HP and Microsoft have announced a ‘mixed-reality’ service that combines virtual elements with the real world via the Microsoft HoloLens 2 headset, enabling customers to connect remotely with HP engineers for support and advice on all HP industrial printers. 

Called HP xR Services, it provides virtual ‘in person’ support and guidance for training, maintenance and troubleshooting, with the virtual engineer able to highlight specific parts or controls of the press in the user’s field of view. This should provide much quicker problem resolution than audio-only support calls, as well as doing away with the wait for in-person site visits in many cases. The data gathered from these session will be used with HP’s PrintOS to provide insights into how to better organise and optimise production and may be connected to the Predictive Press Care solution to increase automation.

Haim Levit, general manager HP Indigo and WW Industrial Go to Market, said ‘With the exponential rise in digital printing fuelling the industry, customers have less time for service calls and higher production runs to meet. The way we deliver services in this ever-evolving business and work environment is changing fast, and working with Microsoft on this project was a common sense solution. We are redefining services for the industry, by providing our customers with a solution which not only saves them time, but optimises their revenue opportunities.’

Two HP Indigo 12K press users have been involved in beta testing the new service, Benson Integrated Marketing Solutions in the US and Fujiplus in Japan, who respectively commented on benefits in streamlining of maintenance and repairs and increased predictability in operational planning.