Student printing app adds discount feature
03 November, 2017
category: Mobile, Privilege Control
Student-developed mobile app and Purdue University startup, UPrint, has added student discounts to its print and copy smartphone offering to help Purdue students save money at local businesses.
The UPrint app was originally designed for students to print term papers, notes and other documents at select campus locations without having to first log into a university workstation to release the print job. Now, however, the app’s developers have decided to fold in student discounts as the app’s latest feature.
“Although UPrint still provides that service, we have updated our original app, and students are finding it even easier to use,” says Rick Li, co-founder of UPrint. “To get the discounts, students can simply bring the offer up on their phones and present it at the register. In the coming months, we plan to speak with and add more businesses that we know students visit regularly.”
According to an official university release, the app provides discounts on beverages from Latea Bubble Tea Lounge and local convenience store, Discount Den, as well as automotive discounts from Mercedes-Benz of Lafayette. The team is open to adding other local businesses to the program upon request.
Founded in 2015, UPrint is just one of the many startups launched out of Purdue’s student-run, entrepreneurship co-working space, The Anvil. The success of UPrint on campus has since seen the startup take up residence in the Purdue Research Park.
When users download UPrint, their account is verified via their university email to enable access to the system. UPrint will then appear as an option on the mobile device when a document is selected, along with a list of printers where the student has access privileges. Students can add the printers they typically use to their favorites so they don’t have to manually search every time, and the app allows up to 5 gigabytes of data storage for print jobs.
“Using a university printer would typically take at least 5-7 minutes. Now documents can be printed in a matter of seconds,” Li says. “Our software and cybersecurity experts ensure that student information is completely secure because the application never stores student information. The app is merely a bridge of communication from their phone to the printer.”
The copy/print functionality of the app helps students avoid standing in line and having to log into email when it comes time to release a print job. The app is free to use for Purdue students and is projected to have as many as 5,000 student users by early 2018.
