Summary
CloudPrint proves HP Labs has once again demonstrated vision and relevance. While enabling mobile users greatly increased flexibility in printing solutions, CloudPrint will need to resolve multiple technical and user interface concerns. Ultimately, CloudPrint will prove the continued adotpion of cloud computing.
Analysis
The first versions of the Blackberry, introduced in 1999, opened a new world in communication. For the first time, mobile professionals where able to share information in real time while multi-tasking (for example, while sitting in a meeting and needing access to financial information for a discussion, or conducting multiple simultaneous conversation threads). With the Blackberry, RIM allowed busy mobile users to do more than simply carry on a cell phone conversation.
While the first model (the 850 – I still have one in a drawer somewhere) was nothing more than a glorified pager that integrated with corporate email systems and provided calendaring, paging, and wireless internet. One key drawback (besides the inability to actually work with attachments or “real” documents) was the inability to print from the device.
Fast forward ten years. Blackberry technology is pervasive, with nearly 20 million active users and along with Apple’s iPhone has revolutionized the hand-held communications market. Still missing: the ability to easily and ubiquitously print documents from portable devices.
This week RIM announced a deal with HP to provide access to Cloud Print through the Blackberry network. One of several initiatives to emerge from the RIM / HP strategic alliance, CloudPrint is positioned to revolutionize mobile communication and information sharing.
Essentially, CloudPrint enables a user sitting in a hotel room, or a busy airport, a local coffee shop, or just about any other place where wireless internet access is available to upload email or documents to the “cloud” for immediate printing. This seemingly straight-forward concept is a major step forward in ease of real-time mobile printing, as any traveling sales rep or consultant on the road without immediate access to their laptop and a FedEx Kinko’s can attest.
Still in Beta, CloudPrint is working through numerous details both in its technical architecture and in the network of business partners providing access (e.g. CloudPrint also provides a “Find a Printer” service to view a local directory of available printers fee and free).
The technology is not without potential risks. As with all cloud technology, the hosting / transmitting data aspect of CloudPrint does, by definition, allow third party access to that data. This has been a concern in the free, commercial webmail services industry since its inception. CloudPrint will need to ensure adequate data encryption security in order to win over corporate users fiercely protective of data and document security.
Another potential obstacle to widespread adoption is the ability of CloudPrint to handle large, graphics-intensive documents. Early Beta users report technical glitches such as font size discrepancies, garbled graphics, and default settings in print drivers being changed. None of these is insurmountable and will certainly be addressed in subsequent versions of the service.
On balance, HP Labs once again delivers on the promise of pure research. CloudPrint as a value-added service from Blackberry will help advance the ease and use of mobile communications across and continue pushing the frontiers of cloud computing further.
