“The enormous amount of feedback we got from the HP Workpath team running this development was like a warm bath. The service was excellent, very accurate, timely and helpful and we are very pleased to work with HP because we both share the same end-user focus.”
Users can select to print or pay for goods instantly with their mobile phone or company RFID card
Dutch company, Kuario, wanted to develop an app that would enable users to print cloud-based documents using their mobile phone. The Kuario print kiosk app can be used in two ways — to print from a mobile device or to purchase and pay for items from a vending machine. Purchases are processed and paid from an existing Kuario payment account. The HP Workpath team provided valuable support for the development.
Challenge – New mobile print app
Kuario is a spin-off from the Inepro group which has 25 years’ experience developing and manufacturing apps and software for the print industry. Inepro specializes in manufacturing cash and RFID pay solutions for environments that have multiple printers and vending machines such as school and university campuses, shared offices, libraries, post offices or supermarkets.
“We wanted to go to the next step and combine all the knowledge Inepro has on printing and vending to create a future-proof solution for paying with your mobile device at any type of self-service kiosk,” explains Kuario’s Company & Commercial Director, Arnold Cornelis.
The Kuario team wanted to build something completely different from existing platforms with a cloud-based mobile payment solution that would be suitable for all paid facilities.
“When you have the Kuario app and the printer is Kuario enabled, you can get any document accessible to you in the cloud, printed out and paid for – that’s truly unique.”
– Arnold Cornelis, Company & Commercial Director, Kuario
Solution – Assistance from HP Workpath
To develop its new app, Kuario wanted to collaborate with an expert printer manufacturer. It had done some previous work with Samsung, so with HP acquiring Samsung, the activities moved very naturally to the HP Workpath developer portal.
The HP Workpath for Android mobile SDK enables any Android mobile app developer to easily integrate network secure scanning and printing from HP devices into any existing Android mobile app.
“When we were introduced to HP Workpath we immediately understood that it could be a very big opportunity for us to develop the Android kiosk app that we were already working on. It would enable us to make quick steps and fast development improvements,” says Cornelis.
“The HP Workpath team was extremely enthusiastic, honest and open, and always gave solid feedback. We received useful documentation, had regular meetings and whenever we had a question, even though they are on different time zones, we got an immediate response. They were excellent.
“We value our relationship with HP and we both see the opportunities of growth together. We believe that developing with HP Workpath is twice as fast as trying to develop something for other vendors and brands,” he notes.
Workpath enabled testing on many more models, using HP Verification and Validation services to provide useful feedback on aspects such as functionality, security and compliance – particularly important since Kuario is a fully-licensed payment agency with stringent security and GDPR requirements.
Benefits – Multi-kiosk focus
Cornelis explains, “Everywhere multi-kiosks converge into a single environment – we have a solution for that.”
When a user has the Kuario app on their phone, and when the target device is also Kuario enabled, users can transfer any cloud-based document to the printer and have it printed out and paid for. RFID cards can also be used so you can leave your mobile phone on your desk, walk up to the device, swipe your company card and it will print and automatically charge you.
“It’s a major benefit to us that HP has created an app center for every printer, so users can go there to download apps to the device. We can easily get all HP resellers on board via this app center and that will enable us to grow globally in a huge way. It really fits with our own road to market strategy,” comments Cornelis.
“When you have the Kuario app and the printer is Kuario enabled, you can get any document accessible to you in the cloud, printed out and paid for – that’s truly unique.”
