Printers ‘no longer hardware’

Epson has recently released a new range of hospitality and healthcare printers that are no longer just bits of hardware, but are part of an ecosystem and offer features like cloud services, digital receipts and automatic backups.

Epson recently introduced its new range of retail, hospitality and healthcare business system printers, including ‚Äòintelligent’ printers, mobile printers, and colour label printers.

Its Point Of Sale (POS) printers are no longer merely hardware, they are part of an ecosystem that supports business demands and enhances customer shopping experiences.

Even though every sale transaction requires a printed receipt, businesses are expecting so much more than just printing from their POS devices,” says Hugh Davies, Business Development Manager of Epson South Africa. “Retail is driven by e-commerce and the changing demands of customers influenced by online shopping – and brick-and-mortar environments have to adapt to keep pace with this.

One of Epson’s most sophisticated devices is the TM-T88V-DT POS system, which offers cloud based services like data analytics, loyalty programmes, coupons, rewards and digital receipts. It backs up data on a built-in server to ensure uninterrupted operations, even when an internet connection is not available.

The new Epson TMT-70ll is a reliable thermal receipt printer that can be fully operated from the front of the store. Its small footprint and accessible controls means that it can sit neatly under a counter, while its 250mm per second print speed and marginless printing make it even easier to offer great service.

Also new to the South African market is the Epson TMT-88Vi intelligent receipt printer that provides convenient and straightforward receipt printing directly from tablet PCs and other mobile devices, without the need for drivers – a LAN or WLAN connection is all that is required.

This printer is ideal for retail environments that want to offer queue-busting, or that want to offer a more seamless shopping experience, with on-the-spot transactions processed by roving cashiers armed with mobile computer devices,” says Davies.

When it comes to printing on the move, Epson has introduced three new products from its intelligent range: the Epson TM-P60II, the Epson TM-P80 and the Epson TM-P20 receipt printers.

The wireless Epson TM-P60II is able to print receipts, tickets, coupons and labels almost anywhere, directly from tablet PCs and other mobile devices. This can be done via any web browser, without the need for PCs, servers or drivers, and is easy to integrate into existing systems.

The Epson TM-P80 and Epson TM-P20 mobile printers print three inch and two inch wide receipts respectively at speeds of up to 100mm. They have been designed to be robust, with a four foot (1.2 metres) drop rating, and they support all leading mobile operating systems.

The increased popularity of home-made or artisan goods are also a strong trend locally, and Epson has launched a new colour label printer to respond to this,” Davies adds.

The Epson TM-C3500 is a high-speed, high quality colour label printer, designed for retail to print a wide variety of labels in-house, with a low cost per label. It can print labels, tickets or tags at up to 103mm per second on a wide variety of materials. Thanks to the individual pigment ink cartridges, labels dry quickly, and are long lasting and durable.

While artisan businesses are now able to keep their labelling up to scratch, Epson has also launched the TM-C7500, designed to efficiently and cost-effectively meet the needs of industrial manufacturers fulfilling high mix label requirements and variable printing demands. This label printer also makes use of Epson’s new PrecisionCore printhead technology, which has increased the printer’s production speed cost effectiveness with a high print quality end result. The Epson TM-C7500 printer will be available through its South African market channels from early 2015.

Whether it’s chemical compliance, food labelling, or private labelling of white-label products, manufacturers everywhere are facing new labelling challenges, made more complex by rising costs,” says Davies.

Epson’s strategy around POS-environment printers is focused on future-proofing the business by introducing printing and POS solutions that will lead the way that businesses evolve. “Our printers are easy to integrate into existing business systems, and are supported by Epson’s outstanding service and technology, reassuring our customers that they are not just buying a printer – they are buying a business solution supported by a team of professionals who are excited about the future of retail and industry,” concludes Davies.

* Follow Gadget on Twitter on @GadgetZA