Core functional requirements

We have updated our guidance based on the core functional requirements of device control, cost management, and output management. For 2022 we’ve gone further and stressed the importance of mobile printing and how SaaS print management software is now the indisputable de facto first choice.

The liability of a legacy print infrastructure

Data protection and cyber security remain key concerns too. In this respect, secure release printing (also referred to as ‘pull printing’ or ‘follow-me’ printing) redefines corporate print management approaches because this alone turns legacy print infrastructure into a liability. Why? Because every print job represents a potential data breach.

Giving businesses unprecedented control

At its core, print management software exists to provide device management, which means it allows network administrators to remotely monitor and manage printers and multifunctional printers (MFPs) from a desktop.

The finest print management software solutions boost productivity by assuring print device uptime, automating supply management, centralising printer settings, and automating software upgrades.

Importantly, print management software provides user-friendly options to free up a company’s IT resources and thereby lower its print costs.

Key print manager solution features

With so many excellent software solutions available, and with businesses actively embracing digital transformation, we see rapid changes in corporate priorities. Companies of all sizes want a SaaS print management solution which supports mobile printing.

Reduce IT dependency for print management

They want to evaluate printer usage, set print quotas, and to simplify print driver management. These are the keys to reducing IT dependency across their entire print environment with the sole objective of cost reduction. With IT departments being reduced in size or outsource, the cost of managing native print drivers is intolerable.

Reduce print costs by 40%?

Innovation turns legacy print services infrastructure with multiple printers into a business opportunity. Suddenly, the cost of every print job can be reduced by as much as 40 percent, while automated billing enables charging at a departmental level.

Use print management to reduce costs

Every print management solution must include cost management and cost reduction functions. All products reviewed here track the cost of each print job, while most optimize printing costs by managing your printing resources seamlessly: the user doesn’t have to make decisions.

Don’t sacrifice security to reduce cost

While assisting you in managing print expenses, there is always a strong element of device security to control who may print to which device, whether these are dedicated desktop printers or centralised office multipurpose printers.

Windows server printers are history!

As to choosing a SaaS print management solution vs. one which relies on Windows server printers, the print industry sees the trend as irreversible. It’s the SaaS functionality which enables the most sophisticated options for mobile printing, and this transforms the IT budget requirements.

The best choice for data protection

The finest output management systems incorporate cloud-based technologies that allow for remote connection to printers and even assure proper colour constancy across printer fleets.

There are, however, a few specialised print management software products that offer so much value to the security equation that they must be evaluated regardless of whatever core software package is chosen.

Security = Xerox and Kofax

In this regard, one’s attention must be drawn to the offerings from Kofax and Xerox. Both are noted for providing greater printing intelligence, and either can lay claim to being the ultimate choice for a cloud based printing solution.

Who is the market leader in print management software?

PaperCut

PaperCut software is one of the indisputable leaders in terms of resilience, not least since it has more than 100 million users dispersed across 60,000 organisations worldwide. With 200 employees exclusively committed to a single, focused product portfolio, its print management solutions may be used for simple tracking and monitoring of print tasks, or extended to include BYOD printing and complex job management.

Top alternative to Google Cloud Print

PaperCut Mobility Print is a free alternative to Google Cloud Print that allows Chromebook and Windows users to print remotely and outside of their own networks by sending print jobs over the internet. We delighted to see that Apple Mac support will be available soon.

Solutions for all sizes of enterprises

PaperCut NG is designed for small enterprises, however for the majority of customers, PaperCut MF is the print management software of choice. PaperCut MF is founded on three guiding principles: simple, secure, and waste-free printing. It’s quite simple for an expert to install and configure, it’s strong, and it’s highly customisable.

PaperCut very strong in BYOD print

With PaperCut additionally supporting mobile and BYOD printing, as well as follow-me / follow-you printing for secure print release, there isn’t much more you could want from a comprehensive print management programme capable of fully supporting your desktop and MFD print environment.

Although PaperCut has yet to develop a full-fledged Cloud print programme, PaperCut Hive is currently in Beta, indicating that Cloud print management is on its way. It’s going to be really nice and properly tested because it’s from PaperCut.

Kofax Control Suite Equitrac

If you’re seeking for print management software with a proven track record, Kofax Equitrac (part of Kofax ControlSuite) must be considered. For decades, Kofax has demonstrated that nothing is beyond their capabilities when it comes to document scanning, capture, and printing. It is a cutting edge software solution to not just manage print jobs but also to secure the business.

