Blue Technologies Blog

While printers remain the backbone of every business, keeping them secure has never been more important. The capabilities that come with modern multifunction devices can help organizations increase efficiencies and reduce operational bottlenecks, but also make them prime targets for cybercriminals.

For manufacturers, adopting modern technologies to improve their processes is a regular practice. Production managers know the benefits that digital systems can bring to their operations. From using e-commerce solutions to sourcing raw materials or components to leveraging advanced design and testing tools that help ensure the quality of every product, manufacturers know that technology remains a primary enabler for continued success.

Even in a rapidly transforming digital world, companies still rely on their print fleet to remain productive. It’s also common for these environments to be unmanaged as many businesses only pay attention to print operations when something goes wrong. While the adage of ‘don’t fix it if it’s not broken’ may be convenient, it could be costing the company in revenues and other losses.

Churches and religious institutions occupy a unique space in local communities. Not only do they provide a moral foundation for their congregants, but they also host a variety of activities that foster trust and increase community engagement. It’s also common for these institutions to provide their services to the congregation with limited budgets that depend on voluntary contributions from their members. This makes access to upgraded technologies like multifunction devices difficult for churches.

Remote work has become the new normal across the country in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. With it has come a new series of technical and personnel management challenges to overcome, such as employees that aren’t familiar with remote working and data security. Having the right people with the right software and equipment and the proper security can make all the difference.

No matter how companies remain reluctant to upgrade software, sometimes it’s inevitable. The End of Life support deadline for Windows 7 was January 2020, meaning many organizations needed to apply the Windows 10 update. This has left many companies wondering how to conduct their printer fleet management in Windows 10. Luckily, Microsoft has made printer management quick and easy in the latest version of its operating system.

Companies need to understand that today’s multifunction devices are more sophisticated than older generation printers are. In many ways, new multifunction printers are just like computers. Since the use of company networks became widespread in the 1990s, connecting and sharing a printer became easier than ever before. These devices now help companies to streamline their print workflows and maintain a productive office environment, but it could also pose a risk to operations.

How companies manage and maintain their documents may be the next business function facing technological disruption. While document and record management remains a vital process, companies find it to be an increasingly complex and labor-intensive practice. This is precisely why data scientists and software developers are now looking for ways that Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems and Machine Learning (ML) algorithms could help.

Since the rise of the first document management systems, companies could streamline their workflows and ensure the accurate execution of their processes. However, it still required humans to enter all the related data, initiate the workflows, and compare versions of documents manually. In an IDC whitepaper from 2012, professionals still reported that they spent, on average 4.5 hours per week searching for documents. Often, if they cannot find what they are looking for, they will recreate a document or file leading to higher productivity losses.

It may not seem self-evident, but museums also need cybersecurity just like any other public or private entity. Depending on the types of relics, treasures, and art displayed at the facility, it may require more protection than regular businesses. As these institutions usually rely on grants, donations, and other contributions, they also face budgetary pressures while needing to improve their information security on their networks and devices.

While the insides of museums may seem like ancient, dusty halls filled with knowledge, plenty is going on in the background. Museums collect information just like any other business. They sell tickets to the public, host events, manage member’s information, and keep financial records regarding donations and contributions. All of this information can be valuable in a bad actor or hacker’s hands. Therefore, taking a proactive approach to information security will be vital to running a sustainable (and socially essential) operation.

Just like other industries, nursing homes and elderly care facilities rely on daily printing operations to remain productive. As these facilities also regularly face budget constraints and financial pressure, it’s common for the print fleet to become outdated. While this wasn’t a major concern in the past, the increased threats from cyberattacks and malware infections pose a significant risk to healthcare institutions.