What IT Departments or CTOs Care About
Because your copier, printer or MFP is, in effect, another computer connected to your corporate network, you’ll want to get input from your CTO regarding areas that could affect the network itself, including network security, bandwidth demands, document management solutions and administrative utilities.
Network Security
For many businesses network security is a critical issue. First, you’ll want to be able to control who uses the MFP, and what functions (such as color) each user is allowed, by using network user authentication. This requires users to log into the network by using their company-issued magnetic access card, or via biometric (fingerprint) authentication, or by typing in a password, either at their desktop PCs or at the MFP itself, so no one who shouldn’t be using the device has access.
Network authentication can set up an additional layer of security by only allowing certain IP addresses (such as branch offices) to connect to the MFP. It’s also worth noting that MFPs with fax functions should also offer secure connection so that a “back door” isn’t left open to the network for hackers trying to break in using the fax connection. Other potential security issues can be addressed with products that encrypt, erase or overwrite data, or that insert secure watermarks or even black out text on unauthorized copies. The CTO can help you choose the security functions that are most important for your business.
Bandwidth Usage
Bandwidth usage is another area that directly affects how well your corporate network runs. If you send large, complex color documents over the network, it consumes a lot of bandwidth, which could slow down the entire network for all users. Color MFPs can vary widely in the size of files they create from scans. Some offer scanning compression technologies that considerably reduce the size of scanned files so they can be stored or e-mailed without gobbling too much bandwidth.
Document Management Solutions
Document management solutions are another critical area for the CTO, since they’re used to manage, manipulate and track all documents and processes sent across the network. Not only can the right solutions streamline workflow for all users, but they can also prove helpful to the IT department by automating numerous processes that might currently be done manually (such as creating exportable usage logs).
Buyers Laboratory has published numerous reports on various solutions products, so you can ask your dealer to provide a BLI report or you can purchase your own subscription. Most solutions are sold as options, and many are industry-specific, designed to serve the specialized needs of, say, law firms (i.e. Omtool AccuRoute 2.1 Legal Platform), architects (Equitrac Professional 5.2.2), educational institutions and medical practices.
Administrative Utilities
Ease of setup is also an important area to consider, because the harder an MFP or copier is to configure on the network, the more hours will be invested by the IT department to install it.
BLI Lab Test Reports available on bliQ detail installation processes on each machine tested, noting special pluses (or minuses). BLI Lab Test Reports also provide detailed information on administrative utilities for each tested copier, printer or MFP. These utilities are crucial to IT operations because they let administrators monitor the copiers, printers and MFPs on the network, as well as assign and limit user rights (such as color privileges). Some utilities even allow administrators to install and upgrade print drivers remotely, without having to leave their desks.
Another factor to consider is the type of feedback provided to administrators (and to users) by the MFP.
- If toner is low or a copier has a paper jam, can the MFP automatically notify someone that there’s a problem?
- If the problem is minor (such as a paper outage), do jobs stop until the paper is replaced, or can they be routed to another copier or printer on the network?
- And, if there’s a problem that the IT department isn’t able to fix, how fast can the dealer get it resolved? Dealers can respond more quickly to problems with equipment that can send failure alerts to dealers.
Your CTO will also surely want to know who’s going to be responsible for the physical upkeep of the machine.
- If something breaks, will users have to call his department to fix it?
- Who do you intend to be the go-to person for toner replacement or to call the dealer to schedule a repair?
Copier-based MFPs generally include service contracts with dealers who send their own technical staff when required, while small desktop printers might look like a bargain in comparison but might also consume much more of an IT technician’s time on a day-to-day basis.