IBM unveils eco-friendly point-of-sale printer that sets new standard for speed, accuracy and low costs

IBM today announced new eco-friendly models of its SureMark dual-station printers for use with point of sale registers. These new printers, with unmatched metrics for speed and accuracy, offer a superior point-of-sale (POS) printing solution for large and mid-market retailers.

These thermal impact printers, which have the ability to print receipts 27% faster than the closest competitor, are the latest addition to IBM’s leading line of POS printers. Because they process checks with 99.95% MICR reading accuracy, new SureMark printers can not only help speed transaction time for shoppers, but can also mean considerable savings for retailers in check processing costs. For example, the benefit of using new faster, more accurate SureMark dual-station printers, instead of the competitors,’ can save a US retailer with 200 stores (2,400 printers) as much as $1 million a year in cashier productivity.*

Retailers will enjoy the “green” aspects of this new printer, which is the first POS printer to provide full support for eco- friendly polymer film receipts, a product of Enviro-Media, Inc. Available on both standard (3.15 in) and 4-inch rolls, this 1.8mil receipt media can greatly reduce the environmental impact of two-sided paper by reducing carbon (CO₂) footprint from production and transportation. For example, over a seven-year period, a US retailer with 200 stores (2,400 printers) can reduce the CO₂ footprint enough to remove 240 cars from roads for a period of one year.* Other environmentally friendly features that help retailers curb costs and “go green” include the printer’s all-green packaging and all recyclable system components.

The capability to handle four-inch receipt rolls offers extra benefits when using thin polymer film receipt media or standard paper. The number of roll changes (4 in. v. 3.15 in rolls) can be reduced by up to 34% using the new media, or as much as 22% with paper. This means checkout lanes can keep moving with fewer interruptions, improving cashier productivity and customer satisfaction. Additionally, the new models include a paper low sensor linked to IBM Retail Systems Management software that will automatically page a store manager when a printer paper low sensor is tripped. The manager brings a new receipt roll to the cashier without interrupting transactions. Otherwise, store managers must rely on cashiers to correctly interpret and act on printer status, often resulting in delays.

Other key features include:

Retail Systems Management, a robust, and easy-to-use set of tools that can help simplify critical IT tasks, and help retailers identify and correct problems in their stores before they happen. By enabling key personnel to make in-store adjustments, systems management can help reduce costs of all types of service needs and improve field efficiency.

Light-Path Management visual indicators (LEDS) provide instant feedback that main printer components are functioning properly, making diagnosis easy and helping reduce downtime.

Tool-less snap together design, plus customer replaceable main card, interface adapter and thermal print head, help minimize service calls.

Available worldwide, new dual-station models replace Models Tx3, Tx4, and Tx5 and can easily be configured by users to print double byte character set (DBCS) or single byte character set (SBCS). Printer covers do not contain any electronics, so they can easily be changed to reflect color preferences. Communication interfaces (RS-232, RS-485, and USB 2.0) enable easy attachment to IBM’s wide range of SurePOS Series point-of-sale systems, as well as other POS systems. A compatibility mode is offered for customers who want to retain existing applications while upgrading their printers.