At present, the Internet of Things (IoT) is a trending phenomenon in the world of technology. To obtain a better understanding of its progress and prospects, IoT can be parallely compared with a similar technology called Managed Print Services (MPS). Finding a link between the two is easy. When it comes to functioning, both track, trace, and follow things. In MPS’ case, the Multi-Function Printers (MFPs) connect and communicate data to every device which can be centrally managed. The insights like reporting on device usages that they provide such as user behavior and state of operations help organizations in increasing efficiency and develop a good relationship between people and technology. An organization going on board with IoT strategies should keep note of five things related to MPS viz. removing inefficiencies from business, tapping intelligence built into the system to boost productivity, prioritizing security, analyzing and acting on the gathered data, personal experience, and future prospects.
MPS helps the organizations in identifying overcapacity of devices, maximizing the device’s utilization, and spotting the inefficiencies in document processes as a function of transferring from paper to digital documents. When it is known that workload needs only 80 of the 100 printers, it becomes easier to remove the rest 20 printers. Enterprises constantly monitor IoT environment to look for inefficiencies.
Print management capacities can match certain privileges like implementing rules on a particular type of document that needs to be printed on both sides; scanned documents that cannot be mailed from the printer to anybody outside the company thereby guarding security measures. MPS using Multi-Functioning Printers (MFP) have turned them into computing devices. Documents can be sent outside the enterprise and on-ramp for scanned documents in the business applications. If the touch points in a printer are increased, then it generates new security challenges which need to be addressed.
The MPS software analyzes information from the captured data and workflow. The information is looked for further improvement. Software designed as a central hub in either an internal server or in the cloud is very much a part of the IoT solution as the sensors that collect and transmit data.
