Canon, HP, Samsung and Xerox Launch Mopria Alliance

Canon, HP, Samsung and Xerox today launched the Mopria Alliance, a global non-profit membership organisation formed to promote, simplify and increase accessibility of wireless printing from smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices. The Mopria Alliance will focus on breaking down barriers between brands by eliminating the need for users to download multiple print drivers, creating a better – easier and more accessible – user experience for mobile printing, introducing the Mopria brand and using the brand as a vehicle to educate consumers and businesses on the ease-of-use of mobile printing, providing an open environment and tools for software developers to incorporate print into mobile applications and influencing the development and adoption of standards for mobile printing.
Canon Press Release
CANON, HP, SAMSUNG AND XEROX LAUNCH ALLIANCE TO DRIVE SIMPLE MOBILE PRINTING
Mopria Alliance addresses customer and industry need for simple, standardised, brand-agnostic mobile printing
London, UK. September 24, 2013 – Canon, HP, Samsung Electronics and Xerox today launched the MopriaTM Alliance, a global non-profit membership organisation formed to promote, simplify and increase accessibility of wireless printing from smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices.
The Mopria Alliance aims to bring together the mobile, software and print industries with the goal of aligning to standards that make printing universally compatible from any mobile device to any printer anywhere. The Mopria Alliance will focus on:
· Breaking down barriers between brands by eliminating the need for users to download multiple print drivers
· Creating a better – easier and more accessible – user experience for mobile printing
· Introducing the Mopria brand and using the brand as a vehicle to educate consumers and businesses on the ease-of-use of mobile printing
· Influencing the development and adoption of standards for mobile printing
· Providing an open environment and tools for software developers to incorporate print into mobile applications
By standardising mobile printing technologies, the Mopria Alliance will enable mobile app developers and other industry players to focus resources on innovation and new features beyond maintaining basic print functions.
Addressing an Industry Need
By the end of 2013, the number of mobile-connected devices will exceed the number of people on Earth[1], changing the way people do everything from capturing memories to managing work on the go. Currently, 40% of employees use their own smart phones in the workplace, and in the next three years, the number is expected to increase to 56%[2]. While the BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) trend has become second nature for many employees and businesses, printing from mobile devices has not.
Today more than 24% of smartphone and 32%of tablet users want to be able to print from their devices and by 2015, 50% of smart phone users and 58% of tablet users will want to print[3] The Mopria Alliance will ensure this need is met with simple, ubiquitous wireless print capability across software, mobile and print devices.
Mopria Alliance Customer Benefit Goals
· Consumers: Will be able to print from their mobile device without having to manually connect to a printer or install software. They will rely on an intuitive and simple user experience that is consistent across devices and printers at work, at home and on-the-go.
· Mobile Device Manufacturers: Will no longer need to align with each individual printer manufacturer in order to deploy mobile print functionality.
· Printer Manufacturers: Will provide ongoing print function compatibility with mobile devices without continual re-engineering and development with different mobile device manufacturers or service providers.
· Application Designers and Developers: Will increase the value and productivity for their mobile applications by integrating mobile printing through standardised and simplified SDKs and APIs.
· Service Providers: Will be able to offer simple accessible mobile printing as a value-add for customers.
Initial Software Developers deploying the standard
A number of software developers plan to introduce applications equipped with Mopria Alliance standards so users can soon begin experiencing the benefits of mobile printing:
· Adobe
· Papyrus
· HP Live Photo
· Diptic
[1] See http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/mobile-phone-world-population-2014/
[2] InfoTrends. Is Printing from Mobile Devices Ready to Take Off? July 2012
[3] IDC: Mobile Device Users/Non-Users: Print, Scan, Document Management, March 2013
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