Lexmark Announces Web-Connected Touch-Screen Printers

Printer maker Lexmark International announced a line of all-in-one ink-jet printers aimed at small to midsize businesses that include a touch-screen interface and Web connectivity.

Lexmark said the printers, eight in all, will be released Sept. 1. The company will showcase its lineup of AIOs at the Lexmark securities analyst open house on Sept. 8 in New York City.

The new line includes three Web-connected touch-screen AIOs with Lexmark's myTouch capacitive 4.3-inch touch-screen technology. The touch-screen AIOs will be available at price points ranging from $199 to $399, the company said. Lexmark's myTouch with SmartSolutions technology employs easy-to-read graphical icons for basic AIO functions and "as needed" navigation to help SMBs more efficiently use the appliances.

SmartSolutions technology also enables one-touch "customizations"—workflows that Lexmark said eliminate repetitive tasks and pain points for each user. SmartSolutions technology has also been built to leverage third-party developers that can create tailored applications.

Examples of current widgetlike, customized solutions include shortcuts and workflows such as group faxing and scan to e-mail templates; ID card copy, which allows users to scan ID cards and print both sides of the ID on a single sheet of paper—Lexmark said this feature is particularly well-suited for small businesses such as doctor offices—and RSS feeds, which brings business, weather, sports, news or a company intranet directly to the user via the touch-screen and can be e-mailed directly from the AIO.

"This new line of AIOs enables SMBs to be more efficient and save money in today's economic environment," said Paul Rooke, Lexmark’s executive vice president and president of the company's imaging solutions division. "We've created our printers' robust new design, innovative features and break-through technologies with their needs in mind."

Lexmark’s line of AIO touch-screen printers also includes features like Vizix technology, which includes separate ink tanks and provides top speed and quality as well as wireless capability across the entire line of the new ink-jet AIO products. Lexmark claims it is the first to introduce Wireless-N (IEEE 802.11n) for customers “in need of longer range and more reliable signals for faster file transfer rates.”

In seeking to boost its green credentials, Lexmark is also touting the line’s environmentally friendly features, such as Eco Mode, which automates two-sided printing, faxing and copying, and can save businesses up to 50 percent of their paper usage, Lexmark said. Rounding out the feature set is a business card scanning solution that automatically uploads contact information to commonly used address book applications such as Microsoft Outlook, Windows CE or Palm OS.