HP delivers wireless printing, biometric solutions for Microsoft

New Orleans: HP (NYSE:HPQ) today delivered two new software development kits with Microsoft® Visual Studio .NET 2003 and .NET Compact Framework support that are available for evaluation by developers wanting to enable or create mobile applications and offer enhanced security for devices.

A first for the wireless printing industry, the HP Mobile Printing Software Development Kit (SDK) with Microsoft Visual Studio .NET support is available for evaluation and enables developers to add direct and service-based printing capabilities to Microsoft .NET Compact Framework-based applications. HP also is the first company to deliver biometrics security in support of Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003 with the HP Biometric Security Toolkit.
The HP Mobile Printing SDK is designed to simplify the development process and includes several tools for deploying high-quality applications quickly and easily through reusable components and wizard guides.

"HP is leading the industry to make wireless printing ubiquitous. The combination of HP and Microsoft technologies offers developers the opportunity to build real applications for deployment in today's market place," said Lynn Hoffmann, vice president, alliance solutions and applications division, HP Imaging and Printing Group. "HP and Microsoft share a common vision of optimizing the user experience for mobile and wireless applications and giving customers ready access to all their critical information."
With the HP Mobile Printing SDK, developers can create applications enabling users to print from HP Pocket PC devices using various Bluetooth™ wireless technology, infrared and 802.11 technologies. The SDK, which is available in a beta form on a limited basis, enables printing to a wide range of content including Microsoft PowerPoint, Word and Adobe® Acrobat.
"Microsoft is pleased to see HP working toward providing .NET Compact Framework developers the ability to print documents directly from their device applications," said Tom Button, vice president, developer and platform evangelism division, Microsoft Corp. "It's one more example of how Microsoft and its partners are bringing the full power of existing investments to the mobile developer. "

HP, ISTE, National Education Technology Standards, NETS, Educational Computing Conference, NECC, Bess Stephens, Leslie Conery