Microsoft has announced their new cloud-based Universal Print service, which allows users to more easily print documents remotely. For businesses, this also reduces IT costs and labor as they will no longer require on-premise printing servers or to install additional drivers on their machines. The service also adds other functionality such as security groups for their printers, location-based discovery for them, and a rich admin experience.
Microsoft is also making it easy for IT admins to register printers with the new Universal Print service as opposed to the complex mess of setting up hybrid print systems. Printers are easily discoverable from Azure AD-joined Windows devices, and users can continue to print from their devices as they have in the past.
Microsoft’s blog post says the service works best with Universal Print-compatible printers, although they are working with other partners including Canon to add additional compatible printers in the future. For now, admins can use a Universal Print-proxy application to connect to their printers.
Microsoft’s new Universal Print service is significant especially as Google plans to shut down its Cloud Print service before the end of the year. With the Redmond giant’s new solution, it could give many businesses more reason to switch way from G Suite and over to Microsoft/Office 365.
What do you you think? Could you company benefit from cloud-based printing? Let us know down below.
