Article Cut Crowds and Improve Data Security with Printer Management

As workers return to the office, they’re counting on easy access to a printer that’s high performance and low maintenance. They want to stay safe in the workplace while running business as usual.

By Insight Editor / 29 Jul 2020 / Topics: Devices Procurement Workforce

Technology — when it’s not optimized — has an amazing way of creating huge inefficiencies in our day. And when you’re crunched for time, there’s little that’s more frustrating than a crowd at the printer due to slow print speeds, or complicated ink replacement.

Prevent congestion with speedy printing.

Evaluating workflow bottlenecks can reveal that legacy color laser devices are eating up valuable man hours spent maintaining and waiting for print jobs. HPLaserJet LaserJet Enterprise M600 series Managed Print Fleets (MFPs) and printers allow for efficient and secure workflows at a low cost per page — both in color and black and white printing. And they’re compatible with HP JetAdvantage free printer management software, ensuring smart and safe use of your organization’s devices.

So, as businesses stay open to provide essential services or begin returning to the office, quicker print times may prove valuable in supporting day-to-day operations. In addition to maintaining safe foot traffic, speedy printing is also integral to business efficiency and fast service times. With current reported consumer hesitancy around discretionary spending businesses are eager to keep customers happy. When each worker has to make several trips to the printer to see if their document is ready, office productivity wanes.

Cloud-based printer management tools provide numerous insights into your organization through a centralized console. In addition to allowing IT to set up security protocols and control costs, cloud-based print solutions also help administrators diagnose and optimize printer fleets, revealing overloaded printers and underutilized devices. It’s important to identify these inefficiencies in order to get the best return on investment and optimize workflows.

A quick printer with cloud-based insights

Let’s take a closer look at the HP LaserJet Enterprise M600 series mentioned above to see how it can improve employee workflows. These printers boast first-page-out speeds of five seconds and can print up to 75 pages per minute. They were designed for productivity, so workers can find their documents in one trip to the printer. Additionally, the high-yield cartridges last longer, and paper trays store more so there are less workflow interruptions for refills.

With a free download of the HP easy printer management software, JetAdvantage Management Solutions, IT can receive cloud-based insights, control color printing costs and simplify drivers, allowing workers to stay productive. And an optional subscription with the HP Instant Ink account ensures cartridges are always stocked.

Printer security keeps business running.

Most businesses fear sensitive information getting into the wrong hands, but in 2018, the majority overlooked their printer as a potential weak link. It’s reported that 59% of organizations suffered a print-related data loss incident. When an event like this occurs, the company is forced to pause and mitigate risks. Effective printer management can safeguard unsuspecting users from attacks — while mission-critical operations resume flawlessly.

Data security isn’t just an issue at the printer output tray. Figure A shows the myriad points of entry a bad actor can target. Storage media, firmware, mobile printing, management or lack thereof, the network, the input tray, ports and protocols, the control panel, cloud-based access and more can easily present vulnerabilities into the company network.

image breaking down the components of an HP printer

This is why the HP LaserJet Enterprise M600 series has a secure and thorough four-prong approach to dealing with advanced threats:

First, the printer boots code to load critical hardware and validate integrity.
Second, embedded firmware is loaded and checked for malware.
Third, JetAdvantage Security Manager diagnoses the network behavior and remediates device security, if necessary.
Lastly, continuous monitoring protects operations while the printer is running to stop suspicious activity and thwart hacks. Pre-established company policies determine the course of actions so there’s no need for the IT team to intervene.

You may be thinking, “What if there are no formal company policies implemented at my business?” If so, you’re not alone. It’s reported that around 51% of businesses don’t have print security policies in place. Fortunately, the JetAdvantage Security Manager walks you through how to automate more than 200 device settings for security and other preferences.

If you suspect your organization might be in the majority that aren’t fully implementing printer security, you can schedule a complimentary assessment of your print environment with Insight.

Printer security and performance affordability

Reimagining print operations at a time when many are unsure of what the economy will do brings about understandable hesitancy. Revamping a fleet with today’s technology should reduce total cost of ownership, and prove valuable for the security and performance of the workforce. Discover whether your printers are creating productivity bottlenecks, or have the potential to cost irreversible damage in security threats with a free assessment.

Each organization deserves the best shot at efficient, safe and secure operations at competitive costs. Companies that take a long-term view even when implementing short-term solutions will be better positioned in the future to continue embracing smarter, safer ways of working.

Improve print efficiency. Learn about the HP LaserJet Enterprise M600 Series security and performance features.

Key takeaways

Effective printer management reveals workplace inefficiencies to help companies get the most out of their fleet.
Control costs, productivity and security with JetAdvantage Management Solutions and an HP LaserJet Enterprise M600 fleet.
Take a free Insight print environment assessment to dive deep into your organization’s fleet effectiveness.