Print IT - Issue 45 - page 7

BULLETIN
PRINT.IT
7
Low levels of cloud-
based printing a drain on
productivity
Managed services provider
(MSP) Annodata warns that
while local authorities are
moving to the cloud, their
print estates are largely being
left behind, raising the risk
of reduced productivity and
efficiency.
A Freedom of Information
(FoI) request issued to 79
local authorities throughout
England reveals that 58% of
councils are using the cloud to
some extent, but only 6% have
implemented any form of cloud-
based printing.
Annodata chief executive
officer Rod Tonna-Barthet
said: “Cloud has a great
deal to offer the UK’s public
sector due to its ability to
improve efficiencies, drive cost
savings and increase flexibility.
Athough there seems to be
a mounting interest amongst
councils in the cloud delivery
model for certain aspects of
the IT estate, there are still
great strides to be made when
it comes to migrating the print
estates over to a cloud-based
environment.
“Local authorities stand to
gain a lot from cloud-based
print solutions as they offer the
opportunity to control costs by
incorporating new efficiencies
that ease the burden on the
IT department. Cloud-based
managed print services, which
can scale both up and down in
line with business demands,
allow organisations to remain
agile, unencumbered by
unnecessary print resources
and freed of the time needed
to manage them.”
Controlling 3D print costs
Schools and colleges
worried about the expense
and administrative burden
of managing a fleet of 3D
printers might be interested
in a new solution that
integrates print management
and an accounting system
with a 3D printer.
YSoft be3D eDee, which
manages access to 3D
printers and controls costs,
is based on the YSoft SafeQ
workflow solutions platform
and was fine-tuned using
learnings from a year-long
study at the Prosek technical
school in the Czech Republic.
The 3D printing field test
took place in a classroom lab
equipped with 10 YSoft be3D
DeeGreen 3D printers. This
was accessible to students
and teachers outside regular
classes for education-related
projects, which accounted
for 60% of printed objects,
personal use (37% of objects)
and school marketing activities
(3% of objects).
The testing period helped
identify three key challenges:
cost management and
recovery; 3D print management
of consumables etc.; and
security, including how to
stop people interrupting other
pupils’ print jobs or removing
their completed models.
By integrating its YSoft
SafeQ print management and
accounting system with a 3D
printer, the YSoft be3D eDee
solution addresses these
problems, enabling schools to
manage usage, recover costs
and lock the printer during the
printing process, only releasing
print jobs to the authenticated
owner.
World first for DCL Print
DCL Print has installed the world’s first Xerox Direct to Object
Inkjet Printer and set up a standalone business to provide
customers with personalised products printed on the device.
Based in Crawley, Personaliz will use the new printer to
supply customers in the retail, sports and health sectors with
on-demand, personalised products, such as water bottles,
promotional champagne bottles and
football helmets. Other applications could
include short-run branded gifts and label-
less object printing.
The Xerox Direct to Object Inkjet Printer
includes microscopic print nozzles that
shoot droplets of ink up to 5mm, compared
to just 1mm in traditional inkjet printers.
This extended range makes it possible to
provide seamless printing across curved or
uneven surfaces, including ceramics, glass,
metal and plastics.
The printer can print up to 30 objects
per hour at resolutions of 300-1200dpi.
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