Why Managed Print is Now Part of Your Wider IT and Security Strategy

For years, managed print services were judged on a couple of simple variables. How quickly and cheaply could you put pages through a device at a fixed monthly service charge.

Like most areas of technology, that model has evolved.

Printing now sits within the same technology ecosystem as your network, your users, your data and your security posture. Treating it as a standalone cost centre is no longer just outdated; it can introduce an unnecessary level of risk to your business.

FUTERA views managed print as part of the wider technology estate, not separate from it.

Printers, copiers and MFDs are often some of the most overlooked endpoints on a network, yet they process sensitive data every day. Contracts, HR documents, finance reports and customer information all pass through devices that are frequently under managed from a security perspective.

Because FUTERA is also a managed IT services provider, print is assessed alongside your wider infrastructure. That means:

• Devices are considered within your network architecture
• User access and authentication can be controlled
• Data handling and document workflows are reviewed
• Risks created by remote and hybrid workers are addressed

In practical terms, print security is not treated as a bolt on feature. It becomes part of your overall security posture, aligned with the same standards you expect from the rest of your IT environment.

Hybrid working has shifted where documents are created, accessed and shared, with information no longer confined to one office or one device.

Without the right controls, this creates gaps. Documents are printed at home, emailed insecurely, or stored across multiple platforms with limited visibility.

A joined-up approach to print and IT allows organisations to introduce:

• Secure release printing
• Controlled scanning workflows
• Cloud integrated document storage
• Visibility of who is printing what and where

The outcome is not more restrictions. It is better governance of information across a distributed workforce.

Many traditional print contracts were built around volume. The more pages produced, the more the provider benefited.

That model does not reflect how modern organisations operate or how seriously businesses now take sustainability.

FUTERA’s approach is different. The goal is to help organisations print more effectively and often less. By using scanning, digital workflows and document automation, paper is only used where it genuinely adds value.

In environments where the same information can be shared digitally, it usually should be. Reducing unnecessary output lowers costs, cuts waste and supports environmental targets without impacting productivity.

Printing still has an important place, particularly in process driven environments. The difference is ensuring every printed page serves a clear purpose.

Modern print strategies are influenced by far more than output speed.

Businesses now consider:

• Power consumption and energy efficiency
• Print management controls
• Budget visibility and cost allocation
• Document security
• Usage analytics and optimisation

With an agnostic approach to manufacturers and platforms, FUTERA focuses on recommending the right technology for your environment rather than pushing a single brand. The outcome is a solution aligned to how your organisation actually works, not a generic fleet based on headline specifications.

Despite the growth of digital workflows, most organisations still rely on print at key points within their day to day operations. When important documents cannot be produced, processes slow, approvals are delayed and teams are forced into workarounds that reduce efficiency.

Whether it is internal documentation, customer communications, compliance records or information that needs to be physically signed, there are still moments where printing plays a critical role in keeping business moving.

With more than 35 years of managed print experience and extensive UK technical coverage, FUTERA maintains one of the highest fix rate levels through proactive maintenance and planned parts replacement. The objective is simple. If printing supports a critical step in your operation, downtime is not an option.

In these environments, managed print is not about convenience. It is about protecting productivity, maintaining service levels and ensuring essential information is available exactly when it is needed.

The future of managed print is not about more devices or more pages. It is about integrating print into the wider technology strategy so security, sustainability and productivity are considered together.

By combining managed IT expertise with deep print experience, FUTERA helps organisations reduce risk, control costs and modernise how information flows across the business.

Make technology work for your organisation, not against it.