Intermec Unveils Fastest and Only Smart Rugged Mobile Receipt and Invoice Printers

(Product News, 20 Jul 2009)

Intermec has announced the addition of three rugged mobile printers to its PB product family – the PB21, PB31 and PB51. The printers feature two times more memory, print twenty to thirty percent faster than competing solutions, and are the industry’s only “Smart” rugged mobile receipt and invoice printers. The two, three, and four inch printers enable mobile workforces in route accounting, transportation and logistics, retail and field service applications to print high quality, graphically complex receipts.

The printers’ unrivaled reliability and durability allow customers to decrease maintenance costs resulting from hardware failure and associated support. With a wide temperature range, humidity and IP54 seal ratings, six and a half foot (two meter) drop specification, and 50g shock rating, the new rugged mobile printers can withstand the rigors of the most demanding environments.

"At a time when maximizing efficiencies and reducing costs is paramount, there is an increasing demand for high quality fast printing," said Pete Basiliere, Research Director at Gartner. "This not only impacts worker productivity and ROI, but also enables more transactions to be completed."

By eliminating the need for a host computer and its associated support costs and complexity, Intermec Smart Printers deliver a complete solution at a lower total cost of ownership. Through Intermec Smart Printing, the PB family puts the power of a personal computer into the printer, enabling user-defined receipt and invoice applications to be hosted on the printer for stand-alone use.

For in-premise or field mobility applications where a host computer is used, the PB printers offer Bluetooth or 801.11b/g secure wireless connectivity as well as serial and USB wired connectivity. When PB printers are used with Intermec mobile computers like the recently announced CN50 and CN4 and with Intermec Browser software, transaction time can be reduced by up to an additional 30 percent. The PB receipt and invoice printers also include an optional card reader which is compatible with the latest EMV and ISO secure payment standards.

The printers can also reduce operational costs because they are simple to deploy, configure and manage. The PB21, PB31, and PB51 support Intermec SmartSystems, simplifying integration into existing systems and providing remote device management capabilities. Additionally, SmartSystems Asset and Battery Analysis Reporting enables users to easily track mobile assets and proactively manage battery replacement requirements, reducing the risk of downtime.

Intermec Global Services provides best-in-class product support, repair, education and advanced service for the PB21, PB31 and PB51, including Medallion® Complete Service that delivers post-purchase confidence through committed repair response times and competitive pricing terms - all backed by Intermec reliability.

“The PB21, PB31, and PB51 deliver unparalleled productivity, efficiency, and cost savings benefits for our customers,” said Earl Thompson, Sr. Vice President of the Mobile Solutions Business Unit. “By delivering the industry’s fastest and most advanced real-time information capture and management product and services portfolio, Intermec is not only empowering customers to meet and exceed today’s demands, but to ensure profitability in the future.”