From disaster management to infrastructure construction, the ability of different government agencies to coordinate their efforts and work together is a key element to success. Government groups and NGOs alike recognise the need to work efficiently across different sectors without sacrificing data accuracy or spending unnecessary funds. In an emergency situation, the military, NGOs, healthcare providers and response teams need to coordinate their efforts and keep up-to-date with changes in the affected area, even when working in remote or widespread locations. This process can be tedious and time-consuming. It involves risks in the accuracy, privacy and timeliness of the information disposed. It also takes a bigger chunk off government coffers when it involves numerous computing hardware and software, resulting in high energy consumption.

FutureGov talked to Guayente Sanmartin, Director, Large Format Printing, HP Asia Pacific, about the role of large format printing in addressing these challenges. As the first web-connected eMFP in the large format industry, the HP Designjet T2300 eMFP can have a significant and fundamental change in the way government agencies work together. It presents an innovative, seamless solution to glitches and delays that occur when various groups collaborate on projects, communicate changes in plans and share new modifications. It will also be useful in disaster response situations, laboratory records, architectural and engineering plans. Governments stand to benefit from the Designjet T2300 by enhancing and speeding up their disaster management and response operations. Sanmartin explains, “When we looked into response and recovery situations to see the critical aspect that technology had to provide, one of the key elements was business continuity. The minute you have the Designjet T2300 printer, you’re going to have access to your entire library of up-to-date maps and files”.

Mobility & Collaboration
The Designjet T2300 enables file management with its HP ePrint and Share, through which users upload, share and download files right from / to the printer. In essence, the HP ePrint and Share becomes an online collaboration system – different groups can share and manage files with one another by accessing HP ePrint and Share through a laptop or a mobile device (e.g., a Smartphone). An added mobility feature that HP plans to activate on June 2011 is the ability to access HP ePrint and Share directly from the T2300 even without the use of a computer. This advantage can be maximised in emergency and disaster situations, such as in having the latest maps and most updated topography views of an area that has been damaged by an earthquake or flood.

In a flood situation, for example, rescue personnel in the field realises that there has been a change in infrastructure or a modification in the area’s layout – the flood may have wiped out a bridge indicated on the map. The personnel would be able to modify the map on the field and scan it back into the HP ePrint and Share, allowing headquarters and concerned agencies to have immediate access to the modified map. Such collaboration is also required in infrastructure construction projects, wherein engineers, designers, architects and contractors need the latest plans and design modifications to ensure quality and accuracy. An in-box vectorisation software simplifies the process of digitising any handwritten notes or changes to a map. Added to that, a preview screen on the printer’s panel allows the user to check a preview of the image to avoid printing errors.

Simplicity
The Designjet T2300 minimises space usage by combining scanning and printing functions in one relatively compact device. The device includes a touchscreen interface on its panel with intuitive menus that simplify the entire process. One may also plug a USB storage device directly into the printer and access this data through the Designjet T2300 without a computer. To keep pace with technological developments, the Web-connected T2300 enables automatic upgrade functionality. This ensures a seamless integration with existing and changing IT infrastructure whilst saving time and cost in searching for software updates for the printer. The T2300 eMFP will be available for orders on November 1st 2010, and although HP has not disclosed pricing, it is expected to be a real breakthrough on that front as well.