Google Cloud Print Gets a Partner in HP

HP March 31 made it possible for users of Google Cloud Print to print documents, Web pages and other files to any HP ePrint-enabled printer from any supporting Web, mobile or desktop application on any computer or smartphone.

HP is the first major printer maker to officially pick up the Cloud Print cause. Interested users will add the e-mail address of their HP ePrint-enabled Photosmart, Officejet or LaserJet Pro to their Google account. Users should then be able to print from Google apps to the selected HP printer.

Google introduced Google Cloud Print last April to allow any application to print to any printer from any computing device from Google’s cloud without installing any software.

The solution allows printing via Google’s Chrome Operating System, the Web-based OS coming on notebooks from Samsung and Acer later this year.

Google created Cloud Print because it did not want to incorporate printer drivers for every Chrome OS device, which is core to the company’s departure from printing the traditional way via printers tethered to specific Windows computers. That also means shedding USB cables between printers and computers.

Google envisions that corporate office workers will print documents from their Chrome notebook on their train ride to work, then pick up the printout when they arrive at the office. Corporate road warriors might print their airline boarding pass from their smartphone to their home printer to save time before leaving for the airport.

For more, read the eWEEK article: HP Printers Now Support Google Cloud Print.