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Lexmark has announced the availability of its new Cloud Print Infrastructure (CPI) – a complete as-a-service solution designed to utilises IoT and cloud technologies to boost its managed print services (MPS) offerings.
With Lexmark CPI, customers can access a modern, secure print environment through a subscription service in which they pay for print capacity rather than owning and managing the physical infrastructure.
This new approach to enterprise print enables IT departments to reduce costs by removing infrastructure and management burden, while ensuring a higher level of user experience. For purchasing departments spending valuable time managing RFPs and complex billing, the offering provides flexible subscription pricing options.
“As organisations seek to remove IT complexity, Lexmark Cloud Print Infrastructure as a Service builds on Lexmark’s MPS leadership to simplify how our customers approach print. We can now take on a full range of their print infrastructure challenges, allowing the customer to focus on the print capacity they need while we take care of the rest,” said Allen Waugerman, Lexmark president and CEO.
The Lexmark CPI offering simplifies print, from acquisition to IT management and user support:
Data-based Print Fleet Design provides customers a more standardised and connected fleet of devices. Using best-in-class benchmark data, Lexmark hardware deployment plans address current use patterns, security protections and future print and scan needs, resulting in a custom fleet design that will scale to meet changing needs. The devices are owned and managed by Lexmark, providing potential flexibility in operating expense accounting.
Cloud Print Management enables customers to eliminate the physical infrastructure required to support the print environment, including on-premises print servers, print server provisioning, driver deployment and user management. Instead of sending documents through a print server to a designated print device, documents are transferred to the Lexmark Cloud where they are held until a user logs in or authenticates at the printer. Features include Secure Print Release, Mobile Print and a Hybrid Option.
IoT / Smart Services are designed to deliver an always-on print environment:
· Proactive Consumables Management leverages artificial intelligence to provide automated, accurate, just-in-time supplies fulfilment.
· Predictive Services assess the health of a device through algorithms based on alerts, sensor readings and more to anticipate needed intervention and maximise uptime.
· Proactive Device Notification informs users of actions taken behind the scenes, such as toner shipments and service delivery schedules.
· Live Data Analytics provides real-time device performance data.
“Lexmark MFPs are smart IoT devices,” Waugerman said. “We apply Big Data analytics to sensor output that enables smart services, allowing us to actually predict device needs and take preemptive action to maximise uninterrupted uptime, including automatic supplies replenishment and predictive service.”
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