Words and Photos by: Ms. KC Calpo

HP Imaging and Printing Group Asia Pacific/Japan unveiled to the regional IT media last week their secret to eradicating workplace hassles involving printing. From April 16 to 17 of this year, we were privy to what makes HP's Edgeline technology the next step in network printing efficiency, convenience and security. I had the honor of being there to cover the regional launch and represent HWM Philippines, and my companions, for their respective companies and publications.

HWM Singapore's Deputy Editor, Justin Ong, has already delved into Edgeline, the four-year road it took to get to its current state, what sets it apart from the rest and what it can do for enterprises and high-volume printer users in his online coverage (click here to read). We, in turn, present you what went on during the event itself. Don't forget to look for our in-depth coverage in the June 2007 issue of HWM Philippines!

Kelly Tan, the Vice President for Enterprise and Specialty Printing for HP IPG Asia Pacific/Japan, formally opens the two-day event with an introduction of what makes Edgeline a logical solution for enterprises who print in high volume. Enumerating the various challenges that face businesses today with regard to printing, she segued into the solutions that can be done, such as shifting to what HP calls Total Printing Management. Among the requirements for TPM include streamlining operations, reduction of overall costs of supplies, increasing the amount of network security, and the introduction of services that alleviate the need for multiple programs and requirements (such as HP's Universal Print Driver). She also enumerated the achievements that HP has under its belt, as well as their current position in the worldwide printing market.

During his turn at the mic, Gary Cutler, HP's Vice President and General Manager for Edgeline Technologies, expounds on the history of Edgeline, its pillars and essentials. Additionally, he provided hard data on the printing routines of most offices using both monochromatic and color multifunction printers, and the benefits that their new range of Edgeline-equipped multifunction printers will give high-volume printing environments.

After the main program, we then followed a day-long round-robin structure of talks (a.k.a. “Breakouts”) with various HP representatives. The PH delegation was lucky enough to experience these Breakouts in the correct order.

The discussion on IT infrastructure challenges and how to optimize that infrastructure was undertaken by Andy The, Business Development Manager for HP IPG Asia Pacific/Japan. The most viable approach is to maximize the productivity of your available equipment, assess the costs and amount of usage associated with the fleet, and take out those that are not really needed or frequently used. He also stressed the fact that security should be of utmost importance, and that management and monitoring of the infrastructure is also a key ingredient.

Breakout #2 gave us a half hour with Horacio Miranda, Manager for Enterprise Strategy and Business Development, HP IPG Asia Pacific/Japan. Tackling Environment Management, he underlined the various obstacles that come with keeping work environment as efficient as possible, and how to strategize, control and maximize the existing infrastructure. He also enumerated the many ways in which HP can aid in management duties, with its contributions taking the form of HP's Web JetAdmin, Imaging and Printing service consultants, and secure access solutions, among others.

Workflow facilitation and acceleration was the main concern during Breakout #3, held by Michael Phoon, Enterprise Sales Director, HP IPG Asia Pacific/Japan. It is a logical next step: along with the changes in infrastructure would also come changes in how the workplace will go about their business. The importance of Edgeline as a complete high-volume printing solution comes into play in this Breakout, as well as sets up the product demonstrations to be done.

The capabilities of the HP Color LaserJet CM4730 MFP Series and the HP 9250c Digital Sender were demonstrated by Gordon Tan of HP Imaging and Printing Group, Asia Pacific/Japan. Among the perks that the CM4730 has are the ease of use and management, as well as the emphasis on network security, not to mention the capability for remote management via the HP Web JetAdmin program. The 9250c, on the other hand, shortens the amount of time needed to convert paper data into various digital formats, and adds security features when forwarding these files to networks or via e-mail.

On it was to another room to catch HP IPG Asia Pacific/Japan's Paul Lim and Garphy Chang's demos for the HP CM8060/CM8050 Color MFPs with Edgeline and the HP DesignJet T1100 and T610 Printer Series.

Touted to print at an very fast rate --- a maximum of 60PPM in mono and 50PPM using color --- the HP CM8060 also shares with its sibling features such as a handy internal guide called the HP AutoNav, a user-friendly Easy Select Control Panel, and affordable supplies via the HP Vivera office line. The HP CM8050, in turn, produce a maximum of 50 pages per minute when using black and white mode, and 40PPM in color.

Catering to those in the architectural, engineering and design industries (among other possible businesses), the DesignJet T1100 and T610 provide its users with detailed output as well as quick printing times. The DesignJet T610 is perfect for large-format printouts with a professional touch, while the T1100 brings with it up to 40GB of HDD space for huge printing jobs, is Gigabit Ethernet-ready, and can produce as much as 52 pages on A1 format in an hour.

The PH delegation again had luck on our side, for right after the demos, we got in some quality time with Mr. Gary Cutler, the Vice President and General Manager for Edgeline Technologies for HP. What transpired during the group interview (as well as more detailed descriptions of the launched products) will be revealed in our June 2007 issue.

The second day of the junket consisted mainly of a case study of the implementation of HP's solutions and their impact on the daily printing needs and output of the Korean Exchange Bank. From an organization that used more than five thousand printers and copiers in all their offices and branches, KEB reduced this by 68% and experienced a 20% estimated amount of savings upon using HP's Managed Printing Solutions for a six-month period. Additionally, there is now increased office space and scope of duties, and added importance to the value of each piece of paper used.

Taken in tandem with the previous day's activities and points of discussion, it was definitely a good idea to bring in an actual organization that has already experienced the results of HP's solutions. Unlike many products that banked on hype before the actual implementation (only to let consumers down in the end), the KEB presentation was clear proof that HP's claims are fully substantiated.

So, there you have it. Many thanks to Hewlett-Packard Asia Pacific/Japan and Strategic Works Inc. for giving us the chance to see the power of Edgeline for ourselves, and for three wonderful days in Beijing!