HP taps Web 2.0 for Print 2.0

HP is tapping into the current trend for Web 2.0 user-generated content in an effort to boost its printing business.

The company's Print 2.0 strategy aims to unlock the print capabilities of emerging Web 2.0 formats as personal and professional content moves from the desktop to the internet.

"Today we are introducing a new era in printing," Vyomesh Joshi, executive vice president of HP's Imaging and Printing Group, told the Print 2.0 conference in New York.

"In today's world of 'mashed media', such as words, pictures, video and songs, the question becomes 'How will people publish this content?'" he said.

"Print 2.0 is the answer. This vision centres on empowering our customers to create and consume their content their way."

As part of the announcement, HP showcased a plug-in web publishing widget that allows blogs to be printed more easily.

HP's second key focus in the campaign will see the expansion of digital content creation and publishing platforms, such as Snapfish and Logoworks, into more consumer and enterprise areas.

The new strategy will also create a platform to increase print speeds while lowering the cost of printing for high-volume commercial markets.

Joshi said that HP's Print 2.0 strategy is designed to capture a significant share of the estimated 53 trillion digital pages which will be printed in 2010.