New York, NY -- According to the Computerworld website, Dell has announced that they will be embedding document management tools in their multifunction printers as part of their entrance into the managed print services market.
This custom software will not be in all MFPs, however. It will be those for specific vertical markets: health care, education, law. The goal of this software, according to the product manager of the printing and imaging division Orlando Lacayo, is to automate printing and scanning tasks. The data will be able to be scanned directly into forms or to specific folders.
For example, Dell’s Healthcare Print Station will allow users to scan documents and then with the press of a single button, transfer that data into electronic medical records. Another nice feature for nurses is the ability to scan prescriptions directly to a pharmacy, thus reducing the potential for error.
For Dell’s Classroom Print Station as well as the Legal Print Station, will have the ability to scan documents into a network folder automatically. A further application for the Classroom Print Station is the automatic grading of tests, however that requires a Windows server with additional software.
These various tasks were developed using Java and will come with Dell's Java-ready 3333dn, 3335dn and 5535dn laser printers. The printers will be able to run each of the programs directly.
In terms of pricing, both the Legal and the Healthcare Print Stations cost $599 and the Classroom Print Station costs $1099. All three are available now and can be purchased in conjunction with the aforementioned printers. Dell hopes to develop and release similar software for more industries in the future.
Dell is a newbie in the managed print services market and has an uphill climb ahead to be able to compete with well-established companies like HP and Xerox. While much of their MPS services deal with hardware and supplies, Dell also wants to create some business in document flow.
As an aside, Dell also announced the forthcoming (June 8) release of Proximity Printing software for mobile users. The software will give the user a map of the printers that are within range and will not be brand-specific. It will be “able to reroute printing jobs … around campuses or buildings.” Downloads will be available from http://support.dell.com.
