SAN FRANCISCO - October 17, 2007 - HP  today announced new relationships and print capabilities with several major web properties -- including Disney.com, Windows Live Spaces, Flickr and the Graffiti Application for Facebook -- to make it easy for people to print relevant, customized content from the web.
The relationships, the latest development in HP's Print 2.0 strategy, will offer Internet users new and enhanced printing options to control what they print and how they print it.
In September alone, there were more than 267 million visits to these partners' sites.(1) Each visit represents an opportunity to provide an improved customer experience as well as to merchandise digital content in new and compelling ways.
To enable these experiences, HP is using Web 2.0 technologies such as those developed by Tabblo, a company HP acquired in March. HP unveiled its strategy to improve web printing in May and announced new partners and tools in August. To date, the company has print-enabled a variety of leading websites, from entertainment to travel.
"People are frustrated with printing from the web -- it's often wasteful and rarely do the pages print with the information laid out on the page the way you want," said Vyomesh Joshi, executive vice president, Imaging and Printing Group, HP. "HP has the technology and the expertise to create a web-printing experience that's relevant, empowering customers to transform their personal content in new and exciting ways."
Joshi and other HP executives will speak to the challenges and opportunities of web-based printing at the Web 2.0 Summit taking place this week in San Francisco. In addition to an HP booth on the show floor, the following presentations are scheduled:
- "A Conversation with Vyomesh Joshi" - Thursday, Oct. 18, 1:45 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. PT, the Palace Hotel's Grand Ballroom.
- A workshop with Tabblo's Antonio Rodriguez, "Using Printing to Take the Web Places It's Never Gone Before" - Wednesday, Oct. 17, 10 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. PT, the Palace Hotel's Marina Room.
Making the web easier to print
Graffiti Application for Facebook -- More than 7.75 million Facebook members are registered Graffiti users. The Graffiti widget allows users to "draw" on their friend's profiles or decorate their own profiles. Now, thanks to HP's Tabblo technology, users can print their masterpieces. With more than 33 million pieces of graffiti and 600,000 daily active "graffiti artists," Tabblo technology allows these digital assets to be transformed into real-world artwork for a locker, cork board or frame. Examples of Graffiti and the printing application are available at www.drawmegraffiti.com/hp.php.
Microsoft Windows Live Spaces -- In August, HP announced that Snapfish had been selected by Microsoft to provide online printing capabilities for customers of Windows Live Spaces, part of the Windows Live suite of services. The success of this venture led to HP's Tabblo technology now powering a blog-printing feature on the latest release of Windows Live Spaces. To view this printing feature, click on the print button at http://anniemacgarden.spaces.live.com/blog/.
Merchandising digital content for print
Disney.com -- HP is working with Disney to enable Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus fans to create a one-of-a-kind memory book memento by combining their content with exclusive images from the popular Disney star's upcoming tour. At the Disney.com XD site (www.disney.com/hannah), parents (or fans age 13 and older) will be able to combine their own photos with exclusive Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus images and stickers to create a personalized "MyConcert Memory Book."
Using HP's Tabblo technology, parents and fans can print their books at home for free or order a professional-quality version from HP through a print service provider. The site will be live just in time for the concert tour kicking off on Oct. 18 in St. Louis.
Flickr -- Starting this week, Flickr, one of the world's leading online photo-sharing communities, will feature HP's Tabblo technology on their "Do More with Your Photos" (http://www.flickr.com/tour/makestuff) page. Flickr members can use Tabblo's web-based application to turn their photo collections into a variety of creative projects (for example, collages, photo cubes and 4 x 6-inch prints) and also, for the first time, easily print them at home. Flickr members additionally will be able to order projects such as photo journals, mini-books, posters and postcards through Tabblo.
HP also is teaming with Flickr with the planned launch of the HP Community Mosaic -- a digital mosaic that will be created from photos submitted by Flickr members. Inspired by HP's "What do you have to say?" global marketing campaign, the mosaic encourages people to express themselves individually by contributing photos that relate to specific topics, such as pets or flowers. Collectively, the photos from the Flickr community will be expressed through a dynamic, custom mosaic design.
Over time, the mosaic will grow and change as new topics and photos are added, and people will be able to customize and print their favorite mosaics. The program is expected to launch in mid-November.
More information and other materials related to HP's Print 2.0 strategy, as well as the company's presence at the Web 2.0 Summit, are available in an online press kit at www.hp.com/go/web20summit.