April 20, 2005

Wireless Gets Even Better: BlackBerry Prints Via Bluetooth

Technologists, guys/gals on the cutting edge of technology have the most fun and productivity it seems.

At the Wireless Enterprise Symposium 2005 in Orlando, ThinPrint, a software manufacturer and BlackBerry ISV Alliance Member, will present an innovative Bluetooth printing solution for BlackBerry(R).

The new software, Content Beamer for BlackBerry, offers users of Bluetooth(R)-capable BlackBerry devices, developed by Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM), a way to print emails and attachments from printers with a Bluetooth interface. The menu option for printing can be integrated directly into the BlackBerry device menu, and the file doesn't have to be downloaded onto the BlackBerry device for printing. Instead, a highly compressed print file is sent to the BlackBerry device. Therefore, it is possible to print the document in less time than it would take to download.

All documents, including complex documents such as blueprints or technical diagrams, can be printed in original format with Content Beamer for BlackBerry.

For security, the ThinPrint solution uses the advanced security features of BlackBerry Enterprise Server(TM). Print jobs are created from the server component of the Content Beamer for BlackBerry and sent via BlackBerry Enterprise Server to the mobile device. Both servers are behind a firewall. For security reasons, the only accepted Bluetooth printers are those to which the BlackBerry user has previously explicitly established a connection. Content Beamer for BlackBerry supports all conventional print languages, like PCL, PostScript, etc. Bluetooth communication is sent either via the built-in Bluetooth interface or a small Bluetooth adapter.

"We've already had enormous demand for our new solution, as many BlackBerry enterprise users are looking for new ways to print documents, while on the go," reports Carsten Mickeleit, Managing Director at ThinPrint GmbH.

"As the popularity of BlackBerry continues to grow and the use of wireless email is increasingly interwoven in our customers' daily workflow, convenient and easy printing solutions like ThinPrint will help increase flexibility and productivity for mobile professionals," said Mark Guibert, Vice President, Corporate Marketing at Research In Motion.

ThinPrint plans to make the new solution available in the middle of this year.

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