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Articles by Function4

Remote Worker Printing and the New World of Work

December 27th, 2022 by Kevin Box

A modern desk setup with the words 'Remote Worker Printing' on the wall and 'And the New World of Work' on the computer screen

Prior to COVID, printer fleets were mostly hybrid, meaning organizations deployed both larger workgroup copiers in specific locations around their office to maximize employee usage with some select employees having a desktop printer on their desk. After...

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Posted in: Managed Print Services

3 Questions to Ask Before You Purchase a New Printer

December 5th, 2022 by Kevin Box

A businessman with his head inside of a printer lid

Let's face it, buying printers isn't glamorous. However, it's a purchasing decision that can pay dividends if done correctly. Below are three questions to ask when buying a new printer. Do I buy an enterprise-level device or an Over-the-Counter...

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Posted in: Managed Print Services

The Big Question: To Purchase or Lease Office Equipment

November 13th, 2022 by Function4

Accurio Press

One of the most important assets of any business is productivity, which means acquiring the right document flow equipment to handle the workload. However, with the most expensive office equipment, the printers/copiers can be acquired in two ways: to...

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Posted in: General, Managed Print Services

Managed Print Services and How it Helps Businesses

October 31st, 2022 by Function4

A business woman pressing a green 'Print' button on a white printer

Managed Print Services (MPS) is a comprehensive and integrated approach to optimizing and managing an organization's print infrastructure and print-related processes. MPS can help businesses save money, increase efficiency, and improve security. MPS...

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Posted in: Managed Print Services

Don’t Walk the Plank

October 3rd, 2022 by Cherrie Cole

An adult pirate in a cocked hat and a striped vest plays cards on a wooden table against the background of the Jolly Roger flag.

Don’t be forced to walk the plank with your supplies. The work phone rings. You answer with the company name. The person on the other side says, “Hi, I am [a made-up name] we service your copier and need you to verify the...

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Posted in: Cybersecurity

4 Ways to Overcome the Supply Chain Issues When Ordering Printers

September 6th, 2022 by Kevin Box

Two workers loading boxes into back of delivery van.

Over the last two years, anything that requires a computer chip has gone through supply chain issues in one way or another. COVID-19 did not entirely create this issue but exposed it. If you need to order a new printer, it could take as...

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Posted in: General

The High Costs of Toner Got You Down?

August 8th, 2022 by Kevin Box

A flow chart showing the benefits of Function4's Managed Print Services

Why Buying Retail Toner Is Insane, and Other Reasons to Have a Managed Print Services Agreement in Place In past discussions with organizations, I've come across a great deal of IT Managers and Administrators who often fail to fully understand...

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Posted in: Managed Print Services

How Copier Companies are Accommodating and Benefiting the IT Industry

June 9th, 2022 by Function4

Close up of a copier/printer having its top opened with the sun setting in the background

The copier machine, since its production, has undergone numerous changes. Today it stands as one of the most polished and user-friendly machines making business life more manageable. While its usage has decreased by a slight margin in the present times,...

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Posted in: Business Technology

How to Find the Best Copier Company Near Me

March 22nd, 2022 by Function4

Business woman standing in front of a multifunction printer in office setting looking at documents in hand.

No matter how advanced the world has become, there are some conventional things that we can't just let go of. Printing papers is one of these. You can have all of the information you need in digital form, but some documents must be in physical...

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Posted in: Business Technology

Things to Look for When Buying a Copier or Printer

January 17th, 2022 by Function4

A man putting a piece of paper onto a copier while holding the lid open

Are you thinking of buying a new printer or copier for your business? Need to make an upgrade right away in the fastest time? Then make sure to read this post first as we share with you some of the most crucial things to consider when buying a copier...

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Posted in: Document Management, Business Technology

Factors to Consider When Choosing the Best Copier Company Near You

December 10th, 2021 by Function4

Black copier machine

A multifaceted and reliable office copier is a critical tool for every company that is success-oriented. However, finding the right company can feel overwhelming. Not only is office equipment like copiers pricey, but if incorrectly selected, it...

