Ricoh Cloud Print Enhances Business Class MFPs

Print servers are still a big deal in many organizations, but printing through the cloud is fast becoming a way to circumvent the issues and problems typically associated with managing multiple users, machines, and print jobs in a single location. Ricoh Americas Corporation just announced they are releasing software to make their business-class printers and MFPs (multifunction products) Google Cloud Print ready. The app is aptly named the Ricoh App for Google Cloud Print web printing services. It allows companies to print directly from smartphones, tablets, or laptops without requiring print servers and drivers. The hope is that companies can save on the hardware typically required in order to facilitate these features on their current office printers.

Ricoh Cloud Print is designed to provide a very accessible software solution to businesses, nonprofits, schools, etc, allowing them to achieve the same level of print management and accessibility afforded by more expensive business-class document services. It also does it at a remarkably lower cost. You could use the Ricoh App to provide Google Cloud Print web printing services on Chromebooks in a classroom setting, or in an office environment where smartphones and tablets are part of the ecosystem and require output for presentations and meetings. Since these web-enabled devices are optimized for the use of cloud apps, they can be just as tightly integrated with Google Cloud Print and cloud-based software like Google Docs or Dropbox for file creation, storage and retrieval.

“We’ve tried the Ricoh App for Google Cloud Print web printing services, and we just love it. Rather than investing in print servers and having to load print drivers on all of our devices, we’ve started using Google Cloud Print and now our teachers can immediately print their work to any nearby Ricoh MFP. This has enabled us to spend less time worrying about IT connectivity issues and gives our teachers more time to focus on education.”

– Kelly Spaeth, Business Manager at Sea Crest School in Half Moon Bay, CA

Installing the Ricoh App for Google Cloud Print web printing services entails purchasing the app from Ricoh or a licensed dealer and then having a Java applet installed locally or via remote management. After this, you can print directly to any Ricoh printer on the network via the Chrome web browser or any software which is Cloud Print-ready.

For more information, please check out Ricoh’s website.