One Driver to Rule Them All: The Universal Print Driver - InfoTrends
Handling print processes within a user organization would almost be a non-issue if the printing environment consisted of multiple instances of the same device on the network. Unfortunately, this is typically not the case. A company’s printer fleet usually consists of multiple brands and models, which can make management, support, and use of print devices challenging. One aspect that makes this printing scenario so difficult is the existence of multiple print drivers.
The existence of multiple print drivers within an organization can bring a number of challenges for IT personnel, the help desk, the end-users, and the organization as a whole. First of all, multiple drivers mean multiple interfaces. Different driver interfaces may offer different options (or at least place the option tabs and buttons in different places) and different formats, which make the printing process more challenging for the knowledge worker. In addition to causing extra pain points for the end-user, this typically results in extra calls to IT and help desk personnel. This is just one of the many challenges associated with a multiple driver environment that we will examine in this whitepaper. Other challenges, such as those associated with the installation and management of devices, can have an even greater impact on an organization in terms of incurred costs and lost productivity.