In the age of cloud computing, hybrid work, and digital transformation, it’s easy to assume that printing has become obsolete. But for many industries—healthcare, legal, government, education, and finance—physical documents are still essential. However, how we manage those documents is changing rapidly. In 2025, organizations are rethinking their approach to printing with the help of managed print services, not only to cut costs but also to improve security and reduce waste.
Managed print services (MPS) refer to outsourced solutions that optimize and manage a company’s print environment. This includes everything from hardware maintenance and supplies to print tracking, security controls, and environmental impact reduction. As businesses grow increasingly reliant on digital workflows, MPS providers are playing a crucial role in bridging the gap between paper-based processes and secure, efficient digital systems.
Here’s how managed print services help companies strengthen security and minimize waste in the digital age.
1. Protecting Data at the Printer Level
Printers have evolved into powerful networked devices. Many now store data, connect to cloud platforms and serve as access points for users across an organization. Unfortunately, this also means they can be vulnerable to cyberattacks if not properly secured. In fact, unsecured printers are often overlooked weak spots in IT networks.
Managed print services help secure this overlooked endpoint. Providers implement robust security measures like:
- User authentication: Employees must enter a PIN, swipe a badge, or log in with credentials to release print jobs, ensuring documents don’t sit uncollected on the tray.
- Encrypted data transmission: Sensitive documents are encrypted both in transit and at rest, reducing the risk of interception or theft.
- Secure device configuration: MPS providers ensure printers are updated with the latest firmware, security patches, and configurations to protect against known vulnerabilities.
- Monitoring and audits: Print activity is tracked and logged, allowing organizations to spot unusual behavior, unauthorized access, or potential data leaks.
By treating printers as critical components of the IT ecosystem, managed print services help companies safeguard sensitive information and stay in compliance with regulations such as HIPAA, GDPR, and SOX.
2. Minimizing Waste with Smart Printing Policies
In a typical office, wasteful printing habits are surprisingly common. Employees may print unnecessary documents, use color ink when black-and-white would suffice, or forget to pick up printed materials entirely. These habits contribute to excessive paper and toner use, increased energy consumption, and higher operational costs.
Managed print services address these issues through intelligent print management. Providers help businesses implement policies and tools such as:
- Print quotas and rules: Administrators can set limits on the number of pages employees print or require duplex (double-sided) printing by default.
- Follow-me printing: Also known as pull printing, this feature allows users to send documents to a secure queue and release them at any authorized printer. This prevents abandoned print jobs and reduces paper waste.
- Print tracking and reporting: Usage reports highlight high-volume users, inefficient printers, and excessive color printing. With this insight, companies can adjust behaviors and educate staff on sustainable printing.
- Digital alternatives: MPS providers often support digital workflows, helping organizations move from printing to scanning, archiving, and sharing documents electronically when possible.
By actively managing how, when, and what gets printed, MPS helps businesses reduce their environmental footprint while lowering supply and energy costs.
3. Supporting Hybrid and Remote Work Securely
In the modern workplace, flexibility is key. Employees work from homes, shared spaces, and multiple office locations. Traditional printing setups aren’t built for this level of mobility—and unsecured remote printing creates new security risks.
Managed print services offer solutions that support secure, efficient printing in decentralized environments. For example:
- Cloud-based printing: Employees can submit jobs from anywhere and retrieve them at a nearby printer, reducing the need for VPNs or risky file transfers.
- Mobile printing solutions: Authorized devices can print securely from smartphones or tablets, using apps or cloud integrations approved by the IT team.
- Remote monitoring and support: IT teams or MPS providers can manage and troubleshoot devices across multiple locations from a centralized dashboard.
These capabilities ensure that printing remains secure and accessible—no matter where the workforce is located.
4. Enhancing Compliance and Audit Readiness
Many industries must adhere to strict document handling standards, especially when dealing with patient records, financial reports, or confidential contracts. Even something as seemingly simple as a printed form can become a compliance risk if not properly managed.
Managed print services help organizations stay audit-ready by implementing controls that protect sensitive documents and maintain proper documentation trails. Features include:
- Detailed logs of print activity, useful for compliance audits or internal investigations
- Document retention policies, supported by automatic print-and-scan archiving
- Secure disposal protocols, such as automatic overwriting of stored print jobs on device hard drives
With these controls in place, companies reduce their exposure to risk and demonstrate proactive data stewardship.
5. Centralizing Management for Consistency and Control
One of the biggest benefits of managed print services is centralization. Instead of relying on scattered devices, inconsistent practices, or piecemeal fixes, businesses get a cohesive system that’s easy to manage and scale.
From a single interface, administrators can view print usage across the organization, enforce security policies, and implement changes in real-time. This level of control ensures that every department follows the same protocols, reducing variability and risk.
It also eliminates the chaos of managing toner orders, service tickets, and maintenance schedules. All of these responsibilities fall to the MPS provider, giving internal teams more time to focus on strategic initiatives.
Conclusion: A Smarter, Safer Approach to Printing
In a world where efficiency and data protection are non-negotiable, managed print services offer businesses a smart path forward. They go far beyond device maintenance—offering security, sustainability, and control at every step of the print journey.
By strengthening data protection and reducing waste, MPS enables organizations to align their print strategy with modern IT goals. Whether you’re a growing company looking to cut unnecessary costs or a large enterprise managing compliance risks, investing in managed print services is an impactful move in the digital age.
