Sorting Out the Printing Device "Zoo"

Doc loves everything British, especially if it comes with chips. So one of my favorite publications is the Financial Times, the pink Brit equivalent of The Wall Street Journal. A recent article by Jessica Twentyman caught my eye, in part because it refers to the mish-mash of printers and scanners most companies have as “zoos.” The article deals with the problems of printers-out-of-control and the need for Managed Print Services (MPS).

Among many interesting bits, the article quotes a study by one large company that found 56 percent of employees say they have seen confidential company documents left in printer trays:

Unsecured printing environments pose serious risks for European companies that could result in legal action, lost clients and lost revenue – and yet few businesses are aware of the reputational and financial risks their printing infrastructure poses.  In research recently conducted by the company among 4,500 workers across Europe, more than half of respondents (56 percent) said that they see confidential company documents, printed by someone else, sitting on the printer at least once a month. One in five claim to see such documents every day.

The article goes on to say that:

Industry estimates suggest companies spend between 1 and 3 percent of their annual revenues on maintaining printer estates. Analysts at Gartner, meanwhile, estimate that using managed print services [MPS] can reduce that by between 10 and 30 percent.

Under MPS, a service provider takes primary responsibility for meeting the customer’s office printing needs, including the printing equipment, the supplies, the service and overall management of the printer fleet, Gartner’s report explains.

The main components provided are a needs assessment, selective or general replacement of hardware, and the services and supplies needed to operate the new and/or existing hardware.

Doc loves that the Brits refer to their printer networks as “estates.” There is a lot more to the article, including some solutions, which you can read here.