Q: What is the Mobile Imaging and Printing Consortium (MIPC)?
A: The MIPC is a consortium of printing, mobile device and software industry companies who have a common goal to drive open and common standards for providing consumers with a simple and pleasant experience when printing from camera phones and other mobile devices.
Q: What is the need for such a consortium?
A: Camera phone resolution will continue to improve, which drives the demand to print photos. The MIPC wants to provide consumers with the best possible solutions to simplify printing at home in the belief that most camera phone owners prefer to print images at home.
Q: What is the objective of the MIPC? How will it be accomplished?
A: The MIPC will provide implementation guidelines for the mobile terminal and printing industries with the goal of providing consumers with reliable wireless/wired printing solutions at home. Existing connectivity standards will be used including Bluetooth, IrDA and WiFi as a wireless solution, printing from memory cards and PictBridge as a wired solution.
Q: What is the timetable for MIPC's first deliverables?
A: Guidelines are available by completing the request form in the guidelines page.
Q: Which company is the leader of the MIPC?
A: There is not a leader - all companies are equally involved.
Q: Which region does the MIPC focus on?
A: Activities will be carried out worldwide.
Q: Once the initial guidelines are issued, will every product from member companies comply with them?
A: That will be up to the respective companies.
Q: What is the content for the guidelines being developed?
A: The guidelines contain specific usage recommendations for existing standards and practices. No new specifications have been created within the Implementation Guidelines. The document is written for two primary sets of readers - developers of MIPC recommended print services and developers of mobile terminal print applications that will be clients for these services.
Q: What mobile devices will the guidelines be directed toward?
A: The MIPC is focusing specifically on mobile phones and related devices, including:
Q: What mobile devices will not be in the focus of MIPC?
A: The MIPC is not focusing on:
Q: Which products adhere to the MIPC Guidelines?
A: Mobile Printing Ready mobile phones and printers are listed by their respective manufacturers at this link: http://www.mobileprinting.org/products.