There are many quotes about government, but one of the most famous is one that has been attributed to multiple authors over the years: “That government is best which governs least.” When it comes to the organizational aspect of governments, including IT, they are sometimes thought of as being cumbersome. But this is not always the case.
In the United Kingdom, the Crown Commercial Service has established the GovPrint framework agreement RM6174, which relates to printing. Simply put, the GovPrint standard requires both printer hardware and print management software to deliver a Cloud print service. This service must be deployed using only Internet connectivity, enabling all users from any government department to print seamlessly at any government hub building. All without sacrificing security.
Think of the benefits for government workers, especially those who sometimes need to work from a government building other than their own. No need to contact the local network administrator and establish credentials, no hassles with finding compatible drivers, no need to set up a VPN connection. Just authenticate in your normal manner and print.
Similarly, IT departments in various branches of government no longer have the hassle of constantly defining and maintaining users, print devices, VPN infrastructure etc. on a local LAN. Everything is managed via the Cloud and running on the same Gov Wi-Fi network, regardless of agency or location.
And printing? It just works.
From the end user perspective, it feels like an example of “government governing least”: printing is simpler, less costly, and more predictable and reliable, regardless of location. But this ease of use does not come at the expense of security. Since all hardware and software involved conforms to the established GovPrint standard, the entire environment is more secure as well. Robust encryption protects documents as they move across the open Internet as well as while they are at rest on the network in any Hub location where the printers reside.
Want to learn more about the GovPrint initiative and how Cloud solutions from LRS make it all possible? Check out the GovPrint explainer page on our website for a detailed explanation.
LRS Inc is not affiliated to or officially endorsed by Crown Commercial Services nor a supplier under RM6174 Framework Agreement