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 solution. Here are four steps to take to replace Google Air Print.
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Determine what your print environment consists of
You need to know what is in your environment. Is it purely Chromebooks, or does it also have Windows computers? Do you have a BYOD policy? Are there any Apple products? These are all fundamental questions to answer before you can plan.
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Determine what type of print environment you want
The first step in planning is deciding what you want. Do you wish to make it as simple as possible for everyone to print? Do you want a secure environment that requires a badge to release a print job? Do you want to have a print server or print from the cloud? Do you have rules-based printing to cut costs? Once you have these questions and others, you can move on and plan for your new print environment.
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Simple free print environment
If your environment is 100% managed Chromebooks and you want to keep it simple, it is a straightforward fix. Organizations can deploy all their printers through Google G Suite. If they have an environment with many different types of devices, Function4 recommends Papercut Mobility Print, a great option that will allow you to print from Windows, Mac, Chromebook, Android, iPhone, and iPad. While this solution will not give you all the robust features of a print management system, it does allow you to continue printing from the cloud for free.
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Managed Print Environment
If you are looking to have a robust and secure print environment, you will want to look at Print Management Software options. This decision will allow you to create an in-depth print policy and will allow you to cut costs through rules such as limited color printing and directing print to the most efficient devices. It will also help you secure your information while having 100% uptime follow-me printing. This software can sit in your environment or the cloud. These are just a few of the features that you can set up in a Managed print environment. Contact an advisor at function4 to learn more.
There are several directions you can take to address the ending of Google Print. Evaluate the reasons you chose the application in the first place while assessing the current needs and picking the direction you feel best for your organization.
Function4 serves Houston, Beaumont, Paris, and the surrounding areas.