Cloud printing is one of the latest trends among businesses and organizations of all types. With the cloud’s rise in popularity, there's no wonder why there’s a ton of buzz about cloud printing. It’s a rapidly expanding trend among all types of businesses, regardless of size or sector. Overall, the goal of the service is to be a simple, reliable method of printing from all types of devices without being limited by location or hardware compatibility.
So, what is the cloud? How does it work? What can it do for your business? Keep reading for answers to these questions and more:
What is Cloud Printing?
So, the cloud is not a white mass of water vapor floating out somewhere in the atmosphere. Rather, the cloud is made up of shared pools of system resources and services over the Internet. Items stored in the cloud are often accessible from multiple devices, making mobile access to them easier than ever.
Cloud printing allows you to print from any device on your network without the use of printer drivers, cables, and other traditional printing hardware and software to help you find an efficient, seamless way to manage your print volume needs.
Pros and Cons of Cloud Printing
Pros
Affordable
For many, the most attractive benefit of cloud printing is minimal capital and operational expenses. Users save by not having to invest in in-house server storage and other administration costs. You would only be responsible for paying for the services you use, rather than the additional costs associated with buying, maintaining, and replacing hardware and software. One of the underlying goals of all businesses is to make a substantial profit while keeping expenses to a minimum. Cloud printing is an affordable way to manage your print volume no matter the size and scope of your business.
Simple
Another wonderful benefit of cloud printing is its simplicity in terms of setup and usage. Since cloud printing is a web-based service, users won’t have to worry about installation or handling clunky new equipment. So, you can utilize equipment quickly and easily without having to deal with the hassle of acquiring new hardware and setting up new infrastructures.
Also, cloud printing is a really reliable way to meet your print volume needs, since most service providers offer a Service Level Agreement (SLA) that guarantees 24/7 availability year-round so you’ll seldom have downtime or any issues with completing jobs.
Eco-friendly
Fast, efficient printing that also helps reduce waste and carbon emissions to ultimately help the environment? Yes, please!
Cloud printing gives you more control over what you print, so you end up using fewer materials which eliminates waste! You will also reduce your carbon footprint since you won't have to transport documents between sites. When the planet wins, we all do.
Cons
Technical Difficulties
While cloud service providers typically provide their clients with a Service Level Agreement that guarantees availability 99.95% of the time, there is still room in that lingering 0.05% for things to go wrong. Since service providers host a considerable number of clients every day, they can end up inundated with technical outages which can lead to an unexpected halt in your company’s day-to-day production needs should you need to print something. At the same time, if you should ever lose your Internet connection, you will lose access to any data you have stored in the cloud until it’s up and running again.
Security
When clients consider moving their data to the cloud, security is often their biggest concern. After all, there are some pretty disconcerting statistics surrounding the cloud. Even though, cloud service providers put the best security practices into place, placing any data in external storage poses a potential risk to your security. After all, being a public service opens the door to all types of possible security breaches. The likelihood of any type of compromise isn't particularly great, but it is still important to practice caution and review the security details outlined in your cloud service provider's SLA to ensure that your data will be safe in the event of a breach.
Limited Self-Management
For some businesses, one less component of your company to manage would be a blessing. For others, a hindrance. The cloud system is completely controlled, owned, and supervised by the service provider. As a client, you're only able to control the applications, data, and services on the frontend – not the infrastructure itself. So, if you want to be able to control the administration of your print technology, then cloud printing may not be for you.
How does Cloud-based printing work?
So, cloud printing basically connects your device (computer, tablet, or smartphone) with a cloud-ready printer that's connected to the Internet. The cloud system sends the job to the printer and formats it according to your needs. This process allows you to quickly and efficiently discover and use a printer with your smart device or computer without the need for time-consuming driver installations.
The graphic below illustrates the Cloud printing process in three steps:
There are plenty of advantages and drawbacks when it comes to cloud printing. The service is still a growing market, having only been accessible for a little over a decade. Its simplicity and compatibility with the influx of smart devices make it ideal for many business owners while its terms of use and reliance on network connectivity make it unattractive for others. Either way, it’s an entirely unique way to manage your print solutions.
Interested in learning more about ways to manage your printing needs without taking away from your important day-to-day tasks? Reach out to us today to learn about how we can help you reach your professional objectives and milestones within your business or organization.