Intel Enhances The Intel Netportexpress Family

Intel Enhances The Intel Netportexpress Print Server Family

Intel New Zealand today announced a software upgrade for the Intel® NetportExpress™ print servers, which will give Information Technology (IT) administrators even more ways to easily and flexibly connect printers anywhere on their networks for high-performing, reliable network printing.

A print server allows multiple people to share a printer, which ultimately saves the company time and money. Expensive, special-purpose printers – such as colour lasers – can be shared among many people, versus on an individual basis.

The Intel NetportExpress print server upgrade offers customers simplified printer installation with the updated Automatic Printer Setup feature, provides valuable printer status information for users of Novell*-based networks, and enables serial-port printing and control of non-printing devices for added network flexibility.

“With industry leading performance, the Intel NetportExpress print server family meets the demands of today’s network printers and is well positioned to accommodate the needs of tomorrow,” said Scott Gilmour, General Manager, Intel New Zealand. “The upgrade rounds out the support for most mainstream operating systems and gives IT administrators the choice of using their preferred user interface to remotely configure and manage network printers.”

New Features for Intel® NetportExpress™ Print Servers
The Automatic Printer Setup makes the Intel NetportExpress Print Server family the first to automate printer driver updates; printers can be installed simply by clicking on an e-mail attachment.

In addition, the Intel NetportExpress print server family now includes bi-directional serial-port communication, which enables serial-port printing and control of non-printing devices for added network flexibility. Customers can also find easier and more flexible printer management with Windows* 2000 and Windows NT* by integrating Automatic Printer Setup and the Intel NetportExpress Add Printer Wizard with wizards in the printers folder.

The software upgrade provides valuable status information for Novell users. Full Novell Distributed Print Services* (NDPS) support simplifies printer installation and management for Novell networks by providing information such as job status, printer status and printer capabilities. Comprehensive support of the NDPS technology allows users to send print jobs to print servers in Internet Protocol (IP) environments and enables them to easily locate network printers. When connecting to a printer using NDPS, new or updated printer drivers are automatically installed on the user’s workstation if needed.

Finally, the Intel NetportExpress print server enhancement release adds Windows ME* support that enables administrators to manage print servers from a Windows ME-based computer.

Print Server Benefits
The Intel NetportExpress print servers lead the industry in performance.** The family of Intel NetportExpress print servers offer greater flexibility to IT administrators by supporting a variety of network environments, including Windows, NetWare*, Linux*, UNIX* and IBM AS/400* systems. In addition, the Intel NetportExpress print servers were the first to offer password protection to eliminate unwanted printer access using the Internet Printing Protocol.

Intel NetportExpress print servers are easy to install and work with virtually any brand of printers.

Availability
Print servers supporting this software update are available today. To access to the free software update for new and existing Intel® NetportExpress™ Print Servers, customers can visit www.intel.com/support/netport/10100/software.htm. Production of Intel NetportExpress print servers in the first quarter of 2001 will include the software upgrade. For more information about the award-winning family of Intel NetportExpress Print Servers, visit www.intel.co.nz/network/go/print.

Intel, the world’s largest chip maker, is also a leading manufacturer of computer, networking and communications products. Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom.

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*Third party marks and brands are property of their respective holders.
**Source: Key Labs’ report, September 1999. Performance may vary with protocol environment. For more information visit: www.keylabs.com/results/intel/printserver-1&3port.html.

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