Between constant toner replacements, paper jams, unauthorized print jobs, and the overhead costs of managing a fleet of office printers, it's enough to make anyone want to go paperless. But for many organizations, that’s just not realistic. 

Fortunately, modern printers are smarter than most people give them credit for. They are ready and willing to work harder for you. You just need to tell them what you’d like them to do. And the way you’d do that is through print management software.

What Can You Achieve With Print Management Software?

Two common and overarching reasons you invest in printing equipment or print services are to reach your goals of increased productivity and eventually lower costs. But there are others!

Here are some of the key things print management software can do:

• Manage every printer and queue from a centralized console
• Enforcing print policies regarding the use of color, double-sided printing, volume, and more
• Increase security and reduce waste with pull printing (a.k.a. secure printing/follow-me printing)
• Empower employees to print from any smart device
• Track printing activity by user, device, department, et cetera
• Monitor toner and ink levels and automate supply ordering
• Update print drivers across your organization in a few clicks
• Install, configure, and troubleshoot printers remotely 

The Best Print Management Software for Small to Midsize Businesses

Equipment and software are constantly evolving. At Marco, we use the Gartner Magic Quadrant to keep on top of the solutions that offer the most value for our clients. Here are two software solutions that have proven themselves to be tremendously useful to the majority of organizations we serve. 

PaperCut

Marco was recently honored by ecoprintQ and PaperCut as the #1 independent reseller of PaperCut in the world! That’s nice for us, but it’s even nicer for our clients, as our status helps us negotiate competitive pricing. Here’s why we love it so much…

From simple print job tracking and monitoring to easy bring-your-own-device (BYOD) printing, to advanced print security — PaperCut has you covered. 

This print management software is ideal for organizations of all sizes, from schools to engineering, graphic design, architectural, and accounting firms to advertising, legal, and IT. PaperCut also encourages the responsible use of company resources and helps to create an environmentally friendly workplace.

Interested in learning more on your own schedule? Check out our past webinar about how PaperCut simplifies print driver management for businesses of all shapes and sizes! 

Printer Logic

We’ve also partnered with PrinterLogic because of its robust print security features! This complete printing solution is stable, has unlimited scalability, and is easy to use for both admins and end-users. It gives you more control over security by assigning customizable roles and setting specific printer deployments to control who has access to printers.

The workplace has changed dramatically over the past decade. Mobile devices are proliferating, and security is the watchword. PrinterLogic is ahead of the trends, providing advanced features like secure release printing, mobile printing, email printing, control panel applications, and much more. These features can be implemented across your enterprise with seamless integration and minimal fuss.

Comparison Infographics

PaperCut vs. PrinterLogic in Action

Let's take a look at what PaperCut and PrinterLogic look like in action and how they can benefit your business:

PaperCut in Action

A perfect example of this software integration can be seen in educational institutions — from small-town high schools to international universities. Many schools, in order to cut costs, require students to be responsible for what they are printing. PaperCut provides schools with full visibility, tracking, and tools to change users’ printing behavior. Schools can create policies such as printing in black and white, duplex or decide if students are allowed to print documents.

Most students have at least one Chromebook, tablet, or smartphone, and it is becoming more important for educational institutions to have these devices print-ready. PaperCut’s Mobility Print allows students to print from any device at any time, without the need for additional apps, using the device’s native interface.

Additionally, schools (and businesses) can assign print quotas to departments that allow a certain dollar amount or number of pages to be printed in a day, week, month, or custom date range. When that quota is met, that department will no longer be able to print unless granted permission and their print quota is adjusted.

PrinterLogic in Action

Federal entities use PrinterLogic to eliminate print servers and centrally manage direct IP printing. PrinterLogic’s secure Direct IP printing platform makes it a trusted solution for data-sensitive sectors and security-conscious agencies at the federal, state, and local levels. 

Educational organizations also use PrinterLogic because you can centrally manage direct IP printing for Chromebook users alongside Windows, Mac, and Linux. With PrinterLogic, you can have a serverless printing infrastructure and avoid sending print jobs to the cloud.

Making Decisions

For those looking for cost-saving opportunities, free print management software can sound appealing. However, free versions will have fewer features and capabilities and likely require additional resources and effort to achieve the desired result. Free print management software, much like other "free" business applications, is typically more work than it's worth. With print management software, you get what you pay for.

Combining these print management software programs with the expertise of a print provider can improve the productivity of your employees, the efficiency of your print technology, and the effectiveness with which your dollars are allocated. Marco's technology advisors can help you narrow your search and find the right software that fits your needs. 

Click the link below to request a free print technology assessment!