Zebra's Next Generation QLn320™ Mobile Printer Drives Mobility in Retail and Healthcare Sectors

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Zebra Technologies

22 Jun, 2011, 09:00 GMT

BOURNE END, England, June 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Industry-first Ethernet device management and Zebra-exclusive smart battery technology enable customers to reduce operational expenses and improve efficiencies


Zebra Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: ZBRA), a recognised global leader in bar code, kiosk, card and RFID printing  as well as real-time location solutions, today announced the immediate availability of its new QLn 320™ mobile printer.

According to research released by VDC in 2011, the mobile worker population exceeded one billion in 2010 and with an increasingly mobile and distributed workforce, is expected to grow by over 10% over the next three years. Zebra addresses this growing workforce with the QLn320, the third generation of the QL printer.

"Demand for mobile printers continues to scale, spurred by the proliferation of secure wireless networks and the benefits associated with printing on-demand," says Tom Wimmer, Director of the AutoID and Transaction Processing Practice at VDC.  "At the same time, total cost of ownership has become a leading purchase consideration for enterprises evaluating mobile devices.  Since deployment costs rarely account for more than 30% of TCO, knowledgeable users are increasingly focused on reducing productivity losses associated with hardware failure, and managing spiraling IT support costs.  Leading mobile device suppliers understand these requirements, and are responding with smarter products designed to address them."

The QLn320 builds on the success of over 700,000 QL printers shipped to date by squarely addressing the primary request made by Zebra's customer advisory board: reduce the cost of operation. The QLn320 does this by including the industry's first Ethernet connection for mobile printers. By enabling remote status collection and better device management, the printer helps reduce service time and maximises printer uptime, delivering a greater return-on-investment.

The QLn320 is also the first printer with Zebra's new Power Smart Print Technology™. This new feature delivers faster processing and throughput with lower power drain, giving mobile workers better quality printing and more uptime on the job. Zebra's 'smart battery' technology on the QLn320 displays charge and overall battery health which minimises downtime as compared to older, poor-performing batteries that do not last entire shifts.

"Historically the QL printer line has provided our customers with the productivity and durability required to keep their businesses functioning efficiently," said Kevin Davies, product manager, Zebra Technologies EMEA.  "The innovation and expanded features of the QLn320 are a result of Zebra's deep industry understanding. We have worked with our customers to identify their pain points and meet their evolving needs as the mobility market changes."

The QLn also improves on the previous QL models by offering:

  • Easy integration: Backwards compatibility with the QL and QL Plus printers lets users upgrade to the QLn320 without changing media or label formats, network and other infrastructure.
  • Global reach: Zebra's Unicode[TM] UTF-16-compliant Global Printing Solution offers right-to-left printing capabilities, giving companies around the world the option to print in many languages. (available Q3, 2011)
  • Increased memory: Additional RAM and flash provide memory for complex fonts, graphics and images, and faster throughput.
  • Improved user interface: Larger, easier to read display with 5-way navigation, help menus and alerts.

The QLn320™ for 3-inch-wide printing is now available immediately in EMEA through Zebra's vast network of channel partners. For more information, please call +44 (0)1628 556000 or visit http://www.zebra.com/qln320. The QLn220™ for 2-inch-wide printing will be available in Q3 in 2011. For more information please visit http://www.zebra.com.

About Zebra Technologies
Zebra Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: ZBRA) gives customers visibility of critical assets, people and transactions through a broad range of printing and location technologies.  Our bar code, card, kiosk and RFID printers as well as real-time location solutions have made us a recognized global leader in providing enabling solutions that identify, track, and manage critical assets, people and transactions for improved business efficiencies. For more information about Zebra's solutions, visit http://www.zebra.com.