving at the end of aisles that
Lexmark claims accommodates just 2% of
SKUs but can account for up to 30% of sales.
The Lexmark Digital Endcap solution is an
extension of the existing Lexmark Print and
Digital Signage Solution, which provides a single
platform for in-store printed and digital signage.
It combines a fully managed cloud-based service,
including integration with product and pricing
databases, with large format digital displays
specially selected for use in retail.
Lexmark claims its solution enables store
managers and employees to change promotions,
pricing and endcap displays much more quickly
by removing the need to design, print and replace
paper signs.
According to Lexmark, stores that have
piloted the solution report higher sales, greater
customer satisfaction and increased flexibility, for
example by enabling more localisation of offers
without sacrificing HQ oversight and control or by
promoting multiple products on a single display.
Samsung acquires
PrinterOn
Samsung has expanded its mobile
ecosystem with the acquisition of
mobile cloud printing solutions provider
PrinterOn, which will henceforth operate
as an independent, wholly-owned
subsidiary of Samsung Electronics
Canada (SECA).
PrinterOn solutions allow users to print
from any mobile device to any printer, with high
quality document rendering in multiple formats
and multiple print submission and print job
delivery methods.
Additionally, PrinterOn offers a cloud-based
directory service that enables a secure interface
to mobile devices and private and public cloud
servers.
NFC brings together
printed and online
information
A UK start-up specialising in proximity
mobile marketing has brought together the
digital and analogue worlds in an NFC-
enabled magazine advertising campaign
created for BMW.
Running in
Spiegel
Wissen
, a quarterly
spin-off from
Der
Spiegel
, the four-page
print advertisement
incorporates near-field
communication (NFC)
tags that when tapped
with an NFC-enabled
smartphone open
a BMW app giving
access to online
content.
Norbert Facklam,
MD SPIEGEL QC,
said: “This new
technology is a fantastic example of successful
media convergence – the world of print is being
connected to the online world through a remote
device. Our customers have an attention-grabbing
form of advertising, which they can use to break
new ground in communication.”
A key benefit for advertisers is the ability to
track and analyse reader responses via Tamoco’s
cloud-based software platform. As well as
showing how people interact with campaigns, it
lets customers plug-in other data sources, such
as sales histories and information collected from
Twitter or Facebook, enabling them to create
detailed profiles for each customer and ultimately
provide more personalised marketing and
communications.
The campaign was planned by Mediaplus and
Plan.net in cooperation with the Smart Media
Alliance (SMA), an industry-led initiative to
promote the use of NFC technology.
Cortado has unveiled a new corporate
structure that will see it acting as a service
company for three new companies that have
been set up to focus on specific markets and
areas of expertise.
The new companies are ThinPrint (print
management), Cortado Mobile Solutions (enterprise
mobility) and Teamplace (collaboration).
Carsten Mickeleit, Cortado CEO, said: “We
are fortunate to be active in three very dynamic
markets and notice that each of these markets
demands our fullest attention. The newly created
companies can concentrate 100% on their
individual markets.”
New structure for Cortado
The Cortado management team
Portable robot printer
Winner of a 2015 Best of Innovation Award at the CES 2015
consumer electronics show, the ZutA Pocket Printer turns
printing on its head. Unlike conventional printers that work
by laying ink/toner onto a sheet of paper that passes through
the device, ZutA’s robotic printer moves back and forth across
a stationery sheet, printing as it goes. The battery-powered
device connects to any wireless device via WiFi and can print
onto standard paper sizes at speeds of around 1 A4 page per
minute. It incorporates a single black cartridge with enough
ink for 100 A4 pages. A fully-charged battery provides one
hour or 60 pages worth of printing.
Ink-free printing on tap
Polaroid has expanded its mobile printing
range with two new models that take
adhesive-backed ink-free ZINK paper
embedded with cyan, yellow and magenta
dye crystals that change colour when
exposed to heat.
The single-function Polaroid Zip Mobile Printer
and associated iOS/Android app offer a quick
and easy way to edit, print and share photos with
friends and family. The phone-sized, battery-
powered device connects to mobile devices via
Bluetooth or NFC and prints a 2 x 3in colour photo
in just under a minute.
The multi-functional Polaroid Socialmatic Camera
combines a 14 megapixel front- and 2 megapixel
rear-camera; 4.5” touchscreen LCD display for
viewing and editing images; 4GB of internal storage;
a Micro SD card slot; built-in ZINK instant printing;
and an Android operating system and built-in
WiFi that enables users to upload images to social
networking sites (images can also be uploaded using
a Bluetooth-enabled smartphone).
