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Office Depot, Symbol Technologies and BarPoint.com Introduce Mobile Scanning Computer and Unique Shopping Applications
URL(s): Office Depot BarPoint Symbol
DELRAY BEACH, Fla., HOLTSVILLE, N.Y. & FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--Jan. 8, 2001--Office Depot (NYSE:ODP) the world's largest seller of office products, Symbol Technologies (NYSE:SBL) the world's leader in mobile data transaction systems and BarPoint.com (Nasdaq:BPNT), a leading product information service and applications developer, today introduces a new convenient, time saving method for Office Depot's small and home office customers to purchase office products and streamline inventory management, that will be available at select Office Depot stores later this month.
The new Office Depot Quick Purchase(TM) Scanning PDA consists of Symbol's SPT 1500 handheld computer and the new Office Depot Quick Purchase application, developed and powered by BarPoint. The Scanning PDA is based on the popular Palm OS(R) platform and allows Office Depot customers to simply scan an item's barcode and, utilizing BarPoint's reverse-search technology, instantly create and store unique, customized catalogs of office products on the handheld computer. These personalized catalogs will contain the product's UPC number, its corresponding Office Depot item number, product-specific details and user notes.
Customers can order products from their handheld computer with one click by simply tapping the `shopping cart' icon next to the desired product's name. The user can then send the order directly from their handheld computer, via the Internet, to Office Depot during the HotSync(R) process. Any item carried by Office Depot can be quickly added to the user's unique product catalog and ordered with this effortless "scan and sync" process. As an additional benefit, a user's personalized catalog can also be used as a quick-reference shopping list for in-store purchasing or for telephone ordering by calling 1-888-GO-DEPOT.
"The Office Depot Scanning PDA bundled with the Quick Purchase program is the first end-to-end office products solution for the SOHO customer," stated Steve Embree, Executive Vice President of Merchandising for Office Depot. "We are giving our small business customer instant access to product information about the things they need and a highly efficient way to buy and replenish their office products regardless of whether they wish to buy in-store, online, or by phone. Now our customer can look up the number of the ink jet cartridge they need, select the right refill for their favorite pen, or pick the exact label they use no matter where they are or how they choose to buy."
The Office Depot Scanning PDA includes Symbol's proven barcode scanning technology along with the standard Palm(TM) applications (including calendar, "to-do" lists and appointment book). The device is bundled with the Office Depot Quick Purchase program, the My BarPoint Mobile(TM) program and the popular suite of productivity programs from Synergy Solutions, PDActivate(TM) 2.0.
"Office Depot is on the front line of a worldwide pervasive mobile computing trend where handheld computing devices provide customers with specialized capabilities," said Tomo Razmilovic, President and CEO, Symbol Technologies. "We congratulate BarPoint for their extraordinary example of providing convergence tools to maximize the Internet economy."
"The introduction of the Office Depot Scanning PDA and the Office Depot Quick Purchase program is an important milestone for BarPoint. This application clearly demonstrates the power of our technology and the value we can provide to our partners and their customers," said John Macatee, President and CEO of BarPoint.com. "As a content provider, sales facilitator and applications developer, we have a unique business model and this partnership makes it possible for us to begin to unleash the power of the barcode."
As part of the Office Depot Quick Purchase bundle, BarPoint will be fulfilling orders from its current inventory of Symbol SPT-1500's. As BarPoint's hardware inventory is depleted, future orders of the bundle will have the hardware portion fulfilled directly by Symbol with the software applications provided by BarPoint.
Later this month, Office Depot locations throughout the U.S. will make the PDA's available. Also, customers will be able to purchase the Office Depot Quick Purchase bundle on the Office Depot Website, http://www.officedepot.com/
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