Is It Time for Your Business to Upgrade Its Printer Fleet?
Replacing your printer fleet doesn’t have to be a nightmare. In fact, when it is time to upgrade your printer fleet, you may end up saving money in the long run. You will also end up with a modern, secure network of printers that is faster and more secure. With additional features such as mobile connectivity, today’s MFPs (multi-function printers) are worth it. You may wish that you had upgraded sooner!
Why It May Be Time to Upgrade Your Printer
Is it time to upgrade your printer? What about your entire printer fleet? To keep your business running smoothly, having stable, ready-to-go printers is essential. Consider the following reasons why it may time to upgrade your printer fleet:
1. Your Printing Network Is Not Secure
Small businesses are a prime target for hackers. One of the entryways could be your out-of-date printers. Your printers should have the following security options for maximum protection:
- Authentication: Both printed and PDF documents can be password protected. This means that only authorized personnel can pick up papers from the machine and access PDFs created through scans.
- Encryption: Documents can be encrypted as they are sent to the printer, so hackers can’t hijack them and steal the data.
2. You Can’t Use Your Printers with Mobile Devices
Today’s on-the-go workforce often relies on mobile technologies such as smartphones and tablets to take care of business. When documents need to be printed quickly, especially for a client, you don’t want your team members to struggle with transferring items to a desktop computer.
The problem is, an old, out of date printer fleet won’t be able to handle mobile printing. This can put a big strain on the speed and flexibility of your business. Having mobile as well as cloud printing technologies is essential for document sharing on-the-go.
3. Maintenance and Consumable Costs Are Expensive
Maintaining older computer equipment can be more expensive – parts can be harder to find, for one thing. The price of consumables may also be higher if you need to purchase printer ink that is no longer being produced on a mass scale for newer printers.
Furthermore, if your office is using multiple machines (a printer, scanner, fax machine, and copier), when one will do, you could save money by upgrading. One MFP (multifunctional printer) could replace three or even four machines that used to require maintenance, parts, and toner.
4. You See Signs and Signals Your Printer Life Expectancy Is Past
Your printer is showing signs of old age when it isn’t correctly processing print queues. This may be due to a lack of memory capacity. If your printer is printing unevenly even with a new printer cartridge, this may also indicate that it is nearing its expiration date. Other problems can include an inability to connect to the network, constant page jams, or faded printing.
One of the biggest problems with older printers is software compatibility. Older printers may have driver software that doesn’t play well with modern operating systems. While Windows 10 does it best to be “plug and play” for peripherals, it isn’t 100% -, especially with much older machines.
5. Your Printers Are Slow and Missing Features
Sure, that old inkjet printer from 1999 might still chug along – but that’s the point. It’s just “chugging.” When you need to print out a large document, an old printer like that one may end up taking forever. And that’s not even including all the ink it’s gobbling up in the process.
For less than the cost of a supply of new ink cartridges, you may replace this old behemoth with a lightning-fast laser printer. Instead of waiting forever for your document to print, you’ll have it spit out in no time. Better yet – your new printer can print double-sided! This makes it not only fast but eco-friendly.
This is just one example. Your business may be missing out on other advanced features by clinging to old printing technology.
What to Do When It is Time to Upgrade Your Printer Fleet
One of the best places to start is to do a complete inventory of your current fleet, including printers, copiers, and related machines. Consider that it may be time to move to a managed print solution – where a company like My Office Technologies manages your fleet for you. This has additional cost-saving benefits as well as productivity enhancements.
Office Technologies is a leading independent provider of office imaging products, managed print services, and wide-format printing across Pennsylvania. Contact us today to discuss how we can help upgrade your printer fleet.