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Posted in: Business Technology

6 Do-It-Yourself Best Practices for Managing Your Printers

September 1st, 2021 by Kevin Box / Glyn Morgan

A women holding her head in frustration while looking at a office printer that is jammed.

Recently, one of our more tenured consultants gave an internal lunch and learn to our Sales Team on how to help our customers understand and better manage their printer fleets. This is the sort of “inside baseball”, so to speak, that organizations...

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Posted in: Business Technology

6 Minutes Will Save Your Organization Thousands on the Cost of Toner

August 30th, 2021 by Kevin Box

Hacker using laptop

When it comes to your printer fleet, having more visibility to performance is critical. Knowing how much volume each printer is producing is valuable. Getting automatic toner fulfillment is more productive and efficient than having an employee order...

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Posted in: Document Management

Printer Security Vulnerabilities and What You Can Do About It!

August 10th, 2021 by Kevin Box

Cyber security word cloud

On April 29th, 2021, Cyber Criminals were able to hack the largest fuel pipeline in the U.S. because of one password floating around on the dark web, which an employee had previously used to access the organizations' network through a Virtual Private...

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Posted in: Cybersecurity

6 Ways to Ensure Your Copier and Printer Secures Healthcare Data

July 20th, 2021 by Gabriela Garner

6 Ways to Ensure Your Copier and Printer Secures Healthcare Data

Security breaches create significant problems for any organization. They tax resources, put your reputation in danger and, most of all, cost money. Healthcare organizations are especially vulnerable to security breaches and often have the most to...

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Posted in: Cybersecurity

Print Server versus Service Client: What’s the Difference?

July 1st, 2021 by Tom Darnall

Eliminate print servers

At Function4, we have one overarching mission: to eliminate print servers. They’re a huge pain point for print environments of every shape and size, a resource vortex that devours time, money and effort with very little to show for it. IT departments...

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Posted in: Document Management

The Packaging and Labels Revival

May 27th, 2021 by Ed Bokuniewicz

Print Production | Meredith

So much has changed going into this year, but with that change comes the opportunity for businesses to reinvent themselves to better meet the needs of their customers. There is an ever-increasing shift from in-store to online shopping, which is...

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Posted in: Document Management

Print and Digital Communications Are Alive and Well

May 25th, 2021 by Ed Bokuniewicz

Print is not dead

Since 2008, the digital communications industry has been publicizing “Print is Dead.” This quote is an opinion and not fact based. It reminded me of the oft-quoted line by Mark Twain, the great American humorist, when he learned that a major American...

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Posted in: Document Management

Protecting Office Printers and MFPs from Security Risks

May 11th, 2021 by Akisa Matsuda

Protecting Office Printers and MFPs from Security Risks

It is no secret that in this age of new normality, increased security threats such as phishing or ransomware attacks, are a very real concern. Almost all devices are prone to cybersecurity threats and office printers and multifunction devices...

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Posted in: Cybersecurity

Promoting Five Employees to Key Positions to Support Expansion

April 30th, 2021 by Function4

Multiple people in business attire gathered around a crescent-shaped desk, 3 of them applauding their co-worker as he shakes another man's hand after being promoted

Leading Managed Technology Services Provider Reinvests in Top Talent to Improve Customer Experience SUGARLAND, TX -Function4, a leading managed technology services provider (MTSP), recently announced that they have promoted five employees...

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Posted in: Press Release

The 6 Consequences of Not having a Managed Print Services Program

April 12th, 2021 by Kevin Box

Picture2

Let’s face it, managing printers isn’t glamorous, and all end-users genuinely care about is if they can print. If the answer is no, the end-user must find an alternative to fix the problem. This is a microcosm of why having a printer service organization...

