Cloud Print Management vs. Cloud Printing

When you hear folks talking about cloud printing and cloud-based print workflows, it’s hard not to get a little excited. The key benefits, such as access to select printers from almost anywhere and simplified printing, delivering a consistent user experience across locations from mobile devices, are impressive—particularly in light of today’s dynamic, mobile, and ever-changing workplace.

But there’s a big difference between cloud print management solutions and cloud printing. This can get especially confusing when you’re researching cloud print solutions (including cloud printing services offered on a modern cloud platform) because many companies claim to offer true cloud printing while still using outdated print technology. 

No one will argue that a cloud printing service comes with some wonderful advantages, yet it continues to be hampered by the traditional print management solutions that most organizations still have in place. This legacy infrastructure, usually in the form of print servers and complex print queues, can make cloud print setup much more difficult than it should be (if it’s even possible).

Furthermore, many cloud print solutions have fundamental limitations that take some of the shine off cloud print setup and cloud printing in general. For instance, most of the popular cloud print solutions require that you use special printers (specific print devices that limit choice), which restricts your options, or they want your existing printers to be connected to an always-on PC running special software, which drives up the cost and complexity of your infrastructure. Teams also struggle to monitor pages printed and optimize print speeds across sites with legacy tools. They also can’t always promise universal print compatibility with different printer drivers and operating systems.

By contrast, cloud computing and managed cloud services reduce on‑prem overhead and simplify upgrades.

Cloud print management has the ability to deliver all the benefits of cloud printing, along with next-generation print management that makes print servers seem like 19th-century technology by comparison. That’s because cloud print management, when it’s done right, truly breaks free from the conventional model of on-premises infrastructure and puts all aspects of enterprise printing into a secure cloud platform, where it’s always accessible, always manageable, always available.

However, you’ll note that I made a point to include the caveat when it’s done right in the previous sentence. 

As more and more organizations look to cloud print services to address their enterprise printing needs, an increasing number of cloud printing providers have naturally sought to fill that expanding niche. However, cloud print management—a centralized print management platform for admins and users—is not an easy thing to get right, and lesser cloud print solutions can quickly leave you wishing that you’d never ventured into cloud printing in the first place.

The result is a consistent and reliable user experience across every location and device.

Managed Print Services takes a more comprehensive approach to print management, encompassing not only the hardware and software but also the strategic oversight of an organization’s entire print environment. MPS providers typically offer:

• Print Fleet Management: MPS includes the management of all printers, copiers, and multifunction devices, as well as centralized printer management for every print device within an organization, ensuring optimal performance and minimizing downtime.

• Cost Control: By analyzing printing habits (e.g., pages printed by department or location) and implementing cost-saving measures, MPS helps organizations reduce their overall printing expenses.

• Security: Enhanced security measures, like secure print release and authentication at the device, are often part of MPS, protecting sensitive documents and ensuring compliance with industry regulations.

• Sustainability: MPS can help organizations implement more environmentally friendly printing practices, reducing waste and promoting sustainability.

• Strategic Planning: MPS providers work with organizations to develop long-term strategies for improving efficiency and reducing costs, offering regular assessments and updates—freeing IT resources to focus on strategic projects.

While cloud printing focuses on enabling flexible, remote printing capabilities, Managed Print Services provide a holistic approach to managing an organization’s entire print infrastructure. Both solutions have their place in the modern business environment. By leveraging the right mix of cloud printing and MPS, businesses can achieve a more efficient, cost-effective, and secure printing environment, tailored to their unique operational requirements. Together, these services elevate user experience while keeping costs predictable.

Vasion has a proven pedigree as a cloud-native solution delivered as cloud printing services on Vasion’s cloud platform. It leverages Vasion’s acclaimed on-premises print management solution and essentially transfers it to a cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) model, thereby allowing you to enjoy the benefits of both effortless cloud printing and effortless cloud print management.

With Vasion SaaS, cloud print setup is easy. From the moment you start, you can simply migrate all of your printers and associated print queues, print jobs, and drivers, including profiles, drivers, settings, you name it from your print server using an easy migration tool. After that, you can add new printers, handle print driver management, manage print queues, and edit print profiles across your entire organization from a single Admin Console.

Plus, Vasion makes it possible for you to shrink your traditional print infrastructure down to its most efficient, cost-effective state. Our many features allow you to consolidate network printers and even completely eliminate your print servers to free IT resources for strategic projects and improve print speeds for end users while enjoying more robust cloud printing capabilities than other cloud print solutions are able to deliver—and all in a secure environment.

So remember, cloud printing is only half of the story. The right cloud print management will migrate your organization’s printing to the cloud with maximum benefit and offer a seamless experience that’s more efficient, more secure, and easier to use. You can also track pages printed to inform policy and right‑size your environment.