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HP inks deal with software maker

Hewlett-Packard and printing company Banta will work together to combine HP's printing hardware with Banta's printing and data management software, the companies said Wednesday. HP's high-end printing systems will be combined with Banta's B.media software to help customers such as direct marketers, who need to merge streams of data including customer preferences and product descriptions into a customized catalog. The move dovetails with HP's high-end printing push. In June, HP introduced a commercial printing system--a cross between a traditional press that prints large numbers of pages and a laser printer that prints customized pages. HP said the hybrid machine would be useful for tasks such as making customized brochures. The system is based on a product line from Indigo, which HP had invested in earlier and acquired in full in September for $882 million.

Stephen Shankland Former Principal Writer
Stephen Shankland worked at CNET from 1998 to 2024 and wrote about processors, digital photography, AI, quantum computing, computer science, materials science, supercomputers, drones, browsers, 3D printing, USB, and new computing technology in general. He has a soft spot in his heart for standards groups and I/O interfaces. His first big scoop was about radioactive cat poop.
Expertise Processors, semiconductors, web browsers, quantum computing, supercomputers, AI, 3D printing, drones, computer science, physics, programming, materials science, USB, UWB, Android, digital photography, science. Credentials
  • Shankland covered the tech industry for more than 25 years and was a science writer for five years before that. He has deep expertise in microprocessors, digital photography, computer hardware and software, internet standards, web technology, and more.
Stephen Shankland
Hewlett-Packard and printing company Banta will work together to combine HP's printing hardware with Banta's printing and data management software, the companies said Wednesday. HP's high-end printing systems will be combined with Banta's B.media software to help customers such as direct marketers, who need to merge streams of data including customer preferences and product descriptions into a customized catalog.

The move dovetails with HP's high-end printing push. In June, HP introduced a commercial printing system--a cross between a traditional press that prints large numbers of pages and a laser printer that prints customized pages. HP said the hybrid machine would be useful for tasks such as making customized brochures. The system is based on a product line from Indigo, which HP had invested in earlier and acquired in full in September for $882 million.