Lexmark, best known for its printers, is launching an Internet of things (IoT) platform that it developed internally and is now commercializing for other enterprises.

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The platform, Lexmark Optra IoT Solutions, was announced at the virtual IoT Tech Expo North America event. Lexmark CEO Allen Waugerman said managing printers, predictive maintenance and ingesting data have been hallmarks of Lexmark.

Waugerman noted that "workgroup printers were among the first shared, connected devices" and argued that Lexmark's evolution was organic. "We're known for printers and advanced services, and this is a natural expansion," he said.

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Lexmark Global CITO Vishal Gupta said the Optra platform is already in the field with Fortune 1000 customers and has made the printer maker more efficient. Gupta also added that its IoT platform isn't just an experiment.

Gupta said the Optra IoT Platform has a scale and can support other manufacturers from the beginning to end product life cycle with predictive support. Lexmark uses Optra to resolve device support issues 70% of the time remotely.

The Optra IoT Platform includes:

• A platform to combine and operationalize siloed data from connected devices and core business systems.
• Accelerators with algorithms, machine learning and AI models, as well as reporting dashboards and templates.
• Consultants focused on the IoT journey.

Waugerman said the initial focus for Optra IoT Platform is midmarket equipment manufacturers who can white label the platform for their customers. The platform is available in North America and in parts of Europe. Over time, Lexmark will expand the platform.

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