What Is Microsoft Universal Print?

In today’s world, printing is an essential and must-do task for many businesses. However, managing printing can be a hassle, especially when dealing with remote workers and multiple devices. In many cases, printers can be a source of data breaches and cyber-attacks.

According to Ponemon, about 60% of businesses reported a data breach that involved printers. In comparison, an average of 44% stated that the printers in their organization are not secured due to unauthorized access to data stored in the printer’s storage.

As organizations enjoy and embrace the power and versatility of cloud technology, especially in remote workers and the integration of multiple devices, it is no surprise that they seek to extend these benefits to their printing processes as well. To address this issue, Microsoft developed Universal Print, a cloud-based solution designed to simplify printing management and enable printing from any device to any printer, regardless of location.

In this article, we’ll explore what it is, how it works, its benefits, and why it’s a game-changer for businesses. 

Microsoft Universal Print Overview

Universal Print is part of Microsoft’s broader strategy of integrating cloud services into its products and services. It is a cloud-based printing solution that became available in March 2021. 

Microsoft Universal Print allows people to print from any device to any printer, irrespective of where they are. The cloud-based approach enables easy maintenance, security, and scalability, all while providing a seamless printing experience for everyone involved.

For businesses that rely on Microsoft 365 cloud services, Microsoft Universal Print is the epitome of an innovative, cloud-based printing solution that offers powerful centralized print management features and a user-friendly experience. Plus, it eliminates the hassle of maintaining traditional on-premises print servers, active directories, or printer driver installations. And the best part? Universal Print, a multi-tenant print solution hosted on Azure, offers unparalleled convenience and efficiency for modern organizations.

How Does Microsoft Universal Print Work?

Microsoft Universal Print is an M365 subscription-based service and runs entirely on Azure. It allows both small-and-medium businesses and large businesses to print documents from any device, thereby eliminating on-premises infrastructure. 

To use, Microsoft Universal Print gives IT departments access to configure the printers in their organization. This enables onsite and remote employees to print seamlessly from any device.

Benefits of Microsoft Universal Print to Organizations

There are so many benefits of the Microsoft Universal Print solution to organizations. With the use of Microsoft Universal Print, businesses can benefit from the following

1. Simplified printing management

Microsoft Universal Print eliminates the need to manage on-premises print servers and drivers or configure printers on each device. Instead, printers can be managed entirely through the cloud, reducing the complexity of printing management and making print management simple and efficient.

This cloud-based solution provides a centralized platform for managing print devices, which means IT staff can easily configure and manage printers, drivers, and policies from a single console. This saves time and frees IT resources to focus on more critical tasks.

2. Printing from any device

As stated above, Microsoft Universal Print enables users to print from any device, including smartphones, tablets, and laptops, regardless of the operating system or location. This allows for a more flexible and mobile workforce.

This means employees can work from home, on the go, or in a remote office and still have access to the printers they need. Employees no longer have to worry about whether the printer is nearby or compatible with their devices.  

As a result, because Microsoft Universal Print makes printing easy and accessible from anywhere, the productivity of remote workers increases.

3. Reduced infrastructure costs

Microsoft Universal Print eliminates the need for expensive on-premises print infrastructure, reducing capital and operational expenses. This way, businesses can enjoy cost-effective printing solutions that will enable them to grow with their needs. This also means the high cost of hardware maintenance, software licensing fees, and upgrades is reduced.

4. Secure printing

Microsoft Universal Print provides a secure printing solution. This is an effective security strategy, given the rise of cyber-attacks on various office and home objects. The Microsoft Universal Print encrypts print jobs both in transit and at rest. This security helps protect sensitive information and prevent unauthorized access to various print jobs, both in and outside the office.

5. Integration with Microsoft 365

If there is an amazing thing about Microsoft Universal Print, it is its integration with Microsoft 365. This allows for the seamless printing of documents from M365 apps such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Why is Microsoft Universal Print a Game-Changer for Businesses?

Microsoft Universal Print is a game-changer for businesses looking to simplify and improve productivity in the following ways

1. Increased flexibility

Many businesses operate in a hybrid environment, having more remote workers than onsite workers. As a result, businesses are in need of solutions that increase flexibility for both their onsite and remote workers. Microsoft Universal Print provides greater flexibility for workers, enabling them to print from any location using any device.

2. Enhanced security

Since Microsoft Universal Print is a cloud-based solution, it is only natural that various security measures have been put in place which can be beneficial to businesses.

Microsoft Universal Print uses Azure Active Directory to authenticate users and manage access to printers and print jobs. This provides an additional layer of security, ensuring that only authorized users can access sensitive documents. It also uses secure cloud-based transmission, which reduces the risk of security breaches. 

Additionally, administrators can enforce print policies and track usage. This can help IT departments easily monitor, track, and identify potential security breaches and issues, further enhancing security.

3. Improved user experience

For every application or website, user experience matters a lot, as it can determine the business’s productivity level. Microsoft Universal Print provides a seamless user experience, allowing users to easily navigate and print from any program or app using a single print dialog box. This removes the need to install drivers or switch between various print dialog boxes. This makes printing easier and faster.

Time to Scale up Your Business with Skyline IT Management

Microsoft Universal Print is a big and effective step for businesses who want to innovate their printing solution and boost their productivity. Skyline IT Management helps businesses implement suitable technical solutions.

Want to know if Microsoft Universal Print is compatible with your system or how it can help you? Book a Call.