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Posted in: Document Management, Business Technology

Why You Should be Performing an Annual Audit on Your Print Environment

April 6th, 2021 by Tom Darnall

internal audit roles Archives - Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), Nigeria

Corporate printing costs can get expensive. These costs can amount to as much as 3% of annual revenue (some estimates even go as high as 12%). It’s important to keep those costs in check. And with print security becoming an increasingly urgent priority...

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Posted in: Business Technology

How to Reduce Careless Employee Printing

April 1st, 2021 by Jason Callahan

office printing statistics

While I don’t want to get down on employees (after all, I’m an employee myself), it’s no secret that their printing habits can be kind of, well, careless. The average worker prints about 34 pages a day, yet 17% of those pages go unused. Close to...

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Posted in: Document Management

Printing for Businesses with Multiple Locations

March 30th, 2021 by Brian Wistisen

How to Optimize for Multiple Locations

Print servers are the go-to choice when it comes to a corporate printing infrastructure. Conventional direct IP printing is different than server printing. With direct IP, printers are managed on a workstation-by-workstation basis. Print...

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Posted in: Document Management, Business Technology

What Causes Slow Network Printing?

March 25th, 2021 by Chris Summerhays

Extremely slow internet on PC, other PC's on network work fine - SuperTechman

When your network printer is slow to respond, you might find yourself wondering what causes slow network printing. This is a common scenario. Here are a few established workarounds for slow network printing. How to fix slow network printing...

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Posted in: Document Management

Be Ahead of the Game: Give Your IT Department Tools to Encourage Innovation

March 17th, 2021 by Jacob Eskelsen

Innovate Or Die: The Cost Of Not Doing Anything

As much as some folks like to brag about their ability to multitask, we all know by now that multitasking just isn’t efficient. Our brains prefer to focus on a single task rather than be pulled in different directions. That applies to IT departments...

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Posted in: Document Management

Are Your Current Print Management Practices Future Proof?

March 11th, 2021 by Tom Darnall

Print Manager for Business and Education | Print Management Solution

When planning their enterprise print management strategies, most organizations try to take a long-term view. They look to purchase cost-sensitive workhorse printers for their fleet and printer management solutions that will support and integrate...

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Posted in: Document Management

3 Signs to Upgrade Copiers and Multifunctional Printers

March 5th, 2021 by Max Queen

printer

Here are a few signs it’s time to make a change! Employees are constantly waiting. Is there a group of employees gathered around the copier waiting for their documents? If so, you have inefficient...

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Posted in: Business Technology

A Closer Look at SaaS Print Management

March 4th, 2021 by Neil Thomas

SaaS

2020 has been a big year for organizations moving their business processes to software as a service (SaaS). Recent corporate surveys have indicated that 80% of all businesses were already using at least one SaaS solution. By the start of...

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Posted in: Business Technology

3 Reasons To Consider a Managed Print Services Program

February 26th, 2021 by Kevin Box

Channeling the benefits of Managed Print Services for SMEs | Channel Pro

Contact a Solutions Expert There was a time in history where the "On-trend" method for managing copier and printer fleets was to map out the office and strategically place workgroup copiers & printers within the office space to maximize...

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Posted in: Cybersecurity, Business Technology

Print Server versus Service Client: What’s the Difference?

February 23rd, 2021 by Tom Darnall

Mobile device sending images to a printer

At Function4, we have one overarching mission: to eliminate print servers. They’re a huge pain point for print environments of every shape and size, a resource vortex that devours time, money and effort with very little to show for it. IT departments...

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Posted in: Document Management, Business Technology

What Are the Key Components of a Serverless Print Infrastructure?

January 27th, 2021 by Brian Wistisen

serverless print infrastructure

Contact a Solutions Expert As IT professionals are looking to move away from legacy print solutions, the idea of a serverless print infrastructure is becoming more widespread. That's true even in large enterprise organizations, where print servers were...

