Introduction; Market Background - Lantronix xPrintServer User Manual

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 What is the "xPrintServer"?
xPrintServer is an easy-to-use, affordable 'plug and print' hardware solution for virtually
any Apple® iOS device. The first print server of its kind, xPrintServer enables printing
from iOS AirPrint-enabled apps, such as Safari, Notes, Keynote, Pages, Mail, iPhotos,
iBooks and more – right from the native print menu on your Apple device. To use
xPrintServer, there is no need to install any printer drivers or download applications to
the iOS device. All you need to do is open the box, plug it into a network where your
network printers reside and print!
Note: xPrintServer and your printer(s) must be on same IP subnet for 'plug-and-print'
operations. The xPrintServer supports an easy to use GUI that allows configuration of
printers that are accessible on different IP subnets.

1.2 Market Background

There are 73+ million iPads users around the world
who are frustrated with the lack of an easy to use, low cost printing solution. This
customer problem is will continue to grow, especially as iPad adoption rapidly
increases:
92% of Fortune 500 companies are or will have deployed iPads by end of
•
calendar 2011
80+% of the top hospitals in the U.S. are currently testing /piloting iPads.
•
As business adoption increases, so does the challenge faced by IT departments on how
to identify, deploy and manage iOS (and specifically iPad) device printing throughout
the extended organization.
Factors Driving Current Growth:
• Mobility – Worldwide push toward "all things mobile"
• Tablets trending to cannibalize 15-20% of the PC market in 2011
• iOS tablets (iPads) represent over 95% of total tablet activations in CY'11 Q2
• Ease-of-use
• Consumer-adoption of iPad (and all tablets) are driving need for IT to support it
1
Apple. Apple website Sept 2011 (from earnings release).
2
ZDNet. September 19,2011. "SAP CIO on Tablets & Mobile Strategy for Enterprise."
3
Apple. Oct 4, 2011 iOS5 Announcement / press release.
4
IDC. IDC as quoted in "The Guardian" Sept 2011 – "IDC follows Gartner in cutting PC sales growth forecast."
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;
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(50% of whom use it for business
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),