Microsoft wants Universal Print to replace on-premises print servers. The cloud service provides printer management and eliminates the use of printer drivers.
Universal Print, released in preview last year, simplifies printer management. Workers no longer need drivers on their PCs to print documents in the office or at home. IT professionals manage printers from a central portal in the cloud.
Administrators can control which employees have access to specific printers. Admins can also view printer properties and manage default settings.
Manufacturers with printers supporting the service include Brother, Canon, Epson, HP, Konica Minolta, Lexmark, Ricoh, Toshiba and Xerox. Some existing printers will support the service through a software download. Printers without Universal Print software can still access the service, but it requires extra steps.
This summer, Microsoft plans to release software that lets any device, including smartphones, print documents. The company said it will soon announce a preview of the application on its Universal Print blog.
Mike Gleason, News Reporter