Embedded Equitrac

It’s no longer just the copier companies that are embedding 3rd party software solutions on their control panels. Hewlett-Packard and Equitrac announced that Equitrac’s job tracking and cost management software has now been embedded on a wide variety of HP’s high-en multifunctionals, from the 24ppm Color LaserJet 9500mfp to the 50ppm LaserJet 9050mfp.

The Equitrac software is integrated into the HP control panel, so that users can, for example, enter in a security code before sending or retrieving a job. It comes in two forms, an Express version and a high-end Office version (aimed at larger businesses). The software allows for user authentication and access control, job tracking, cost assignment, reporting, and enforcement of corporate print policies.

Of course, there are Equitrac versions integrated into most of the major copier lines now. What is interesting is how HP’s top MFPs are offering the same kind of enterprise solutions that were once a major differentiator between the copier-based multifunctionals and the printer-based ones. The line between copiers and printers gets narrower all the time.