Brother Mobile Solutions Introduces A New Category Of Powered Desktop Thermal Printer To The Retail Executives At NRF In New York

New Printer Series Bridges the Gap Between Desktop and Wireless Mobile Functions to Enable Label, Tag or Receipt Printing from Virtually any Location in the Store

Broomfield, CO - Brother Mobile Solutions, Inc. (BMS) a wholly-owned subsidiary of Brother International Corporation and premier provider of products for the mobile workforce, will today introduce a new category of powered desktop thermal printer to retail executives at the NRF Big Show in New York.  Fast, compact, and transportable, the TD-2000 delivers a combination of desktop and mobile performance previously unavailable in a single printing solution.

Engineered specifically for retailers, TD-2000 printers are true hybrids that can move freely throughout the retail store like mobile printers, yet have the same features and functionality of desktop models.  The printers easily fit on crowded counters or easy to push carts within the retail store.  Despite the compact size, the TD-2000 produces fast (up to 6ips), two-inch wide, hi-res (203 dpi and 300 dpi) direct thermal labels, tags or receipts for numerous retail applications including shelf labeling, price marking and mark-down, point of sale receipts, and even date-time-stamp freshness labels.   With Wi-Fi® network or Bluetooth® wireless connectivity and battery powered mobility options, this new category of powered desktop thermal printer allows printing from virtually any location throughout the store, providing new levels of flexibility and movement to the retail world.

“Retailers battle every day to increase efficiencies across every operational aspect of the store, and we purpose-built the TD-2000 to be as flexible and accommodating to a retailer as possible to help maximize efficiency, accuracy and the bottom line,” said Ravi Panjwani, vice president of marketing and product management for Brother Mobile Solutions.  “Brother has long been recognized for its focus on value and durability, and this next-generation printer continues this tradition by not only filling a void in retail printing, but remaining viable as new technologies around the printer continue to change.”

With its compact footprint the TD-2000 printer series provides the most usable work space on a smaller and lower priced cart compared to nearly all competitive printers in its class±.  By utilizing a spindle-less roll media loading design that accepts virtually any core size, the series can accommodate a larger label roll capacity resulting in the ability to print more labels, tags and receipts than many competitive models using a single roll.   

The printers also integrate into existing retail solutions and come with Windows® 8 printer drivers for immediate integration with Windows® 8 tablets and computers.  iOS®, Android®, and Windows Mobile® software development kits are available to allow simple integration to print from any mobile or tablet device. 

For more versatility, TD-2000 printers are also available with a built-in touch panel LCD display, which is ideal for printing labels or receipts directly from a powered desktop printer without a computer or mobile device.  Store employees can also transfer information from an existing database with pre-established templates to the TD-2000 to print labels or receipts offline or as a standalone printing solution. 

“Over the last two years, retailers have experienced an explosion of mobile technology and device options like tablets, smartphones, handheld and rugged devices, and the challenge has been finding a printing solution that will interface effortlessly with any combination of these devices,” Panjwani said.  “We’ve developed the TD-2000 series to be as flexible as possible to allow our current and potential retail clients to print now and into the future regardless of the operating system or application portfolio they deploy.”   

Brother Mobile TD-2000 series baseline models include:

• TD-2020:  203 dpi desktop thermal printer, USB/serial ports & AC adapter
• TD-2120N:  203 dpi network thermal printer, LAN/host-USB/USB/serial ports & AC adapter
• TD-2130N:  300 dpi network thermal printer, LAN/host-USB/USB/serial ports & AC adapter

The TD-2000 thermal printing series also comes with a number of preassembled models with various options.  All models are covered by a two-year limited warranty.  Production units will begin shipping late-March, 2013.

In collaboration with Newcastle Systems, Inc. a leading provider of powered carts to the retail industry, Brother will showcase a range of cart-based, mobile printing applications. The applications feature the TD-2000 printer and the Newcastle RC Series Mobile Non-Powered Workstation demonstrating new and different ways for the retailer to think about mobility.

Company product managers will demonstrate the new printer series and the cart-based printing solution at NRF Big Show in New York, January 14 and 15, 2012 at Booth #2083.

For additional product information, please visit, www.brothertd.com

About Brother Mobile Solutions

Brother Mobile Solutions, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Brother International Corporation which had revenues of approximately $1.4 billion in fiscal year 2011. Brother International Corporation and its subsidiaries employ over 1,100 people in the Americas. For more information, visit www.brothermobilesolutions.com .

± Based on data gathered from manufacturer websites and 3^rd party industry sources as of December, 2012.

Apple, iPad and iPhone are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Android is a trademark of Google Inc. Use of this trademark is a subject to Google permission.