Epson Begins Shipping Bluetooth Wireless Printing Solution

March 20, 2002--Epson America Inc., a leader in high-quality, award-winning digital imaging products, has begun shipping its Bluetooth Print Adapter. The only Bluetooth print accessory branded from a major printer vendor, Epson's solution is compatible with several Epson printers, giving customers maximum flexibility and an economical, single-vendor solution. With the Bluetooth Print Adapter from Epson, customers can wirelessly print from various Bluetooth-enabled portable devices, including not only their Windows laptop computers but also handheld computing devices, such as Palm and PocketPC handheld computers, and in the future from their cellular telephones. The adapter, which connects to the printer's parallel port, can be used with the EPSON Stylus C80, EPSON Stylus C60, EPSON Stylus Photo 1280, EPSON Stylus Photo 890 and EPSON Stylus Photo 820. Other Epson printer models with parallel ports are also supported using Microsoft Windows Uni/Mini printer drivers.

"Mobile professionals want convenience and portability rather than the tether of cables, but also often need to print hard copies of important documents," said Mitch Kadish, senior product manager, connectivity products, Epson. "As a result, we believe wireless printing will be one of the most valuable applications of Bluetooth technology for them. Epson's state-of-the-art, yet economically priced, solution will give the option of printing without sacrificing mobility."

Bluetooth is an easy-to-use, low-cost 2.4 Ghz radio frequency technology that allows for short-range communications between a wide variety of digital devices such as laptop computers, cell phones, handheld computers, printers and others. Bluetooth-enabled devices, which automatically detect the presence of other enabled devices, can communicate with each other within a 10-meter range without the need for cables. Unlike devices using infrared technology, devices using Bluetooth wireless communication technology do not require a clear line of sight to communicate, but rather just have to be within the designated range. It is estimated that by 2005 several hundred million devices will be Bluetooth-enabled.

Pricing, Availability, Warranty and Support
The Bluetooth Print Adapter from Epson is compatible with and includes software that enables printing from various laptops, Palm handhelds and PocketPC devices. A complete list of these compatible devices, as well as compatible Epson printers is available at www.epson.com/bluetooth. This list will be updated as more products are added.

The adapter will be available through PDA and laptop vendors selling Bluetooth products, distributors, mail order and etailers, including the Epson retail Web site (www.epsonstore.com), for an estimated street price of $129. It is supported by the EPSON Connection(SM), a customer support and technical assistance line and carries a one-year Epson Exchange Limited Warranty, enabling customers to receive a replacement adapter if a problem cannot be corrected by telephone technical support. More information on Epson and its products is available by phone at 1-800-GO-EPSON (1-800-463-7766) or online at www.epson.com.

SOURCE Businesswire