Take advantage of Cloud Print
More and more applications and systems are based on the cloud. Cloud Print is another technology that relies on this concept. What at first seems contradictory, in practice has many positive features. Find out here exactly how cloud printing works and what advantages it has.
What is Cloud Print?
Cloud printing is a process in which a system in the cloud forwards the print job to a printer. This differs from the classic variant, where the print job is sent directly to the local printer. This is done either via the network or a cable connection, for example via USB.
With cloud printing, on the other hand, an app serves as the interface between the user and the printer. On the one hand, this makes the user independent of a specific computer. The app makes it possible to send a print job from any end device. Thanks to the connection via the cloud, you don’t even have to be on your company’s local network.
On the other hand, cloud printing also makes you independent of a specific printer. Normally, each printer you want to address must be set up at your workstation. However, this is handled centrally by the cloud. Thus, all printers connected to your platform are available to you.
How does Cloud Print work?
Cloud Print replaces the local driver and direct connection to a printer with a system in the cloud. All print jobs are sent to the cloud via the application. From there, the system directly controls the desired printer and transfers the job.
The cloud is also used to manage the connected printers. You set up the printers you want to use once here. These are then available to all employees. Of course, it is possible to create structures with group policies and rules.
What are the benefits of cloud printing?
A key advantage in favor of this concept is cost efficiency. The number of printers in your company can be significantly reduced. Other companies in Switzerland, such as the major bank UBS, are also taking this approach. It eliminated mostoffice printers in early 2022.
Cloud Print also gives all end devices access to the printer service. Normally, it is difficult to print documents from a smartphone or tablet. With a cloud solution, all forms of documents can be easily printed from a smartphone. Cloud printing thus fits in perfectly with the concept of the digital workplace.
Cloud printing also has tremendous benefits for your IT department. Problems with printers are among the most common IT support requests. On the one hand, your IT staff must set up the printers at each workstation. On the other hand, local printers cause problems time and again. In the cloud, IT manages all printers centrally. A new printer thus only needs to be configured once.
Maintenance and administration costs are also significantly reduced. A print server in your company is also no longer required. Cloud printing continues to help reduce paper waste and move to the digital work environment. The number of printing processes is recorded centrally and is therefore traceable.
These are the five key benefits of cloud printing:
- all end devices have access to the printers
- Access to the printing service from any place with Internet
- reduced hardware costs due to fewer printers
- simplified management for IT
- no problems with drivers and software for printers
Is security guaranteed when printing via the cloud?
Printing often involves the transmission of personal or critical data. Accordingly, the security of this information is a top priority. The legal requirements for data protection must also be complied with.
We offer you a solution for cloud printing, where the data is transmitted encrypted. Our systems are based on technology from printing experts HP. Here, encryption of the data takes place directly on the system that sends the print job. So this is the computer or smartphone that the employee uses to start printing.
Thus, it is not possible to intercept or otherwise read the content. Thanks to this feature, our cloud printing solution also meets all current data protection requirements.
The concept is particularly suitable for companies that have implemented a mobile working principle. This already starts with the home office. In recent years, more and more companies have integrated the home office into their own structures. Cloud printing gives your employees access to the printers in the office. This makes it easy to print documents in the mailroom to be mailed.
But even in the local network within a building, the advantages of this technology become apparent. Even medium-sized offices already have several printers. In traditional offices, two or three employees often share a smaller printer. The alternative is that a large central printer is set up.
Both have disadvantages. With a central printer, employees have to travel longer distances to retrieve their document. This results in waiting times if many print jobs are received at once. Every now and then, an employee also grabs your printed document, and you search or wait in vain. Most people who have worked in an office know such situations.
Individual workstation printers, on the other hand, are slow and limited in functionality. In addition, it is always necessary to return to your own workstation to start a print job. Only from here the access to the own printer is possible.
Cloud printing solves both situations. Through the system, your employees have access to all printers on your network at any time. So you can send a print job to any printer from a laptop or even smartphone. It is best to send the job to the printer that is conveniently located nearby.
However, employees on the move also benefit from cloud printing. Employees can send print jobs to any printer linked to the system. This is also useful, for example, if you have a branch office or branches. Without any detours, each employee prints what is needed at any printer.
How do you make the switch to cloud printing?
Switching to such a system is comparatively simple. You only need one partner to provide the printing service in the cloud. We offercloud printing via redIT as a solution. This service is based on HP’s Secure Printing with Access Control. The administration of the printers and access rights is done via the central control.
The practical changeover in everyday life is also completed in just a few steps. All you need is the application that accesses the print service in the cloud. This can also be easily installed at a later time via the App Store. This way, your employees or even customers and guests can install the app on a smartphone at any time.
Are you interested in Cloud Printing or do you have further questions on the topic? Then use our contact page or arrange a free consultation. We will provide you with comprehensive information on the subject and find the right solution for your company.
