This interview is an excerpt from GovLoop’s recent guide, Innovations that Mattered in 2016. Download the full guide here.
Most government employees don’t think of printers until something goes wrong. Running out of ink, paper jams and error codes are all annoying, but behind these printer problems are other important considerations. As agencies continue to modernize, they must also confront issues like printing security, costs and environmental benefits.
To better understand how agencies can efficiently improve and modernize their printing capabilities, GovLoop sat down with Nigel Smith, Americas PageWide Product Manager at HP, an IT company.
“The way in which people think about printing has changed,” said Smith. “Overcoming printing barriers is a major step towards complete agency IT modernization.” To help transform printing, HP has identified cost, speed security and environmental issues as agencies’ main pain points, and has created products that provide targeted solutions to these issues.
PageWide letter (A4) printers are a second- generation class of single function and multi-functional printers (MFP) that provide professional-quality color documents for up to 40 percent lower color cost per page.* Launched in spring of 2016, the newest generation of Page- Wide implemented targeted upgrades to alleviate the aforementioned pain points.
As agencies realize the power of printers, it is imperative that their printers are as secure as their other hardware. Smith emphasized that agencies typically focus on securing computers. However, printers contain a hard drive, have confidential data and are connected to the internet so they must be protected as well. IT understands this risk and looks to HP as a leader with a secure printing portfolio.
To provide this level of protection, HP embeds security features into their printers and offers a combination of security features and self-healing capabilities to ensure all information is secure.
Additionally, in some cases organizations are spending precious budgets, in some case on mono printing. PageWide counters this by providing a lower cost per page of printing than laser alternatives that keeps color pages affordable. HP has also developed a cost tool to show customers the cost savings and break even time to replace an entire fleet. Smith explained, “We introduced PageWide technology to deliver on a lower cost of color printing and it’s definitely saving organizations money on their limited budgets.”
Finally, typical competitive laser printers found in government offices use more packaging and energy. PageWide works to be environmentally friendly by using 84 percent less energy than competitive lasers. “From an environmental packing perspective, there is a lot less waste and packaging as well as less storage needed in your facility. Additionally, because of the high-volume capabilities of our cartridges, there is less intervention and replacement of cartridges,” Smith said.
Government is already taking advantage of this innovative printing technology. One HP government client has deployed PageWide printers in their local offices so they can print colored naturalization certificates on demand. With HP’s technology, they can provide that they are securely and efficiently printing these certificates at the lowest cost possible.
Additionally, medical centers are using PageWide technology as a one-stop shop for their printing needs. Smith explained, “They are making copies, scanning ID cards, developing workflows, printing out colored patient wristbands to ensure efficient operations.” PageWide technology allows the health care industry to seamlessly shift from small scale jobs like copying medical files to printing specialized medical bands that include written information and barcodes in black and white and color – jobs a typical printer would not be able to perform.
Looking forward, HP is working toward continued print innovation. In the spring of 2017, HP is introducing a next-generation portfolio of ledger (A3) MFP printing solutions that deliver the simplicity, reliability, serviceability and security to transform business printing., allowing government to access secure, efficient and cost-effective printing technology to continually support their mission.
And it’s this focus on security, cost and efficiency that will go a long way to creating a more modern government – a government where employees can securely handle their printing needs from remote locations, which not only makes government more modern, but can transform the way government employees think about the way they work.
* Comparison of HP PageWide Pro and Enterprise class devices, not sold under contract, with the majority of in-class color laser MFPs < $3000 USD, and color laser printers < $1249 USD as of November 2016; market share as reported by IDC as of Q2 2016. Cost per page (CPP) reported by gap Intelligence Pricing & Promotions report Oct 2016, comparisons for all supplies are based on published specifications of the manufacturers’ highest-capacity cartridges and page yield. Average yield based on ISO/IEC 24711 and continuous printing. Actual yield varies based on content of printed pages and other factors. For details see www.hp.com/go/learnaboutsupplies.
