Hewlett Packard (HP) has unveiled a set of alliances and products to reinvent the humble printer as an internet appliance at the heart of a $100bn (£63bn) e-services business.

The firm says it aims to make printers "transaction platforms, service providers and communication centres". "By reinventing printing, we expect today's $40bn printing and imaging market to expand into a $100bn internet-based ecosystem," said Carolyn Ticknor, president of HP imaging and printing systems.

"The pure product era is over. Printers will be defined by the services they deliver, not just by how fast they print," added Carly Fiorina, HP's chief executive.

HP will act as a catalyst for the growth of the e-services printing market through links with third parties. It has signed deals with NewspaperDirect, allowing users to print copies of newspapers on demand; Stamps.com, which provides postage stamps; and Encryptix.com, which allows users to print out tickets bought online. Other partnerships include FedEx and ImageTag.

As part of the initiative, HP also unveiled its JetDirect 4000 print appliance, which allows IT managers to manage remote print queues through browser-based management, and the wireless HP Jornada 540 Series Colour Pocket PC, which can beam colour images to printers.