Most operating systems include some basic print management capability as standard functionality. In the Windows environment, the standard functions of print drivers, queues, servers and their administration have been around for many years and are well understood by Windows administrators (if not always by the end users). So why change?
LRS® customers often report problems with performance and reliability of Windows Print Servers, Windows print spoolers and drivers. Problems with scalability and high availability are also reported, even when using Windows Print Server clusters.
At LRS, we’ve been helping customers to eliminate Windows Print Servers for years. Minimizing print server cost is the most obvious motivation, but there are several other benefits which may not be so obvious:
- Improving the user experience by allowing the user to find and select available printers using a map or floor plan from a self-service portal
- Significantly reducing administration for desktops and print servers via automation of print queue and print driver changes
- Dramatically reducing help desk calls through improved reliability and by providing tools that let administrators and end-users easily see and resolve printer problems
- Capturing print accounting data and reporting on printer usage and costs
- Improving security and user flexibility by enabling pull printing on any device
- Reducing network traffic by routing large print files from the workstation directly to the printer, even for pull printing
Recently, the Director of IT Automation and Output Management Services at Robert Bosch remarked that LRS software “…enabled the removal of several hundred Windows Print Servers and established a clear and non-complex printing infrastructure.” The additional benefits were significant; click here to learn more.
The benefits extend beyond regular Windows printing, however. In the workplace printing environment, the LRS solution provides simple and efficient printing for virtualized desktops and applications.
Beyond the workplace, the VPSX® solution from LRS supports all applications, servers and platforms from mainframe to mobile, including document viewing, archiving, transformation, workflow and multichannel delivery.
Achieving these benefits takes more than software; it takes people who know how to implement solutions in real world scenarios. The LRS technical teams have a wealth of expertise and experience in working with SAP, mainframe, Unix/Linux and legacy environments. We can enable the transformation and migration of the many document formats, print description languages and print/document related software products found in these environments.