HP and Nokia are working together on a printing application for Series 60 phones based on the Bluetooth industry standard. The work is designed to enable consumers and business professionals to print content from their phones to HP Bluetooth enabled printers at the touch of a button.
With the printing application, users of Series 60 phones such as the Nokia 7650 and Nokia 3650 could select various types of content from the phone and send it to an HP Bluetooth enabled printer via the Basic Print Profile (BPP) for printing. These capabilities have the potential to offer greater flexibility and enhance the mobile experience for people on the go.
The Bluetooth printing application, currently in development at HP, is targeting functionality that could allow users to print items such as photos, multimedia message service (MMS) messages with images, e-mail, short message service (SMS), notepad files, contacts and calendar items from their Series 60 phones. With mobile phone printing capabilities, the function of the phone extends beyond verbal communication and would give consumers a new level of convenience and freedom, wirelessly.
HP's exploration of wireless printing solutions is part of the company's strategy to accelerate the delivery of quality mobile and wireless printing applications and services for customers.
"Printing from Nokia's Series 60 phones is a natural extension of what people want to do with digital information. Whether you want to print e-mails or photos, these capabilities may be possible through this solution currently being explored by HP Labs," said George Mulhern, senior vice president, HP Imaging and Printing Group. "HP and Nokia have a solid reputation for delivering quality solutions to their customers and we expect great things could come out of enabling people to print from a print-enabled Series 60 phone to an HP Bluetooth printer."
"As the market leader in mobile communications, Nokia is driving the wide-scale adoption of Bluetooth in the mobile arena. The convenience, speed and reliability with local wireless connections will simplify consumers' mobile experience," said Juha Putkiranta, Senior Vice President, Imaging Business Unit, Nokia Mobile Phones. "The openness of the Bluetooth printing application is a testimony of our efforts in promoting interoperability and how wireless technology may provide new and exciting solutions that are flexible to suit users' needs and lifestyles. This application is a great example of what may become possible when you combine imaging phones like the Nokia 7650 and Nokia 3650 and Bluetooth printers from HP."
To print from Series 60 phones, the user first selects a content type (images, MMS message, etc.) and then selects a specific item of that type (for example, a couple of images or an MMS message with an image attachment). When satisfied with the selection, the user then selects the BPP-enabled Bluetooth printer they wish to use for print. This could come from either a list of saved printers or by actively detecting nearby Bluetooth BPP devices. Once the device is selected and verified to be within range and that it supports BPP, the formatted data would be sent to the printer while the transmission status is shown.
Bluetooth technology is the joint achievement of leading companies within the computer and telecommunications industries. Nokia is a founding member and HP an early associate member of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group, an organization that has gained worldwide support. With international interest in Bluetooth technology, the range of Bluetooth applications will need to be large and diverse.
Nokia and HP both have organizations that support third-party developers. Nokia arranges developer conferences, distributes information via e-mail and organizes special electronic discussion boards for developers. HP offers developers opportunities for expanding their business portfolios through the HP Printing and Digital Imaging Solutions provider program. The program offers developers valuable resources, including tools and developer kits, training, marketing support and a variety of services. Additional information is available at http://www.hp.com/go/mobileprinting.
About Nokia
Nokia is the world leader in mobile communications. Backed by its experience, innovation, user-friendliness and reliable solutions, the company has become the leading supplier of mobile phones and a leading supplier of mobile, fixed broadband and IP networks. By adding mobility to the Internet, Nokia creates new opportunities for companies and further enriches the daily lives of people. Nokia is a broadly held company with listings on six major exchanges.
About HP
HP is a leading global provider of products, technologies, solutions and services to consumers and businesses. The company's offerings span IT infrastructure, personal computing and access devices, global services and imaging and printing. HP completed its acquisition of Compaq Computer Corporation on May 3, 2002. More information about HP is available at http://www.hp.com.
Further information:
Nokia Corporation
Nokia Mobile Phones
Communications
Tel: +358 7180 08000
E-mail: nokia.mobile.phones@nokia.com
www.nokia.com
HP
Pat Kinley
+1 (858) 655-8068
E-mail: pat.kinley@hp.com
Denise Rennman
+49 (7031) 145-8765
Email: denise.rennman@hp.com