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Posted in: Business Technology

The Financial Burden of Inadequate IT Services and Security Data Breaches

January 12th, 2021 by Max Queen

data breach laptop

How much will it cost your company to recover following a data breach? New research from IBM Security paints a sobering picture, with costs increasing by 450,000 on average from 2019 to 2020. And here in the U.S., businesses can expect to pay even more...

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Posted in: Cybersecurity

Business Class Inkjet

December 22nd, 2020 by Paul Perez

RISO ComColor® GD Inkjet Printers | Pitney Bowes

In previous blogs, we touched on new developments in Inkjet technology from a high-level macro perspective. Now that business class inkjet has had some time to carve out its niche, we felt it necessary to dive into it a little more precisely. (We will...

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Posted in: Business Technology

Why Hardware Support Organizations are Properly Prepared to Provide IT Services

December 17th, 2020 by Brad Yocum

IT services

When many technology companies are broadening their scope of services, one of the most common is hardware organizations providing IT Support Services. At first thought, this may not seem like an easy transition. The technical requirements may appear to...

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Posted in: Business Technology

Benefits of Serverless Printer Management

December 10th, 2020 by Brad Yocum

install printer

In today's environment of remote workforces and shuffling of staff to different locations throughout the office, supporting employee's technology needs can be very challenging. One of the biggest ongoing challenges for the IT department is the print...

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Posted in: Business Technology

The Less-Touch Office: Working in the Era of COVID-19

December 3rd, 2020 by Sharp

The Less-Touch Office: Working in the Era of COVID-19

For a time, touchscreen displays were the height of innovation. Forget the old-school buttons; that was so last century. Everyone wanted an interface that reminded them of their iPhone. And that technology is still great – there are many possibilities...

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Posted in: Business Technology

Four Steps to replace Google Cloud Print

November 11th, 2020 by Ross Lasley

Google Cloud Print will be killed off in 2021

Google Air Print is officially going away on December 21st, which will cause a problem for many organizations' print environment. Google has reported that organizations will have two options: direct IP printing from Chromebooks or an alternative print...

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Posted in: Business Technology

How the Copier has Transitioned from a Commodity to a Vital Information Management Tool

October 27th, 2020 by Glyn Morgan

When I started in this industry, most copiers were still using liquid toner and premix. You could always tell who had utilized these devices by the stains on the carpet in front of them. Once copiers transitioned over to dry ink, people were delighted....

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Posted in: Business Technology

What Type of Cutting Method is best for a Production Print Center?

October 23rd, 2020 by Paul Perez

Best Paper Cutter for Print Production

Many organizations have moved to produce graphics and marketing materials in house to save on outsourcing costs and eliminate waiting on the local print shop. Now that print jobs can be taken directly from design to print, the challenge of finishing the...

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Posted in: Business Technology

Toner vs Ink: Which is Better?

September 3rd, 2020 by Kevin Box / Trent Tate

Image019

Many who work in Corporate Procurement and Information Technology understand the differences between Toner and Ink in relation to printing, however not everyone understands the nuances between each and the impact it can have on your bottom line. Our...

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Posted in: Business Technology

Production Inkjet

September 2nd, 2020 by Paul Perez

Konicakm1

Ink has recently roared back into the mainstream printing space with virtually all print manufacturers releasing some form of an inkjet printer. The “Inkjet is the future” message is plastered all over print publication websites and has inkjet touted...

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Posted in: Business Technology

What is a Copier Lease Buyout? (And Why It Might Be a Good Idea)

November 25th, 2019 by Function4

business people signing lease blog

The copier you leased a few years ago was a perfect fit for your day-to-day operations—until it wasn’t. Now your company could really use an upgrade. The problem is, the leasing period for your copier isn’t complete. A lease is a non-cancelable contract....

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Posted in: General

How Much Does a Copier Lease Cost?

November 12th, 2019 by Function4

business man using calculator in office

If you’re looking into a copier lease for your business, one of the first questions on your list might be, “How much does it cost to lease a copier?” The short answer: It depends. A copier lease is similar to leasing a fleet of cars or an office...

