Just like OneDrive revolutionized file storage by eliminating file servers, a Universal Print Server is transforming printing by removing the need for traditional print servers. Universal Print offers a modern cloud-based print solution that propels digital transformation forward. It lowers the complexities and costs associated with traditional print infrastructure by leveraging the robust and secure cloud platform trusted by millions for services like Microsoft Teams and SharePoint.
In today’s dynamic business environment, agility and efficiency are paramount. A universal print server allows your organization to simplify print management, significantly reduce costs, and seamlessly integrate printing into your workflow, letting you focus on your core business objectives.
Understanding Cloud Print Solutions and the Universal Print Server
In the contemporary business landscape, employees expect mobility and flexibility, demanding seamless integration across all their tools and services. Simultaneously, businesses are under constant pressure to fortify their defenses against ever-evolving digital threats. To thrive in this environment, organizations require a printing solution that is inherently secure, effortlessly manageable, and infinitely scalable. This solution must align with their current infrastructure and smoothly complement their journey to cloud adoption.
While server rooms packed with racks are increasingly becoming relics of the past, replaced by efficient cloud platforms for various services, print infrastructure has lagged behind in this transformation. The challenge lies in securely and reliably connecting physical printers within your offices to the cloud.
Universal print servers, exemplified by solutions like Universal Print, are designed to accelerate cloud migration by replacing complex on-premises server infrastructure and intricate scripting with centralized print management, a highly available distributed infrastructure, and simplified user experiences. This shift not only liberates IT administrators from tedious maintenance tasks, allowing them to focus on strategic initiatives, but also dramatically curtails the expenses, complexities, and operational headaches associated with traditional on-premises print servers.
Why a Universal Print Server Like Universal Print is the Right Choice
A universal print server approach, and specifically Universal Print, offers compelling advantages in several key areas:
- Enhanced Print Data Security in the Cloud: Concerns about data security when transitioning print operations to the cloud are effectively addressed with a universal print server.
- Reduced IT Headaches and Debugging: Say goodbye to endless hours spent troubleshooting printing issues after server or driver updates. Universal Print simplifies management and reduces points of failure.
- Simplified Cost and Usage Reporting: Obtain comprehensive and easily accessible data for cost analysis and usage reports, eliminating the need to gather information from disparate systems.
- Fewer User Support Tickets: Minimize user frustration and IT support requests related to printer discovery and connectivity. A universal print server streamlines the user experience.
Built upon decades of Microsoft’s expertise in print technology, Universal Print provides a seamless and intuitive printing experience for both IT administrators and end-users. The core requirement is simply a printer with an internet connection and a device from which to print.
Universal Print achieves cost reductions through streamlined management and the elimination of print server overhead. Furthermore, it elevates security and reliability by leveraging the robust Microsoft 365 infrastructure that your organization likely already utilizes and trusts.
| Benefits for IT Admins | Benefits for Print Users |
|---|---|
| ✅ Centralized Print Management from a Single Pane of Glass | ✅ Effortless and Reliable Printing Experience |
| Manage your entire organization’s print environment, regardless of geographical distribution, from a unified interface within the Azure Portal. Whether your operations span across continents, Universal Print provides a single point of control. | Users enjoy a seamless printing experience integrated with familiar platforms like Windows, macOS, Intune, OneDrive, and Excel. The intuitive nature of Universal Print ensures minimal learning curve, allowing users to concentrate on their tasks without printing distractions. |
| ✅ Minimize Downtime and Reduce Worry | ✅ Intuitive Printer Discovery and Location Awareness |
| Rely on a robust and dependable print infrastructure backed by the same hardened Microsoft 365 infrastructure that powers critical services like Teams and OneDrive. Universal Print offers a true zero-trust printing environment, enhancing your overall security posture (refer to our upcoming zero-trust guide for detailed implementation). | In dynamic work environments, users can effortlessly locate and connect to nearby printers, eliminating the time-consuming process of manual printer setup when moving between locations. Universal Print simplifies printer discovery. |
| ✅ Eliminate Print Servers Entirely | ✅ Universal Access: Print from Anywhere, Any Device, Any Application |
| Bid farewell to the burdens of maintaining, upgrading, and troubleshooting on-premises print servers. With Universal Print compatible printers, the infrastructure is streamlined to just the printer and the user. No intermediary servers or middleware are needed. | Universal Print operates over the internet, enabling users to print from any location without the complexities and potential vulnerabilities of VPN connections. Cross-platform compatibility with Windows, macOS, and web-based applications ensures printing flexibility from any device and application. |
| ✅ Driverless Printing – A Modern Approach | |
| Print drivers are notorious for management overhead, system instability, and security vulnerabilities. Universal Print eliminates print drivers completely, enhancing security and simplifying management. | |
| ✅ Leverage Cloud-Based Identity Management | |
| Utilize Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory) for unified identity management across your organization, including print services. Eliminate complex hybrid identity setups. | |
| ✅ Maximize Existing Investments in Devices and Endpoints | |
| Universal Print integrates seamlessly with your existing printer fleet and supports printing from diverse endpoints, including macOS devices, ensuring broad compatibility. | |
| ✅ Simplified Regulatory Compliance | |
| Benefit from Microsoft’s extensive portfolio of compliance certifications, which extend to Universal Print. Universal Print adheres to SOC, ISO 27001/2 and 27018, FedRAMP, and other key regulatory standards. |
Robust Partner Ecosystem for Universal Print Servers
Universal Print benefits from a thriving ecosystem of software and hardware partners, ensuring broad compatibility and feature extensibility.
