HYBRID CLOUD PRINT SOLUTIONS
working between on-premise and cloud environments,” he says.
the integration process smoothly.” Rachel agrees that the difficulties of integration into a smart ecosystem of services depend on the organisation and what its purpose is when moving away from an on-premises approach. “Migrating to a print server in a private cloud presents a few hurdles to jump such as implementation of internal governance processes,” she says. “For large businesses with significant cloud maturity, integration is easier. “SMEs may feel they lack IT resources to be managing any infrastructure in the cloud – as is necessary in a hybrid cloud set-up – but MSPs should be able to overcome such concerns. Similarly, if organisations want to increase security through zero trust implementation, that adds complexity but is also achievable.” Reseller conversations With talking about hybrid cloud print solutions to SME customers, resellers should consider various factors, which can help to overcome any barriers customers may perceive. “Resellers need to be able to communicate the numerous benefits of the hybrid approach,” says Ian. “These include enhanced flexibility for end users, reduced support tickets, cost savings, enhanced security and improved productivity. They also need to ensure they guide the client to well established, enterprise capable solutions, including a choice of data centre locations to enhance compliance with GDPR and data sovereignty requirements.” Rachel adds that total transparency is required. “Resellers should advise that moving print into the cloud or a hybrid solution should not be all about cost- saving,” she says. “For some organisations, cloud is not likely to realise all the advantages of scalability and flexibility they want, so a hybrid approach, or even a return to on-premises may be better. “Organisations also overlook the ongoing
Right partner Ian adds that the difficulty in integrating will depend upon the solution being adopted. “Many rely on onsite agents that must be managed and maintained at each local network, increasing the burden on already overstretched IT teams,” he explains. “This can be challenging in shared or temporary working spaces where a third party owns the network infrastructure. When used with the latest Xerox hardware, our latest cloud solution, XWC, removes the need for these agents, instead it uses IoT technologies to allow the device to communicate directly with our cloud solution, removing the reliance on agents and simplifying infrastructure requirements.” Graham says that integrating hybrid cloud print solutions can be challenging, particularly without the right partner. “Common obstacles include data security concerns and the complexity of managing multiple cloud environments, especially for SMEs,” he says. “This is where a knowledgeable and experienced partner becomes essential. As a managed service provider with expertise in cloud, security, and print, Kyocera Document Solutions UK understands these challenges and is dedicated to guiding customers through
Cameron Mitchell business leader – indirect services
konicaminolta.co.uk
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As more cloud solutions become available, businesses will become more selective, looking for software that is compatible with hybrid, multi-vendor fleets, and offer maximum flexibility as businesses continue to change and evolve.
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printinthechannel.co.uk
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