CLOUD PRINT SECURITY
Allaying security fears Cloud print adoption continues to grow, but some businesses are still concerned over its security – and this is where resellers have an important role to help allay customers’ fears and support them to pick the right solution.
Cloud print adoption has increased over the past year, with 69% of respondents now using a cloud print management solution, up from 55% in 2023, according to Quocirca’s Cloud Print Services Landscape 2024 . Quocirca’s research also showed that businesses are not fully committed to a cloud-only print environment, with print server deployment continuing to increase. As Matt Riley, data protection and information security officer for Sharp in Europe, notes, there are several reasons for adoption continuing to rise. “The ease and speed of cloud print is accelerating its adoption – and for good reason,” he says. “By simplifying the printing process, users are granted more flexibility while IT teams see lowered overheads due to the reduction in physical connections and dedicated print servers. Unsurprisingly, more are embracing this technology, especially as operations move to the cloud for good.“ Graham Foxwell, product marketing lead, Kyocera Document Solutions UK, adds that cloud print adoption offers an array of advantages for organisations. “Firstly, it reduces costs by eliminating capital expenditure and simplifies print management. With location-independent printing, enhanced security, and better analytics, cloud printing is a flexible and efficient solution for businesses,” he says. “Kyocera's native cloud platform technology,
Kyocera Cloud Print and Scan (KCPS) provides customers with a fully managed cloud print solution to handle all their copy, print and scan requirements. Cloud-based solutions offer increased flexibility and scalability, allowing companies to adapt to changing business requirements as they arise. As a result, a fully outsourced cloud print solution can be a powerful tool for managed print service (MPS) providers looking to differentiate themselves in a competitive market. This will enable them to provide their customers with added value by performing well in that market.” Data protection concerns But as Quocirca’s research found, some businesses are still resistant to adopting cloud print solutions. Data protection concerns were found to be the top barrier to cloud print adoption, cited by 32% of respondents in Quocirca’s research, followed by functionality (25%) and cost (24%). There are numerous threats out there to cloud print solutions. “As the threat landscape evolves and businesses increasingly employ a wide range of connected devices, bad actors can use MFPs as entry points into business networks,” says Matt. “End users can also – intentionally or unintentionally – compromise MFPs, for example by plugging in USB memory devices.” Graham adds that the concern among businesses is understandable given the
Matt Riley data protection and information security officer
sharp.co.uk
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The ease and speed of cloud print is
accelerating its adoption – and for good reason.
”
Data protection concerns were found to be the top barrier to cloud print adoption, cited by 32% of respondents in Quocirca’s research “ ”
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printinthechannel.co.uk
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