So youāve just acquired a company. Look at you go! But hang onā¦ whatās that in the corner? Itās a Hewlett-Packard LaserJet from 2003. Being a LaserJet from 2003 it still works, but shouldn’t this thing be in a museum or something?
A problem with acquiring new businesses as a midsized company is that they often come with their own IT infrastructure and legacy printing hardware. If youāre lucky, that legacy hardware will be compatible with your current systems. But that isnāt always the case. So, what do you do if your new acquisition still uses printers from the turn of the century millennium? Well, you can either swallow the cost and upgrade the fleet or find a workaround solution. Weāre going to look at both here today.
Assess what youāve got
First step, you need to do a full inventory and evaluation of the current printer fleet, including your own models. Create a comprehensive list of printers, copiers, scanners, and multifunction devices. Record each deviceās age, model, condition, and capability (e.g. are they cloud compatible? Mobile friendly?) If you can, review service records too. Most smaller companies are notoriously lax on maintenance, so some of these machines could be in line for costly repairs (which will affect your ultimate cost-benefit analysis).
Flag any compatibility issues
Next, you need to identify compatibility with your current systems. Check whether legacy printers can integrate securely with your existing network infrastructure, which includes everything from print servers to security protocols and encryption requirements. You should also confirm whether the legacy printers support mobile print software. Weāve got a list of system requirements over here , to make your job easier.
Analyze cost efficiency
Itās a good idea to get quite detailed when it comes to costings, especially with legacy models, which tend to eat up your budget. Compare the cost of supplies (toner, ink, paper etc) and energy consumption between the old models and your current fleet. Keep in mind that old printers generally attract higher maintenance and repair costs, so factor that into your calculation. Once you have all those figures on paper, you can start comparing the cost of replacing the legacy fleet (high up-front, but with long-term savings) versus running old and new side-by-side.
One last thing about supplies… Your regular vendor may not have the right toner cartridges or maintenance/roller kits. If a machine goes down, you might have to wait more than a day or two before replacements arrive!
Reduce redundancy
The idea with any commercial printer network is to run the fewest number of printers needed to do the job effectively. That number will vary depending on your staff, your office setup, your print requirements, and your budget, but reducing printer redundancy is a big part of migrating legacy fleets. In short: donāt maintain three printers when one will do. By using something like PaperCut Views youāll get real-time print activity logs, helping you quickly spot which printers are being used ā and which you can safely toss. Did we mention itās free?
Standardize as much as possible
Standardizing your printer fleet is best practice for a reason. It means you can order supplies in bulk. Maintenance is much simpler (and therefore cheaper). Your IT department wonāt have to run around juggling multiple models and operating systems. And your users get a consistent print experience, no matter what office theyāre in. With legacy models, your goal should still be to standardize as much as possible. Retain any models that are in good condition and those that wonāt significantly increase cost or security risk.
Even if youāre running multiple models or manufacturers, itās a good idea to standardize default print settings (like duplex and black and white printing) to maintain a consistent user experience.
Integrate print management software
By now you should have culled your legacy fleet down to models that are compatible with your IT infrastructure, network environment, cloud settings, and (crucially) your print management software.
With print management software youāll get visibility and control over the entire printer fleet ā both old and new ā including monitoring, reporting, driver deployment, authentication controls, and user-based print quotas. By connecting legacy devices through a print management system, you can manage the entire fleet from one central location, boosting efficiency and reducing manual intervention as much as possible. Always a good thing.
Ensure data security and compliance
Itās always a good idea to update firmware and security settings (such as the password to the web interface!) on legacy printers, making sure theyāre up-to-date and fully patched. Disable any outdated protocols and switch on secure print release wherever you can. As with any printer network, youāll need to roll out user authentication methods for printing ā ideally the same as used on your existing fleet. Weāve written a lot about print security over the years, so start here if you need a crash course.
Develop a phased replacement plan
So youāve done your initial audit and assessment. Youāve crunched the numbers and worked out which printers need to be replaced. But letās do this smart. Roll out a phased replacement plan, based on descending levels of priority. Start with the printers that are flat-out security risks. They need to go first.
Next comes the most expensive, then the least compatible. You can also consider leasing out new printers, instead of buying new ones. This can help you phase out the old fleet gradually, keeping costs under control.
