5 Ways Cloud Printing Can Benefit Your Business

When it comes to printing and copying, the most common problems businesses face are running out of ink, toner, paper and not having hard copies of essential documents where and when they need them.  

That’s where cloud printing comes in.

Unlike traditional on-site printing – which is expensive and difficult to manage – cloud printing solutions can cut your costs, improve efficiency, and increase flexibility in your organization.

What is Cloud Printing?

In a nutshell, cloud printing is a way to connect digital devices like smartphones, workstations, laptops, and tablets to printers.

Unlike traditional on-site printing, cloud printing does not rely on cables. Traditional printing also comes with additional complications like software driver problems and compatibility or connectivity issues.  

Because cloud printing does not rely on software drivers, printing is more efficient and reliable. Cloud printing also comes with an array of other benefits.  

1. Reduce Printing Costs

Compared to traditional on-site printing, cloud printing is the more cost-effective option. Because print servers are cloud-based, cloud printing reduces the operating and energy costs of running and hosting on-site servers.

Cloud printing also eliminates the need for software and hardware installation and maintenance, which removes the associated costs. Additionally, there is no need to purchase printer software and hardware.    

2. Allow Employees to Connect Their Own Devices

With employees increasingly working in and out of the office, they tend to rely more on their own devices for work-related tasks. Problems arise when employees working on their tablets or laptops cannot print their important documents.

Cloud printing eliminates the connectivity and compatibility issues that plague traditional printing – employees will be able to print from any device that can connect to the internet. When employees can print easily from their laptops, tablets, and smartphones, it also reduces the burden on the organization’s help desk and IT department.

3. Easy Setup and Maintenance

Setting up and maintaining cloud printing is much cheaper than setting up and maintaining an organization’s IT infrastructure.

Printing can easily be outsourced with cloud printing solutions instead of allocating valuable resources to IT and printing infrastructure.  

4. Customizable Printing Rules

Defining customized printing rules for employees is simple and effective with cloud printing. You can control exactly what can be printed, if color printing is permitted, define printing page limits, and more.

The printing process will also be less confusing for employees because you’ll have well-defined, customized parameters in place. 

Cloud printing also gives you access to data and analytics, which is helpful for understanding what is being printed, who is printing it, and more. This data allows greater control over your organization’s printing services.

Having access to the valuable insights gained from analytics will also help your organization decide how much to invest in printing and what printing guidelines need to be defined.

5. Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

As more organizations are focusing on more eco-friendly printing solutions, cloud printing is an easy and effective way to reduce energy consumption.

Printing via the cloud reduces your organization’s carbon emissions and reduces waste. Implementing managed print services alongside cloud printing is a way to ensure that your business uses toner, ink, and paper responsibly.