Cloud services have become so pervasive that we often use them without even noticing. Whether it’s streaming music, movies, or TV shows, backing up photos on your phone, using online spreadsheets or word processing software, or even streaming video games, the cloud is everywhere. It has replaced much of the infrastructure in both households and office spaces. For many small to medium businesses, starting off in the cloud is almost automatic, with their infrastructure consisting of desks, chairs, laptops, printers, and the occasional whiteboard.
Just like entertainment streaming and countless other software, platform, and infrastructure services, print management is another area being enhanced by cloud computing. The desire to eliminate onsite print servers and leverage the cloud for your print environment is obvious, but there’s more to it than that.
Why Move Print Management into the Cloud?
The answer isn’t simple. Using cloud services is one thing, but if you’re about to start positioning cloud, you need a deep understanding of all its elements. For anyone questioning the cloud, it’s important to define cloud terms and concepts in the world of print management.
Print management in the cloud has its benefits, but it also has its drawbacks. Considering the shift to cloud print management requires a “two steps forward, one step back” approach. The key is to understand the trade-offs.
3 Benefits/Trade-offs When Moving Your Print Management into the Cloud
1) Simplicity vs. Control
Cloud computing simplifies technology use. If it suits your print environment, you don’t need to bother with the behind-the-scenes maintenance of print servers—someone else can handle it. Many individuals and businesses are used to this with cloud services like Google Workspace and Microsoft 365.
Fewer moving parts mean simplicity, but the trade-off is less control. Some people prefer not to see under the hood of their car, while others need to see the pistons firing and gears grinding. Can your print environment benefit from simplicity, or do you need to pop the hood?
2) Cost Flexibility and Elasticity vs. Predictability
Cloud-based printing reduces infrastructure and offers maintenance advantages. We already use various subscription-based cloud services like Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and AWS. The hardware maintenance is handled for you.
Self-hosting is generally cheaper when you have the expertise on-site but acquiring that expertise can be costly. Different businesses with different levels of expertise will benefit from different approaches. Cloud-based print management is rapidly deployed, lessening the burden of implementation and administration. It also auto-scales based on your requirements or usage.
The flexibility and elasticity of the cloud are significant benefits. However, in an on-prem/self-hosted world, you’re buying the server with no ongoing costs, making it very predictable. The trade-off is that cloud services are out of your control, which can be a benefit or a drawback depending on your print environment.
3) Security & Compliance vs. Simplicity
With on-prem or self-hosted print management, you control the data and infrastructure. You know where the data is and have complete access. This is an area where the cloud can be a net neutral or even a loss in security and compliance. You’re trading off some benefits in simplicity and flexibility.
The benefit of self-hosted print management is that you’re in control the entire time. Cloud-based print management means third parties handle security and compliance, reducing your need to constantly patch and monitor. For businesses where security and compliance are paramount, this is a major consideration before shifting to cloud print management.
Why Are Businesses Moving Their Print Management into the Cloud?
With the emergence of cloud services as a cost-effective alternative to on-prem hardware in the print management space, more businesses are transitioning to cloud-based print management solutions. This transition requires making business decisions with full knowledge of the trade-offs.
According to the Quocirca Print Industry Trends 2024 report, 56% of organizations plan to increase investment in AI and machine learning technology in the next year. Cloud services can enhance security, scalability, and mobility, making print management a part of that evolution.
Cloud offers a flexible, resilient, and reliable alternative to traditional data center services:
- Room to add on and scale-up
- Reduced print spend
- Increased ROI
- Less IT team burden
However, it’s crucial to remember the “benefit/tradeoff, two steps forward, one step back” approach when it comes to cloud print management. What is right for you will change over time.