Kofax Equitrac is the absolute peak of enterprise-grade print techn, as seen by its entire focus on print security delivered through the enforcement of user-centric print and capture standards.

Equitrac is scalable

We enjoy how Equitrac expands from small businesses to huge multi-site corporations with thousands of print devices, and how you can simplify and centrally manage mixed fleets of multifunctional device (MFP) fleets with minimum extra administration.

Equitrac is the analytics champion

Where Kofax Equitrac excels in the print management software review competition is in precise analytics and customised reports. In reality, analytics are exactly what the CIO and CISO want at their fingertips as they investigate overall print device usage, and control of every print job.

It isn’t a flawless software package, though, because Kofax Equitrac remains a suite which must be deployed on a Private Cloud, and it’s fair to say that the configuration can be difficult. However, in a world where security is vital and your organisation is complicated, these are fair trade-offs.

Kofax Control Suite Printix

With the 2022 addition of Kofax Printix, we have a SaaS print management system which matches the needs of modern offices. At a stroke, clients can remove print servers and improve employee productivity with simplified administration and an intuitive user experience. Remember too, this has been developed with mobile printing in mind.

Print from any device to any printer

Kofax Printix is secure, and ‘true cloud’, in that it doesn’t require additional services and/or significant on-premises infrastructure dependencies. The big win, though, is its automatic discovery of print network with intelligent print driver selection and automatic print queue installation by location, group or self-service for increased efficiencies. enabling users to print from any device to any printer.

In terms of the ultimate print management solution, Kofax Printix might be the new kid on the block, but this is the one to watch because Printix redefines the industry by managing multiple printers from different manufacturers.

PrinterLogic

PrinterLogic has evolved into a print management software powerhouse to be reckoned with over the last two decades. PrinterLogic, like PaperCut, employs roughly 200 people exclusively committed to their mission: print management and the abolition of physical print servers.

PrinterLogic holds a firm opinion that if on-premise print servers are replaced with fully cloud-based print management software solutions, your customer gets security, simplicity of use, decreased IT overheads, and cheaper prices.

Ideal for Virtual Print Environments

PrinterLogic’s business print management takes a ‘next-generation’ approach. When confronted with complex virtual environments such as Citrix and VMware, their print management software serves as a full-fledged, cross-platform print management solution, allowing organisations of any size to eliminate print servers and replace them with a single, infinitely scalable instance of their software.

Almost total automation

PrinterLogic maintains your print queues with unrivalled speed, and because it’s nearly totally automated (no on-site hardware required), it provides you with the print drivers you need wherever you are in your organisation.

Load print drivers on demand

Imagine walking into any office and being able to print instantaneously, whether it’s for a worldwide organisation or a multi-site operation in the United Kingdom exclusively. There are no drivers to install, and no permissions to secure, because your permissions were centrally mapped, and the print drivers load on command.

UniPrint

UniPrint describes itself as a “all-in-one” print management software platform that provides both cloud and on-premise print management. It is print vendor agnostic, which means you can deploy and manage printers from any vendor or environment, including A3 devices and home printers.

It’s referred to as ‘universal printing,’ and it ensures that your printing experience stays constant whether you’re an office worker, a remote worker, or a hybrid worker. UniPrint, like the leading print management solutions, has follow-me / follow-you print support for secure release, as well as a mobile printing App for contactless safe release.

Best option for Citrix and VMware print environments

UniPrint is a powerful solution that can save you a lot of money, but it doesn’t have the extensive reporting facilities that Equitrac has. Although configuration is difficult, there is little question that this is a dependable option with proper design. It excels in virtual settings like as Citrix and VMware, as well as everywhere print virtualisation is planned.

Xerox Workplace Solutions

Xerox Workplace Solutions is a strong candidate for dependable, comprehensive, and robust print management software. This software package is comprised of two distinct products: Xerox Workplace Suite and Xerox Workplace Cloud.

Xerox® Workplace Suite

Xerox® Workplace Suite is an excellent alternative for those who demand productivity for mobile devices and office workers, particularly if they have extra data control requirements. Xerox Workplace Suite manages your printer fleet on-premises with server-based print management and mobile access. It provides the industry-leading security, convenience, and use analytics you need to boost productivity and cut expenses.

