Multifunctional Printer Mobility Versus Security

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A National Conflict Between Employees and IT Departments

Network security has been an important issue for some time, but has recently made headlines with respect to printer mobility and storage capacity.

There has been a major source of tension brewing for some time in offices around the world, and it is all related to the usability of the modern multifunction printer. The modern MFP has opened up a world of new possibilities for today’s corporate environments, allowing users to print, scan, and send documents with ease and great flexibility. This printer mobility has drastically cut down on hours spent physically storing, copying, and retrieving important company documents.

However, with the immense storage capacity of these new multifunction printers, security has rapidly become a serious issue. Whenever a document is printed, copied, or scanned, a record is stored in the massive internal drives of these MFPs. These actions can also now be executed on personal computers and mobile devices. This printing strategy requires less time and effort on the part of the employee, but also increases the chance of an information leak. This has lead to a key point of contention between employee printer mobility and IT security.

The Multifunction Printer Debate

It is apparent that a middle ground must be reached, as there are major benefits and strong arguments to be made for each side. Decreasing printer mobility limits use and ease of access, a tactic that fails to take advantage of the powerful capabilities of today’s multifunction printer. Lowering security is a nightmare for IT departments that understand the great value of protecting a company’s information. Some of these documents contain intelligence that is of great interest to hackers, and the potential for a security breach is a very real threat. The printer mobility versus safety debate will not likely go away anytime soon, so an intelligent, balanced strategy must be implemented beforehand.

The Printer Mobility Solution with an Emphasis on Safety

The optimal approach fully utilizes multifunction printer mobility for employees, but is also backed by a strong message highlighting the fact that security is a top priority. Anyone who uses the office MFP should undergo an in-depth training regiment, as they are made to understand the importance of the company’s information. Strong IT measures should be taken at the outset of this strategy, such as implementing a password that is complex enough to keep scammers at bay. The entire office should be united in the thought that a security breach can happen at any time and proper MFP use is essential. Multifunction printer mobility is a privilege that must be respected by everyone in the office, for powerful technology comes with great responsibility.

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