Do you know what Microsoft Universal Print Can do for You?

It seems like we never get to that fabled ‘paperless’ office, even though we keep steadily moving towards it. The fact remains that, even in today's digital workplace, we still need to print. This is true for just about all businesses, but keeping up with your print infrastructure can be a time-consuming task. One printer down can be a stick in your business spokes.

Another annoying issue is keeping up with all those printer drivers. Vulnerabilities develop when firmware updates aren’t performed. Cybercriminals use every avenue of approach, including printers, and one unprotected printer can cause an entire network malware infection.

One great new solution to long-standing problems with printing is called Microsoft Universal Print, which can also streamline your print management.

Universal Print is well worth looking at if you want to improve how you handle document printing and avoid printer problems in general. Let’s explore this tool’s features and benefits. Discover how you can use it to enhance your printing environment.

What is Universal Print from Microsoft?

Let’s go straight to the source: In Microsoft’s own words: “Universal Print is a Microsoft 365 subscription-based service that organizations use to centralize print management through the Universal Print portal. It's fully integrated with Azure Active Directory and supports single sign-on scenarios.”

What Microsoft Universal Print does is leverage the power of Microsoft 365 and Azure to eliminate the need for a complex on-premises print infrastructure. Here are some of the ways that it can improve your document handling.

Print Management Simplified

You don’t need to have on-premises print servers with Universal Print. Print management becomes more simplified and all in one place. You can now centrally manage your printing needs from the cloud.

By removing the need for complex print server configurations as well as driver installations and print queue management, you save time and money – not to mention headaches.

Seamless Integration with Microsoft 365

Offices that use Microsoft 365 will see how easily Universal Print integrates with it. Working in tandem with Azure Active Directory, it ensures a secure and authenticated printing experience for users.

By integrating so easily with M365, users can print from any device, whether it's a Windows PC, Mac, or mobile device. The need for complex setup or driver installations are gone. It simplifies the printing process. It also enhances productivity for employees working across different platforms.

Scalability and Flexibility

With Microsoft Universal Print, you gain scalability and flexibility in your print activities as it supports both modern and legacy printers. This allows your business to leverage your existing printer fleet.

Whether dealing with a local printer or a network printer, connectivity is much easier with Universal Print, as is management through the cloud. Additionally, it offers centralized control and monitoring of printers. This makes it effortless to scale up or down based on your current business needs.

Printer Deployment is Streamlined

Deploying printers across an organization is tedious and time-consuming. By providing a centralized portal for printer management, Universal Print simplifies this process.

It becomes a snap for administrators to add and configure printers and assign them to specific users or groups, as well as manage printer settings from a single interface. This eliminates the need for manual configuration on individual devices, which can be very time-consuming and fraught with issues. It also ensures a consistent printing experience across the organization.

Better Security and Compliance

Its cybersecurity capabilities rank as one of the major benefits of using Microsoft Universal Print. Print security is a critical concern for businesses, especially in today's threat landscape, as printers are often less protected than most network hardware. Universal Print enhances security by leveraging Azure Active Directory for authentication and access control.

Universal Print also supports secure print release, which means that sensitive documents are only printed under certain circumstances. For example, when the authorized user is physically present at the printer.

Universal Print integrates with Microsoft Endpoint Manager, giving organizations even more capabilities. They can enforce security policies and manage print-related settings from a centralized location.

Analytics and Insights

In any business, efficient cost management is vital in every area, and the ability to understand print usage to optimize print infrastructure is invaluable. Microsoft Universal Print provides analytics and insights that help organizations gain visibility. They’re able to see print usage patterns, track printing costs, and identify opportunities for optimization.

Management can make more informed decisions with detailed reporting and analytics. Reporting enables better print resource allocation and the implementation of strategies to reduce printing costs.

Would Microsoft Universal Print Work for You?

First, it’s important to understand the full capabilities of Microsoft Universal Print, including the costs versus the benefits. Whether the solution is for you will depend on your printing needs. Extra factors to consider will be how often you print and your number of endpoints.

Printing needn’t be viewed as rocket science. Universal Print offers a modern and efficient approach to print management by streamlining the printing experience. It also eliminates the need for complex on-premises print infrastructure. There are also important benefits from the boost in security.