Star’s WebPRNT Technology Changes the Game for Cloud POS

To run a cloud POS, only an Internet connection and a browser are required to access the solution. However, in a typical retail environment, printing receipts is a must. Pairing a POS terminal with a receipt printer in a Cloud environment is a challenge. With traditional printers, the communication between the Cloud Application and the printer is achieved through the POS Terminal – that is – by installing a driver on the POS Terminal to manage the printer.

The way the traditional printers communicate with the POS and the Cloud solution means that the browser and the printer driver need to be set up together. And very often when the browser is updated, the drivers also need to be re-installed because of other conflicting updates.  When this happens, for each POS, the whole printer set up needs to be updated. Not only is this a costly and time-consuming process but it also means staff involvement is needed in each store.

In late 2013, Star Micronics announced the launch of a new technology called WebPRNT, which is a breakthrough technology for a Cloud POS like Posterita.

WebPRNT allows each printer equipped with that technology, such as the TSP650ii WebPRNT ,  to behave like a mini-server with its own IP address and its own OS. So once this printer is integrated with Posterita, no local installation or access is required anymore to make it work: just plug the printer to the network and configure its IP address so as to pair it with the right terminal.

Furthermore, WebPRNT allows the printer and the Cloud POS to communicate directly with each other so that a real dialogue takes place between them. We can remotely query the printer’s status – online, offline, out of paper etc… – as well as to ask how many receipts were printed. Even if the WebPRNT technology is a little bit more expensive, the savings in terms of time, energy make it more than worthwhile for retailers.

For assistance finding the right Cloud POS and printing solution for your business, contact one of out POS specialists at Barcodes Inc.