STAR LAUNCHES FEATURE-RICH ENTRY-LEVEL PRINTER FOR RETAIL & HOSPITALITY

In an aggressive move demonstrating the company’s policy for tailored product development to suit specific market applications, brand leading POS printer manufacturer, Star Micronics, has today announced the introduction of the SP500: an entry-level, feature-rich matrix printer designed for retail, hospitality, ticketing and fiscal operating environments.

Positioned as offering an unparalleled price/performance ratio, the new high speed SP500 prints at up to 7.5 lines per second (16 col) – over 15% faster than any would-be competitors. This is achieved by the combination of a fast, logic seeking mechanism linked to new advanced control board. Recognising a clear marketing opportunity, Star Micronics is supporting its latest product launch with a global, hard-hitting marketing campaign with which the company intends creating international awareness of the printer’s benefits and exponential sales.

Attention to detail – a hallmark of the Star brand – is evidenced in the SP500 by the inclusion of an internal power supply with a universal IEC socket and choice of 58 or 76mm paper of up 100gsm. In addition, its splash proof design, ‘rain channel’, sealed control panel and internal guttering protect the mechanism against the liquid spills and other debris associated with many hospitality environments as do the protective covers for the integral power supply and interface. In addition to the ‘Star white’ casing, the SP500 is also available in a charcoal grey version – a colour favoured particularly in the hospitality sector.

The SP500’s compact design can also be further optimised by optional wall-mount brackets and an alternative vertical print position, the latter of which further reduces the already compact footprint to 163 x 140cms, occupying minimal counter space. Both tear bar and autocutter versions are available and unusually in an entry-level printer, the SP500 also incorporates a six-position back mark sensor, accommodating paper of up to 100gsm, for ticketing applications

Pioneering a low cost alternative to colour printing, Star Micronics has developed the SP500 to enable users to easily emphasise text with the options of reversed print (white out of purple), boxed text, double height characters or a combination of double height and reversed output.

Long term, reliable performance is measured by the SP500’s MCBF rate of 22 million lines and as with all Star printers being introduced, the new offering features the company’s ‘drop in & insert’ paper loading facility.

Annette Tarlton, marketing manager EMEA, for Star Micronics, said of the new introduction, “The SP500 will take the market by storm. The price/performance ratio is unbeatable and its design includes features and functions specific to those customers in the retail and hospitality markets. With Star, there is no compromise.”

The SP500 Series is available via Star Micronics network of international distributors as of 1st February 2003 and can also be supplied in an OEM mechanism version, the UP500.

Background Information on Star Micronics
Founded in 1947, Star Micronics is one of the world's largest printer manufacturers and has facilities for worldwide production, marketing and support. Employing over 2500 staff and achieving turnover in excess of £250 million, Star Micronics has developed a POS printer portfolio that spans thermal and dot matrix printers and mechanisms, designed for barcode, ticketing, receipts and labelling. Star's proven technology is also being utilised to develop reader/writer systems for visual/smart and magnetic stripe cards and to install print mechanisms in multimedia kiosk environments. The Star Micronics' range is available internationally via a distribution channel comprising distributors and dealers.

For further information contact:

Annette Tarlton or Claire Smith
Star Micronics EMEA
Tel: + 44 (0) 1494 471111
Email: Marketing@Star-EMEA.com