SEOUL, Korea – March 12, 2015 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. unveiled its Smart UX Software Developer Kit to open up Android’s abundant features on Samsung’s new Multifunction Printer lines(MFP). This will make it possible for In-House Developers, Independent Software Vendors, System Integrators and Value Added Resellers to develop Android applications for Samsung MFPs.
“We believe that printers should be as user-friendly as a mobile. Based on this firm belief, we introduced the first Android-based Smart UX center in 2014. It has shown that people can use apps to do great and productive work right on their printer – just as they do on their mobiles,” said David SW Song, Senior Vice President of Strategy Marketing and Sales, Printing Solutions, Samsung Electronics. “Our in-house apps have received great feedback from our partners; but we know they would love to offer even more customization, and that’s why we launched the SDK.
With its unlimited extensibility of printer functions, the SDK will encourage developers to create a wider range of apps that will be customized for the individual needs and business workflows of print users. The SDK will expand our current professional partnership and provide better user experiences that you would have never expected from a printer.”
Simple to Use, Easy to Deploy Tool for Customizing Your Office Printer
The Smart UX SDK is an Android™-based open interface technology for Samsung’s new MFP (Smart UX Device Series). The Smart UX SDK provides a comprehensive suite of features to allow application developers to integrate features such as copying, scanning, and printing into Android applications in a secure manner. With numerous “easy to use, easy to deploy” Android-based APIs, Samsung expects to see more optimized apps that will improve productivity and efficiency of each vertical market.
Developers can explore a broad range of options through sample scenarios and test their app before installing it with Smart UX Simulator. The apps submitted are evaluated and registered at the Samsung Printing App Center[1], alongside our own apps.
Key Benefits of App Center and Smart UX SDK
The primary beneficiaries of the App Center and the SDK are end-users. Individual firms and organizations can now extend the functionalities of printers to meet their specific needs. Downtime during system updates and switching of firmware can also be replaced with quick downloads of an app. All together, the office workflow can be optimized through installation of apps that are tailored to their specific requirements.
Resellers should also find these features useful. Customized apps mean that they can proactively respond to customer requests. There are benefits for independent software developers too. The SDK is simple and easy to use and will eliminate any pain points when it comes to integrating additional functionalities into printer applications.
Current Print Applications in Smart UX Center
The Android™ based Smart UX Center serves as a platform for mobile apps to expand their existing printer functions tailored to customer needs. It has received positive feedback from users for its usability and convenience. There are currently 10 printer apps and 2 widgets that can be downloaded directly to the printer from the Printing App Center website (printingapps.samsung.com).
Here is a selection of the available apps and their features:
Workbook Composer: With the Workbook Composer app you can drag and crop one part of the document from the full document and print or save it to a folder, e-mail or other designated locations. This app is particularly handy in educational and legal settings, when using many different sources, or compiling information scattered across many files.
HanCom Office: You don’t need to go back to your computer to correct errors you find on your printout. The HanCom office app allows you to view and edit Office and Hwp files directly at the printer. With the Smart UX Center, the entire process is just the same as if you would work on a tablet.
Smart color manager: This app makes it easier to manage the color settings at the printer. If your company or organization uses the office printer for brochures or designs, this is the app for you. You can check and fine tune the color table before you print, or create and save a color profile of your company’s color scheme.
Another benefit of having a tablet mounted on a printer is that you can create customized widgets too. For example, these built-in widgets can check quickly toner levels, printing volumes or see key device information such as the IP name.
Samsung’s new Smart UX SDK is now available for download at the Samsung Developer Site (developer.samsung.com).
