Microsoft has finally announced the public preview of Microsoft Universal Print, a cloud-based print service for enterprise customers. Aiming to simplify the printing experience in a workplace environment, Microsoft promised to provide enterprise customers with a cloud-based printing solution in March, further integrating the core print functionality into Microsoft 365 Cloud.
Microsoft Universal Print
“Today we have more than 2,500 customers testing the new service,” Microsoft said. “Many of them have accelerated their adoption of cloud services and Universal Print because employees and teachers working from home can now print to company or school printers from anywhere when connected to the internet.”
Key features of Microsoft Universal Print
Microsoft Universal Print cloud-based solution eliminates the need for deploying print servers. Plus, companies no longer need to install printer drivers on every single device. Customers can benefit from some of the key cloud-based printing functionalities such as security groups for the printer and location-based printer discovery.
Microsoft Universal Print solution promises user-friendly, secure print experience:
- Allows organizations to register printers with Azure Active Directory.
- Control printer properties and configuration from one central location.
- Manage access to printers and make them visible over the cloud.
- Discover and print via Azure Active Directory (AAD) credentials.
Thanks to its cloud-based offerings, the service also eliminates the need for manual installation of printer drivers. Microsoft says printer drivers are built into the Windows experience. The location is no longer a barrier. Since most of the printing job is handled over the cloud, users can discover printers both near and outside of their current location.
The service also enables printing over zero-trust networks, courtesy of single sign-on (SSO), and Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) authentication. IT users can manage printing in zero-trust networks and eliminate the need for managing print servers or complex hybrid print solutions.
The service also provides IT users who manage print servers with the visibility and insights into their print with reporting. Microsoft is rolling out its Universal Print public preview to data centers in North America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific over the next few weeks. The roll-out will take place in a phased manner, starting with Microsoft 365 E5 and A5 tenants.
