4 benefits of cloud print management in the new era of work

Printers have long been a staple of the modern office environment, evolving over decades into the contemporary multifunction device many of us rely on today. However, with the transformation we've seen in how and where people work, including the rise of hybrid work models, the needs of businesses have changed, and print environments must adapt as well.

Cloud print management offers a flexible solution to many of the challenges businesses now face, delivering efficiencies and cost savings that can fuel further growth. With Kyocera ECOSYS and TASKalfa printers designed for seamless cloud integration, organisations can optimise their print infrastructure for today's distributed workforce. Before we explore those benefits, it's worth outlining how modern work models have impacted print management.

How hybrid work models have impacted print management

The shift to hybrid working models has led to numerous changes in the print environment, with three main impact areas.

1. Increasing digitisation

Many businesses have adopted a wide variety of technologies to support flexible work arrangements. In particular, cloud technology and bring-your-own-device trends have emerged from hybrid work environments, enabling greater mobility for workers. Printing devices must seamlessly connect to these cloud platforms to optimise efficiency and collaboration across multiple work locations. Additionally, as employees increasingly use their own personal devices, such as mobiles and tablets, business printers must enable secure mobile printing, including fast, easy and secure connections to a wide range of devices.

2. Decentralised workforces

Hybrid working arrangements bring unique challenges to managing decentralised workforces. Many businesses have expanded the number of devices in their work environment as employees set up home offices or work from multiple locations. Without an effective system in place to manage distributed printers, IT teams struggle to ensure consistent security, software updates and maintenance across all devices.

3. Increased cybersecurity risks

Printers are often-overlooked security risks in any workplace, whether remote, hybrid or traditional office. However, changes to how we work have opened up several new vulnerabilities. Many workers use retail printers for their home offices without realising these devices lack adequate security features to protect business data. Additionally, the increased number of devices and endpoints in distributed environments can increase risks, as IT teams struggle to maintain complete oversight and ensure adequate security. Businesses continue to face evolving cybersecurity threats, making it more critical than ever for business printers to have robust security in place, regardless of location.

To address these challenges, cloud print management offers a practical solution for the modern workplace, enabling businesses to optimise their print environment to meet current and future needs.

4 benefits of cloud print management

Businesses are increasingly moving their systems to the cloud to take advantage of the cost savings and operational benefits it offers, and print networks are no different. Cloud print management enables businesses to better oversee and control their print infrastructure and requirements. Not only does it remove the need for on-premises servers and allow remote access to devices, but the right print management tool will also help you reduce costs, streamline productivity, improve security and increase sustainability in your workplace.

1. Reduced costs

On-premises print management often entails high infrastructure and operational costs, both in the initial system investment and in ongoing maintenance. Cloud print management, however, uses a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model that allows businesses to pay for use of the platform, without the costs of building or maintaining it.

For example, Kyocera Cloud Print & Scan is a high-class multi-tenant architecture that allows us to distribute the cost of maintaining and improving the platform across all clients, reducing operational costs without compromising on quality or security.

This approach saves money in the short term and allows you to benefit from innovations and software upgrades that the service provider invests in, without bearing the full cost of their development. This is especially important in modern workplaces, as many on-premise print management solutions are unsuited to hybrid work environments. Businesses can incur additional costs trying to upgrade existing infrastructure to meet the demands of a distributed workforce, or they can switch to a cloud print management solution designed for flexible work that scales rapidly.

Cloud printing provides better insights and control over print usage. With Kyocera Cloud Print & Scan, you can create and assign different print policies to various user groups within your organisation. This allows you to set printing quotas for departments or limit certain features to only those employees who need them. For example, you could restrict colour printing to your marketing department or make double-sided printing the default across your business. This insight and control enables you to reduce waste and unnecessary printing, saving money on consumables and energy.

2. Streamlined productivity

Cloud storage has become standard for most workplaces with hybrid workers, providing ready access to the information and files employees need. While this is important, it's only one half of the document lifecycle. You must also consider how your documents are accessed, uploaded and shared. A cloud print management tool that integrates with your cloud storage solution enables even greater efficiency and productivity by streamlining collaboration and communication.

Kyocera Cloud Print & Scan enables workers to scan directly to their cloud storage platform, such as Google Drive, OneDrive or Box, from the touch panel of their multifunction printer, eliminating the need to manually upload the scanned file to the cloud. Alternatively, they can send a scanned document directly to another employee's email using the device interface, saving the time it takes to scan, find, attach and send the document on their computer. Files can also be stored on the platform for users to download later.

Modern Kyocera ECOSYS and TASKalfa printers are built with cloud compatibility in mind, supporting seamless integration with leading cloud platforms and mobile printing solutions. This ensures that whether your team is in the office, at home or on the go, they can print and scan efficiently from any device.

3. Improved security

With a cloud print solution, your service provider shares responsibility for platform security by managing aspects such as software updates and system integrity. While you remain responsible for other security elements, such as how employees use and access your print network, with the right provider, you can have peace of mind that your print network has the most up-to-date security and is continuously monitored for threats.

Kyocera Cloud Print & Scan provides access to robust print security features, such as local spooling, which allows the print job to be released from any compatible device, whilst only metadata is stored in the cloud. 

For organisations requiring enterprise-level security, Kyocera TASKalfa devices offer advanced security features including end-to-end data encryption, user authentication protocols and network protection, making them ideal for industries with strict compliance requirements.

4. Increased sustainability

The transformation we're experiencing in our workplaces presents businesses with the opportunity to reassess how they operate, including improving their environmental impact. As well as improving security, increasing productivity and reducing costs, cloud printing offers a more sustainable way to manage your printing fleet and usage. Centralised and consolidated hosting services reduce your carbon footprint, while improved print management, with features such as print quotas and reporting insights offered by Kyocera Cloud Print & Scan, enable you to minimise workplace waste.

Kyocera's ECOSYS technology, available across both the ECOSYS and TASKalfa ranges, features long-life components and eco-friendly design that significantly reduces waste and environmental impact. With industry-leading maintenance intervals and high-yield toner systems, ECOSYS printers help organisations achieve their sustainability goals whilst maintaining exceptional print quality.

Choosing the right printer and device infrastructure to support productivity and growth in hybrid workplaces can be challenging. Download our Comprehensive Guide to Digital Workplaces to learn how to equip your organisation for collaboration, mobility and productivity in the modern workplace.

Kyocera Document Solutions provides innovative products, software and ICT services for hybrid work environments, enabling businesses to implement smart workplace solutions that drive business transformation and resilience.