Cloud-based print management makes it easy to balance the challenges of print management across a hybrid workforce. As times change and our working environments and structures become more flexible, Cloud-based technology is changing too.
One of the biggest business benefits of centrally managing print from the cloud is a dramatically simplified print infrastructure. Traditional on-premise-based print infrastructures in organisations with multiple branches or offices, can be particularly complex to manage. Each physical location requires a dedicated print server and as a business grows, adds to its fleet or opens new offices; that typically requires further investment in print servers and more time pressures on IT.
Organisations believe in the power of the cloud, with over 44 percent of organisations already using a cloud-based print service and an additional 43 percent planning to do so, as discovered in a recent Quocirca survey.
More than half of organisations believe a cloud print service is more secure than managing print on-premise, so adoption is increasing. Specifically, 21 percent of organisations expect to be fully in the cloud in two years.
Just like we’re no longer constrained to the desks of a traditional workspace, the cloud frees organisations and it’s people from traditional print management with a solid foundation built on four key advantages. Cloud-based print management helps eliminate the disruptions of printing while working remotely, improving productivity and employee satisfaction. It also reduces the burden on IT departments, enhances security and reduces costs.
4 KEY ADVANTAGES TO CLOUD BASED SERVICES
Cost reduction. Moving to a cloud-based subscription model avoids capital expenditure and lowers operating costs associated with traditional on-premise print management platforms. By moving print servers to the cloud, not only are financial costs reduced but also energy costs from operating on-premise print servers, which are often under-utilised.
Reduced IT burden. A cloud print infrastructure is managed by a third-party provider, leaving IT teams able to focus on more strategic activities. Through a single, central platform, administrators can update printer drivers, edit printer profiles, implement print policies for optimised routing, and assign/map printers to users.
Flexibility and security. Cloud print platforms enable convenient anywhere, anytime, any device printing for mobile workers. Print jobs can be released from any print device through secure user authentication. With most cloud print platforms hosted by public providers such as AWS or Microsoft Azure, customers can be assured of the resilience and security that is built into these services.
Access to technological innovation. A cloud-based platform is scalable and can adapt dynamically to the changing needs of the business. New functionality can be rapidly implemented either for all users or for a subset of them. It can also better support the rapid delivery of other associated solutions or initiatives such as digitisation, security and analytics.
