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Print Management

Print Management for Australian Businesses

Print is the last on-prem server for many businesses. Modern options: retire the print server, move to Universal Print or PaperCut, enable pull printing, and gain visibility on cost and compliance.

Last updated April 20268 min read

Overview

Most Australian SMBs are still running a Windows print server in a cupboard. It works until it does not. Drivers break. Users print to wrong devices. Documents sit in the tray uncollected. Modern print management (Universal Print or PaperCut) removes the print server, secures the output tray, and gives the business real visibility on usage and cost.

Platform Comparison

Microsoft Universal Print

Cloud-native print service from Microsoft. Tightly integrated with M365 and Entra ID.

+ No print server, Intune-deployable, Entra ID auth, simple.

- Fewer advanced features, needs Universal Print-ready or connector-based printers.

PaperCut MF

Industry leader for print management. Server-based (on-prem or Azure VM).

+ Rich features: pull printing, quotas, chargeback, scan workflows, embedded MFD apps.

- Needs a server and PaperCut licences. Higher admin overhead.

PaperCut Hive / Pocket

Cloud-native alternative from PaperCut. Subscription-based, serverless.

+ No server, fast deployment, works with most MFDs via the PaperCut Edge device.

- Newer product, feature parity still catching up to MF.

Vendor solutions (uniFLOW, YSoft SafeQ, Equitrac)

Canon, Ricoh, Konica, Xerox native platforms.

+ Deep integration with their own MFDs. Mature.

- Vendor lock-in. Harder if you run mixed fleet.

Microsoft Universal Print

The default choice if you are Microsoft 365 native and want to retire your print server. Included with M365 Business Premium, E3, and E5 at 5 jobs per user per month (pooled). Extra capacity purchased as needed.

Good fit

  • Microsoft 365 / Entra ID environments
  • Hybrid and remote-first workplaces
  • Businesses wanting to retire print servers
  • Simple print needs (no quotas, chargeback)

Not a fit

  • Heavy print-accounting needs
  • Complex scan workflows and rules
  • Education and shared-device environments
  • Very old printers without cloud support

PaperCut: When It Wins

PaperCut remains the right choice for businesses that need real print accounting, secure pull printing across a large fleet, scan workflow automation, and cost chargeback to departments or clients. Legal, accounting, health, education, and engineering firms are natural fits.

  • Pull printing (secure release at any MFD with card or PIN)
  • User quotas and department budgets
  • Scan to M365 (OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams) with OCR
  • Detailed reporting on cost, waste, and usage
  • Rules-based forcing: duplex, mono, small jobs only, etc
  • Embedded MFD apps on Canon, Ricoh, Konica, Xerox, Sharp, Kyocera

Print Security

Pull / secure release printing

Jobs do not print until the user taps their card or enters a PIN at the MFD. Ends confidential documents sitting in the tray.

Entra ID / SSO authentication

Printing uses the user identity, not a shared service account. Auditable.

MFD hard drive encryption and wipe

Copiers store jobs on internal drives. Configure encryption and end-of-lease wipe before disposal.

Disable unused protocols

FTP, SMB1, telnet, outdated SNMP. Harden every MFD on the network.

Segregated print VLAN

MFDs on their own VLAN with restricted egress. Reduces blast radius if one is compromised.

Scan-to-email via authenticated SMTP

No more open relays. SMTP AUTH with a dedicated service account, or scan to M365.

Cost Control

Print waste is one of the few controllable costs most businesses never measure. A 150-seat office typically saves 20-40% on print costs in the first year after deploying pull printing and default duplex / mono policies.

  • Default to duplex and mono. Let users override where needed.
  • Force pull printing. Uncollected jobs auto-delete after 4-8 hours.
  • Report monthly on top printers, top users, and waste.
  • Review MFD lease contracts annually against actual volumes.
  • Retire under-used devices. One properly sized MFD beats three tired desktop printers.

Common Mistakes

Keeping the Windows print server "because it works"

Single point of failure. Drivers break with every Windows update. Retire it.

Scan to email via open SMTP relay

Abused by attackers, blacklists your domain. Authenticate every scan-to-email device.

MFDs joined to the internal domain

Lateral movement risk. Keep MFDs on their own VLAN with managed access.

No MFD firmware patching

MFDs run full operating systems. Patch them like servers, not appliances.

Print jobs sitting in unsecured trays

Confidential documents left in the open. Pull printing fixes this in a week.

Unused MFDs on 5-year leases

Lease ends silently auto-renews. Diary the end date and review volumes.

Related: M365 Licensing, On-Site Server.

Modernise Your Printing

We deploy Microsoft Universal Print and PaperCut across Australia including MFD rollouts, pull printing, secure release, and ongoing management.

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