Core Facts
•Canon Europe, world-leader in imaging solutions, today announces the launch of uniFLOW Version 5.1, extending the industry’s first single platform to manage print and scanning processes to mobile devices including smartphones, tablets and netbooks
•The solution has been developed in partnership with customers in response to specific business requirements, and is completely flexible
•Users can print remotely without connecting to a company’s local network
•Ideal for visitors to an organisation, for printing in hotels and airports when travelling for business, or for students in a university
•Organisations can measure and track usage, charge back costs and identify misuse due to the uniFLOW platform’s cost management and measurement features

Canon’s mobile print solution is an industry first
•uniFLOW V5.1 supports all internet enabled mobile devices and enables jobs to be printed across full range of devices from desktop through to MFDs and large format printers
•Goes beyond simple wireless printing, providing businesses with flexibility, scalability and complete control over mobile printing across their organisation
•uniFLOW V5.1 provides one central platform for all traditional PC-based and mobile print requirements offering organisations of all sizes the ability to cost-effectively and securely link mobile workers, contractors and even visitors to their print network
•Delivers potential revenue-making opportunities for organisations looking to charge for mobile printing on site (e.g. airport business lounges, universities and hotels)

Customer business models

There are three key business models for customers:
•Ad hoc usage, whereby customers submit a document to the uniFLOW printer and pay per print job
•Mobile printing as a service, for example in an airport lounge where it is offered as a complementary service to frequent flyers
•Internal / departmental usage, for example in a corporate environment or university where users have an account

How uniFLOW Version 5.1 works
•Users can send jobs to a uniFLOW enabled printer as easily as they can from their normal PC, without needing to download a new application or drivers
•Users can either download the uniFLOW app and submit print jobs via email or web browser
•Alternatively uniFLOW can create a print job from the body text of an email, as well as from attachments
•Neither require any drivers to be installed on a mobile device


Quotes

Paul Rowntree, European Product Marketing Director, Canon Europe:
“Recent research found that over half of workers using smartphones can’t print from their device, but want to[1]. With uniFLOW Version 5.1, organisations can offer their staff flexible ways of working, including mobile printing.

uniFLOW Version 5.1 is more comprehensive than other mobile print offerings available on the market. It goes beyond simply offering mobile printing; providing the same security, cost-control safeguards and multi-vendor device finishing options that organisations expect from networked devices – all in one integrated platform.

uniFLOW v5.1 helps businesses work more flexibly without compromising corporate security or opening themselves up to unmanaged costs. It provides an effective solution to optimise an organisation’s MFD and to provide innovative services like remote printing for visitors or for managing student printing.”

[1] Source: IDC http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS22819211