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With Zebra QLn320 Mobile Barcode Printer, Costs Drop and Simplicity Rises


The Zebra QLn320 mobile barcode printer stands as the industry’s first mobile printer with an Ethernet connection, making mobile printing easier and less expensive. When this new, mobile printer was launched, the Zebra QL line had already shipped more than 700,000 printers. But Zebra’s customer advisory board asked for more ways to reduce the cost of operation, and the Zebra QLn320 mobile barcode printer was born. [caption id="attachment_3792" align="alignright" width="118"]Zebra QLn320 mobile barcode printer The Zebra QLn320 mobile barcode printer offers the industry's first Ethernet connection.[/caption] "Historically, the QL printer line has provided our customers with the productivity and durability required to keep their businesses functioning efficiently," said Kevin Davies, product manager, Zebra Technologies EMEA. "The innovation and expanded features of the QLn320 are a result of Zebra's deep industry understanding. We have worked with our customers to identify their pain points and meet their evolving needs as the mobility market changes."

Pushing down expenses

The Zebra QLn320 mobile barcode printer lowers costs by including an Ethernet connection for mobile printers. This enables remote status collection and better device management, as well as reducing service time and maximizing printer uptime. The end result is a better return-on-investment. In addition, the Zebra QLn320 mobile barcode printer was the first to offer Zebra’s Power Smart Print Technology, which offers faster processing and throughput with less power drain:
  • Better quality printing
  • More uptime
  • Display showing charge and battery health
  • Minimized downtime
  • Batteries that last entire shifts
The Zebra QLn320 mobile barcode printer offers additional features that are improvements on the QL printer line:
  • Backwards compatibility with the QL and QL Plus printers, enabling users to upgrade to the QLn320 without changing media or label formats, network and other infrastructure.
  • Zebra's Unicode UTF-16-compliant Global Printing Solution, which offers right-to-left printing capabilities, giving companies around the world the option to print in many languages.
  • Additional RAM and flash provide memory for complex fonts, graphics and images, and faster throughput.
  • Larger display that is easier to read and offers five-way navigation, help menus and alerts.

Filling a growing need

The mobile worker population exceeded 1 billion in 2010 and continues to grow every year, according to research firm VDC. Zebra addresses this growing workforce with the QLn320, the third generation of the QL printer. "Demand for mobile printers continues to scale, spurred by the proliferation of secure wireless networks and the benefits associated with printing on demand," said Tom Wimmer, director of the AutoID and transaction processing practice at VDC. "At the same time, total cost of ownership has become a leading purchase consideration for enterprises evaluating mobile devices. “Since deployment costs rarely account for more than 30 percent of [total cost of ownership], knowledgeable users are increasingly focused on reducing productivity losses associated with hardware failure and managing spiraling IT support costs,” Wimmer added. “Leading mobile device suppliers understand these requirements and are responding with smarter products designed to address them."