CLOUD PRINT MANAGEMENT
Cloud print management solutions are quickly gaining in popularity among small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the UK, especially those with hybrid workforces as they seek to find production and efficiency gains where they can in a competitive marketplace. “Cloud print management helps hybrid SMBs simplify IT environments and eliminate or minimise the costs and administrative burden of print server dependency,” says Louella Fernandes, CEO of Quocirca. “Quocirca’s Cloud Print Services Landscape 2026 found that 78% of organisations already use some form of cloud print management, reflecting its move into the mainstream. Cloud platforms also support secure printing across home and office locations, offering centralised management, analytics, workflow automation, and integration with cloud ecosystems, helping SMBs advance their broader digitisation initiatives.” Stuart Brookes, EMEA regional lead and head of sales & channel at PaperCut, says that the cloud takes a lot of pressure off small businesses. “It enables them to outsource important but time-consuming management and maintenance of essential business software and services,” he says. “In the case of cloud-based print, they have the reassurance of knowing that they’re always using the latest and most secure versions of software, with automated updates happening in the background without impacting their time. Nor do they require specialised in-house technical knowledge to maintain print servers. Cloud-based print is also easier to scale for when their business grows or demand for print changes. It provides all of the flexibility and accessibility that a hybrid workforce needs.” Perceived barriers While Quocirca’s research shows that many organisations use a cloud print management solution, there is still a
significant percentage that don’t, and often that is because there are perceived barriers to adoption. “Performance stands out as a particular concern in the SMB sector – more so than in larger organisations,” notes Louella. “SMBs want their investments to deliver clear business outcomes and are reticent if they perceive performance to be a problem. Security and functionality sit second on the list of concerns, followed closely by cost.” Stuart adds that SMBs often raise concerns about visibility into costs as well as potential vendor lock-in, complexity and data security. “Those concerns are compounded for SMBs because they rarely have in-house technical experts and it’s often the business owners who have to navigate those perceived barriers,” he says. Overcoming barriers While there are perceived barriers, it is the job of resellers to help customers to overcome these. “Education is critical,” says Louella. “Resellers should focus on demonstrating business outcomes, showing how cloud platforms improve security, reduce infrastructure costs and support hybrid work. “They should start with cloud maturity assessments and work to understand functionality needs in this performance- sensitive market segment. Feature disparities remain between cloud and on-premise print management solutions, so it is important that SMBs get the right solution for their needs. “Quocirca research shows that 40% of MPS customers view provider support for cloud transition as very important, highlighting the opportunity for partners to act as trusted advisors.” Stuart says that resellers can help by changing how they position themselves. “Rather than being sellers of individual solutions, they need to define their role as advisors SMBs can call on to discuss their long-term IT strategy,” he says.
Contributors
Louella Fernandes
quocirca.com
Stuart Brookes
papercut.com
Paul Vogt
loftware.com
CONTINUED
printinthechannel.co.uk
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