Microsoft Universal Print w/ Pharos Secure Release Integration

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Microsoft Universal Print

Universal Print is a Microsoft 365 cloud-based print infrastructure that simplifies office printing for IT administrators and employees by eliminating on-premises print servers and print driver management. If your organization is using Microsoft 365 in an Azure AD environment, Universal Print introduces a cloud-based print workflow.

Pharos Integration with Universal Print

Sentry Release has been added to Microsoft’s Universal Print to enable secure print workflows, including end-to-end encryption. Pharos Secure Release requires users to authenticate at a printer in order to release their documents, reducing the likelihood that sensitive information gets into the wrong hands, as well as waste from abandoned prints left at the printer. A single queue enables users to release prints via proximity card or passcode at any Pharos-enabled printer, regardless of manufacturer.

Microsoft Universal Print is now available for businesses, and Pharos is proud to be a Microsoft solution partner. We continue to work with Microsoft to further align our technologies and ensure a simple and flexible user experience.

UNIVERSAL PRINT FAQ

I’m already a Pharos customer. Do I need to change anything?

We get this question a lot. You don’t need to change a thing. Universal Print is simply an option that organizations can use to integrate their Pharos solution with Azure AD, to secure printers for authorized use and protect document confidentiality.

What printers work with Universal Print?

Printer manufacturers are coming out with new printers that natively support Universal Print. For existing printers that do not have the required firmware, Microsoft provides a connector, a small Windows application that connects printers to the Microsoft 365 cloud.

Do I need a print driver?

IT managers have been happy to hear that no third-party print drivers are necessary. 🙂

Will your integration support a mixed-OS environment?

Yes, multi-vendor solutions are what we do best. Pharos Cloud supports Windows, Mac, iOS, Chrome OS, Android, and Linux. Currently, Microsoft Universal Print supports Windows. Together, we’ve got you covered.

What versions of Windows are supported?

The integration supports Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise 1903 or later.

Do I need a Microsoft account?

To run Microsoft Universal print, you will need a Microsoft 365 account connected to Azure AD. The Pharos Cloud integration leverages that same Microsoft account.

How does Universal Print integrate with Pharos Cloud to enable secure printing workflows?

Pharos Cloud creates a single virtual printer inside Universal Print. All users print to that single shared printer object. It’s super simple.

The user then walks up to any enabled printer in the organization. After the individual authenticates (via proximity card, mobile release, or keypad login), Pharos Cloud pulls all of the print jobs held by Universal Print and all print jobs held by Pharos Cloud. The individual’s job list from both sources is presented on the device panel for print release. Documents are then printed from Universal Print and/or Pharos Cloud.

Why would I use both Pharos Cloud and Microsoft Universal Print?

If your organization is using Microsoft 365 in an Azure AD environment, Microsoft Universal Print provides an easy way to manage printers via group policy. Pharos Cloud provides several extra capabilities on top of Microsoft Universal Print:

Secure printing, including end-to-end encryption
A single queue that users can print to, and then release anywhere
Mobile printing capability using iOS or Android devices
Actionable print analytics to help drive continual savings and optimization
Identity management and federated authentication
Support for proximity cards, email authentication, and mobile app release

What credentials are needed to integrate with Microsoft Universal Print?

In addition to your Pharos Cloud account, you’ll need a Microsoft 365 account with Azure AD.

Easily enable secure printing workflows on any office printer

Our solutions support mixed environments that consist of printers from multiple manufacturers and their various device models. So, no matter which printers your organization uses, we’ve got you covered.