HP introduces touch-free printing and other COVID-19 remote work solutions

COVID-19’s impact on our work styles has accelerated the introduction of HP’s remote work offerings and 90-day free trials for features that help minimise contact with printers.

Included in the offerings is HP Advance, a new integrated platform for managing HP Access Control Print, HP Access Control Scan, HP Mobile Connector and HP Direct Print from one admin console. By offering a modular system, enterprise customers can scale requirements easily with the switch of a license key.

HP is also now offering 90-day free trials for features that help minimise contact with printers. HP’s touch-free printing enables workers to release a print job with their phone or badge without having to touch the control panel. HP is also expanding HP Roam to LaserJet Pro devices, making it easy to print on the go from a mobile device to any HP Roam-enabled printer.

HP also announced that HP Command Centre, a single tool for HP partners to deploy and manage cloud applications for their customers without going on site, can now enable fleet onboarding, saving partners time while freeing up IT resources. The HP Workpath ecosystem, which enables workers to connect to cloud-based platforms directly from the MFP, has expanded rapidly since it launched in November 2019, with more than 275 reseller partners, 100+ apps available on the platform and thousands of apps deployed.

In addition, HP launched its revenue share model for HP Workpath, which simplifies access to third party applications. By having the order and payment process transacted through HP Command Centre, partners now have access to a much broader range of apps.

HP SecurePrint, a flexible, cloud-native solution that releases documents only to authorised users, has also been enhanced and  now supports all network types, including traditional networks behind a firewall as well as serverless print environments, helping customers simplify IT infrastructures.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is requiring companies to accelerate their shift to modern workstyles where automation and adaptability reign supreme,” said David Prezzano, General Manager and Global Head, Print Services and Solutions Category, HP Inc. “Customers and partners are now looking to rapidly modernise their infrastructure and shift to service models to better manage distributed IT environments. No matter where a company is on the curve, HP has a suite of solutions to help them succeed.”

HP’s Instant Ink programme has also become a popular option for home workers. This subscription-based service automatically detects when a customer is running low on ink and sends new cartridges by mail without having to leave home. Instant Ink subscriptions have increased to seven million as more people move to the convenience of subscription-based services.