Hewlett-Packard is trying to stay ahead of the Web printing curve. On Tuesday, the computer and printer giant announced “new relationships and solutions” to make printing from the Web easier, including a “printer app” store.
“With the explosion of digital content on the Web,” said Executive Vice President Vyomesh Joshi, “our goal is to enable consumers to print anywhere, anytime.” HP is describing its announcements as a continuing part of a Print 2.0 strategy, responding to a trend of so much — up to 50 percent of all printing — coming from the Web.
HP App Studio
The announcements pick up on similar initiatives announced earlier this summer. New partnerships provide embedded print-customization tools and apps with a variety of companies, including AOL, Flickr, Disney, CNET.com, 60 Minutes, and others.
The new HP App Studio is a “printer app” marketplace. As with app stores that are sprouting up from virtually every major mobile-device maker, the App Studio Web site will allow visitors to view and rate print apps and suggest ideas. The studio will also offer apps from third-party developers using HP’s open-application programming interface. To get that ball rolling, HP said it is working with selected developers, including Kurt Noble, CashStar, FreePrintable.net and MovieTickets.com.
The effort coincides with the release this week of HP’s PhotoSmart Premium with TouchSmart Web. HP describes the printer as the “ultimate all-in-one device,” with printing, faxing, copying and scanning capabilities, as well as simplified access to printing Web-based content without a computer.
AOL will embed HP’s Tabbloid publishing service throughout its Web properties, including RSS feeds. The service will enable people to create and print customized newsletters. Flickr is expanding to offer more printing opportunities through Snapfish.
Several Disney Web sites will offer printable coloring pages and craft projects using several characters — Winnie the Pooh, Mickey Mouse, and…