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Posted in: General

How to Get Out of a Copier Lease with Minimal Losses

October 29th, 2019 by Function4

“How do I get out of a copier lease?” As a copier dealer, this is a question we commonly hear from businesses unhappy with a lease they signed with a competitor’s leasing company. Contact a Solutions Expert The business may want to break their copier...

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Posted in: Business Technology

Copier Leasing vs. Buying: Which Is Best for Your Business?

September 23rd, 2019 by Function4

copier lease vs buy

Even in an increasingly digital age, some things just work best in print. Visit any booming business, and you’ll likely see their copier humming. This points to a copier’s essential function in a successful business, and it makes copier acquiring decisions...

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Posted in: Business Technology

Are Your Business Printers Vulnerable to Hackers?

March 6th, 2019 by Kevin Box

woman at office printer secure

In late 2013, hackers breached the systems of Fazio Mechanical Services, a heating and ventilation systems contractor. Through the Fazio Mechanical Services breach, the attackers were able to steal the network credentials of the third-largest U.S. retailer...

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Posted in: Cybersecurity

Streamline Your Digital Makeover with Managed IT Services

February 20th, 2019 by Function4

network managed it

Is your company adopting more digital processes in the coming year? Forward-thinking leaders recognize the inevitability of digitization and are doing everything they can to update their business processes. While the benefits of switching from paper-based...

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Posted in: Business Technology

Get These Four Benefits with Document Management

December 10th, 2018 by Function4

Document Management

A great document management solution can speed up your existing business processes, with time savings as high as 40% to 75% depending on your current processes. Since time is still money, you can count on some significant improvements to your bottom...

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Posted in: Document Management

Banish Paper Clutter With Document Management

October 15th, 2018 by Function4

document management desk laptop

Look around your office and make a mental list of the things that bother you the most. For many people, it's paper clutter, lack of space, and constant reminders of how behind they are that causes the most frustration. Moving to a roomier office may...

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Posted in: Document Management

Choosing Managed IT Services for Healthcare

September 24th, 2018 by Function4

nurse cloud secure

Is your healthcare facility in the process of choosing a Managed IT Services provider? Well, there's a lot to take into consideration. From the level of support to specific services, it's critical to do some advanced research and take your time before...

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Posted in: Document Management

The Price You Pay for Inadequate IT Security Strategy

August 20th, 2018 by Function4

data breach laptop

How much will it cost your company to recover following a data breach? New research from the Ponemon Institute and IBM paints a sobering picture, with costs increasing by 1.8% in 2017. And here in the U.S., businesses can expect to pay even more than...

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Posted in: Business Technology

Slash Your Paper Storage Costs with Document Management

August 13th, 2018 by Function4

digital document storage

Are rising operating costs putting a dent in your ability to grow your business? You're not alone, but a growing number of companies have found a way to reduce how much they spend on day-to-day operations. The High Cost of Storing Paper Those filing...

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Posted in: Document Management

4 Mobile Device Management Strategies for Your Business

August 6th, 2018 by Function4

mobile devices

Want to get more value from each workday? Mobile device management can help by providing strategies for managing your company's BYOD (bring your own device) and COPE (corporate-owned, personally enabled) mobile strategies. Here's how mobile device management...

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Posted in: Business Technology

Managed IT Services or an In-House Solution?

June 25th, 2018 by Function4

managed IT services

As a business leader, you're tasked with keeping your company moving forward without going over budget. Today's digital economy makes it more critical than ever to keep pace with technology. If you're struggling to keep up, increasing your IT investment...

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Posted in: Business Technology

Mobile Device Management: Enabling Mobile Printing

June 4th, 2018 by Function4

mobile device management

When it comes to managing your mobile devices, you've got a lot to focus on--but one thing you definitely won't want to overlook is mobile printing. This solution is innovative, flexible, and efficient, and it makes a great addition to any mobile fleet....

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Posted in: Cybersecurity

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