👉 Explore Universal Print’s Partner Integrations
Universal Print Ready Printers: Expanding Hardware Compatibility
A diverse range of printer manufacturers offer Universal Print ready printers, ensuring compatibility and seamless integration.
Expanding Functionality with Partner Solutions
Software solution partners extend the capabilities of Universal Print, providing enhanced features and customized workflows.
Universal Print Server vs. Traditional On-Premises Print Solutions: Key Differences
As a cloud-native print solution, a universal print server like Universal Print operates fundamentally differently from traditional on-premises print infrastructure:
- Internet-Based Print Job Processing and Management: All print jobs and management operations are executed over the internet. This eliminates the need for users to be on a specific network to print and enables centralized printer management via the Azure Portal. Microsoft’s dedicated security and operations teams manage the service infrastructure, adhering to stringent security and reliability protocols, resulting in a more secure print environment compared to self-managed on-premises infrastructure behind a firewall.
- Centralized Printer Reporting and Monitoring: All printers are registered within Universal Print in the cloud, providing a centralized platform for management, status monitoring, and reporting. Gain a comprehensive overview of your entire print infrastructure or examine the status of individual printers from a single, unified interface.
- Driverless Architecture for Simplified Management: Universal Print is built on industry-standard protocols like IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) and Mopria, enabling printers to communicate directly with Universal Print without the complexities of driver deployment, maintenance, and troubleshooting.
- Automatic and Continuous Updates: Universal Print employs a continuous delivery model, ensuring your organization consistently benefits from the latest security enhancements, quality improvements, reliability updates, and feature additions. These updates are applied automatically in the background, minimizing disruption and allowing your IT team to focus on strategic priorities.
Tip: Delve deeper into Universal Print’s architecture and operational mechanics to fully understand its capabilities.
Universal Print Server vs. Other Cloud Print Solutions: Unique Advantages
While Universal Print shares similarities with other cloud print solutions, it distinguishes itself with several unique advantages:
- Deep Native Integration within the Microsoft Ecosystem: Universal Print is seamlessly integrated into Windows, OneDrive, Excel, macOS, and other Microsoft products. This native integration ensures a frictionless user experience – printers are automatically discoverable and accessible within users’ familiar applications and devices, requiring no additional configuration or deployment steps.
- Unmatched Security, Privacy, and Scalability – Built on Microsoft’s Trusted Cloud Platform: Universal Print is built upon the same robust and trusted platform that powers Microsoft’s mission-critical services like Teams, Exchange, OneDrive, and Office. This inheritance provides your print environment with the same industry-leading levels of quality, availability, and security rigor that these core services offer, a benchmark unmatched by other cloud print solutions.
- Advanced Print Functionality through Print Support Apps (PSAs): While driverless printing enhances security and simplifies management, it can sometimes limit access to advanced printer-specific features. Universal Print and Windows address this through Print Support Apps (PSAs). PSAs enable printer manufacturers to deliver their unique and advanced functionalities in a secure and performant manner, bridging the gap between driverless simplicity and feature richness.
- Customizable Functionality with Microsoft Graph API: For organizations with custom applications requiring print integration, Universal Print offers the flexibility to extend its functionality via the Universal Print Microsoft Graph API. This API enables developers to easily incorporate print capabilities into custom workflows and applications.
Taking the Next Step with a Universal Print Server
Universal Print offers a compelling path to modernize your printing infrastructure, reduce costs, enhance security, and simplify management. Ready to experience the benefits of a universal print server?
Contact us today to learn more about how Universal Print can transform your organization’s printing environment. (This is a placeholder – replace with actual contact link)
