“What do you mean, it can’t find the right driver?”
How many times has this situation played out in your office: you need to print a document—perhaps an important one for a meeting you have in a few minutes—and, again, the printer isn’t “talking” to the computer where the document is stored.
Frustrated, you tinker around, trying to get the computer and the printer to “speak.” Maybe you have to call in an IT person. Either way, you aren’t getting that document printed by the time you need it.
Almost everyone, including computer gurus, have encountered difficulties with their printers from time to time. Driver management has always been a headache (“Why does the printer work on this computer and not that one?”) and, the larger your business becomes, the more likely it might be that a printing problem becomes a part of at least someone’s daily working landscape.
It’s really no wonder why the “printer scene” from the 1991 cult classic Office Space struck a chord with so many people.
Fortunately, in the same way that cell phones are no longer brick-sized and do many more useful things than they used to, printing technology has evolved past many of these stumbling blocks. The modern business world is rapidly adopting the many benefits of cloud printing services.
Let’s explore cloud printing in a bit more detail to see how this convenient technology might fit into your business.
What Exactly IS Cloud Printing?
Cloud printing should not be confused with wireless printing, although the two concepts may have some overlap.
Wireless printing refers to more or less exactly what’s on the tin: rather than having to run a hard wire connection from your desktop, laptop, or router to the office printing machines, data is transferred wirelessly through Wi-Fi, eliminating the need for cables. Nearly all modern printers have this capability.
Cloud printing is different. If you’ve ever used a service like Google Docs, Microsoft Office 365, Zoho Office, or any of the other many cloud-based office suites, you already have an idea of why these platforms have become so popular. Since documents are stored “in the cloud,” you can access them from any of your devices (including the ones running on different operating systems).
Cloud printing services bring this kind of functionality to—you guessed it—printing tasks. Rather than interacting with your specific device, a cloud-enabled printer simply pulls the document directly from the cloud, effectively cutting out the “middle man” of your desktop, laptop, mobile phone, tablet, and so on. Drivers and other configurations don’t need to be tinkered with on your device, because the printer doesn’t have to “speak” to it directly.
As it turns out, this not only prevents headaches, it makes life in the office (and outside the office) much easier.
The Benefits of Cloud Printing vs. Traditional Printing
Switching from traditional printing to cloud printing is an easy, cost-effective way to save a significant amount of time and money.
Remember the scenario we examined at the beginning of this post? Time was lost, IT had to be called in, and maybe that important meeting had to be rescheduled. A “mere” printing problem cascaded into
The benefits of cloud printing aren’t only found in problem mitigation either. This technology actively contributes to overall company efficiency.
Imagine being out of town for an important conference. You get a call from the office and a document only you have access to needs to be printed. “Sure,” you say as you pull out your mobile phone, tap a few buttons, and the printer in the office starts printing the document. With cloud printing, this and many other possibilities become a reality, including interconnectivity with your preferred cloud storage apps like DropBox or Google Drive.
Learn More About How Cloud Printing Can Streamline Your Office
With convenient locations in both Phoenix and Flagstaff, Smart Document Solutions is a one-stop problem solver. Let our team of trained experts assist you with printing, workflow management, IT, and more—including bringing you up to speed on the benefits of cloud printing and how your office can save time and money.
Please feel free to contact us today by calling (602) 788-0250 (Phoenix) or (602) 788-0250 (Flagstaff), or you may click here to request a free quote.