Xerox Workplace Cloud

Xerox Workplace Cloud is well-known for its ease of use and IT friendliness. Its whole design is centred on reducing security threats and providing advanced capabilities for easy and powerful dashboard-based monitoring and control of your complete printer fleet.

Xerox Workplace Cloud is an excellent alternative for organisations with limited access to IT help and various networks. The brilliance of Xerox, though, is that not only have they integrated mobile printing, they’ve integrated mobile printing with their ConnectKey aApp library for workflow and total access to all of the major cloud repositories, Office 365, SharePoint etc..

Xerox offer a superior dashboard

Xerox Workplace Solutions provide a unified experience across the whole ecosystem of operating systems, even with complicated network setups to allow the submission of print jobs from remote locations over the local network or the internet. Users then don’t require IT assistance to get up and running, increasing productivity for everyone.

Printing via Windows and Mac? No problem!

We particularly enjoy the fact that the Xerox Workplace Cloud software supports native desktop printing through Windows, Chromebooks, and the Apple Mac OS, and that desktop clients may submit jobs over the internet or local network, as well as mobile printing support. Your organisation’s print manager will discover the advanced workflow management system can revolutionise your printing operations.

This is a worldwide print management system that should be on the radar of every organisation since it is comprehensive, adaptable, and supports enormous multi-site fleets of heterogeneous devices.

Kofax Output Manager

We included Kofax Output Manager in this study since it gives a significant amount of security control to any printing environment. In fact, in this day and age of data protection and strict regulatory compliance, it’s almost negligent not to have Kofax Output Manager installed for practically any firm that works with sensitive data.

Output Manager is the solution to print security: whether it’s a borrower’s financials on a loan application or a patient’s medical records, correctly handling personal data is difficult. You may now be notified when someone accesses or prints a document, automatically redact sensitive data, and build audit trails to safeguard your company from data theft.

You benefit from centralised print management to reduce expenses, as well as remote print and capture capabilities for your mobile workforce. With document inspection and transformation, the ability to restrict secret data from printing, watermarking, and mobile authentication, this is your finest choice for tightening information security.

The Best Option for Data Security

Consult with your Data Protection Officer to determine the importance of identifying and removing sensitive information prior to printing, or perhaps removing documents entirely before someone attempts to print, or at the very least enabling automated redaction and adding watermarks. Your ‘data at rest’ is also safe with a full chain of custody and encryption of files that have printed or are about to print.

Kofax Output Manager is the solution to deploy for attorneys, financial directors, HR specialists, and any setting where personal or business secret data is handled.

What is the best print management solution?

Best for virtual print environments

PrinterLogic has developed its printing management solution for the next generation. The software has been developed to help organisations eliminate print servers from any network and replace those servers with a single centralised server.

PaperCut MF is difficult to beat for small to mid-sized businesses with up to 1,000 employees, but for the very largest enterprises and especially those with complex print fleets spanning many sites, Xerox Workplace Cloud takes the prize.

Best for mobile printing

The best print management software to support mobile printing Kofax Control Suite Printix. With the pedigree of ControlSuite, this is the solution for enabling user printing which delights everyone.

Best for print security

If you need worldwide assistance or have high security needs, Xerox Workplace Suite and Kofax Equitrac are the champions.

Best overall?

For 2022, we’re crowning Xerox Workplace Cloud as our champion because of its combination of mobile printing support coupled with integrated productivity apps.

Upgrade with a Managed Print Services contract

By placing your printers under a Managed Print Services (MPS) contract, you gain a strategic approach to managing your print costs by reducing your overall spend by 30 – 40% annually. When you make the transition, Advanced UK can deploy the optimal print management software too.

Your Managed Print Service is more than a mere service agreement. With Enhanced MPS, you’re gaining total control over your entire documents lifecycle, from creation through to end-of-life destruction.

MPS also expedites technical support, streamlines your billing, increases employee productivity, and is critical to your business continuity planning. These are critical factors in the new normal, where there are mixed fleets and remote workers.

How to arrange an evaluation for your organisation

All of these solutions are brought to the market by Advanced UK across the UK. We advise, configure, and support in equal measure. With such demonstrated independence, you can compare one or the other print management solution, confident that you will be guided to select the best for your environment today and into the future.