Mobility has completely changed the business world. According to a survey from Unisys and IDC, more than 85% of companies are providing mobile employees with devices (and covering the costs)—making workplace mobility an accepted way of life.

And, with the rise of the mobile worker, people want and need to print more conveniently—from whatever device they’re using. In fact, Cortado has found that 92% of consumers want to be able to print using a mobile device, but only 17% of business users have actually used a mobile device with a corporate printer.

However, that disparity is changing as printing solutions are quickly evolving to accommodate the growing number of mobile workers. With smartphones, tablets, and other portable devices now the fastest-growing segment of the computing market, manufacturers are empowering today's mobile users with the ability to send print jobs from any Internet-enabled device.

MOBILE PRINTING SOLUTIONS: THE BASICS

Most easily explained, mobile printing solutions eliminate the need for a hardwired printer infrastructure—instead, allowing anyone connected to an office’s network to print from a web-enabled device (e.g. smartphone, tablet, laptop, etc.) via Wi-Fi.

Aside from the convenience factor, organizations can benefit from a number of mobile printing’s other advantages, including:

• Reduced IT infrastructure costs.
• Easy setup and minimal maintenance.
• Mobile apps eliminate the need to drivers.
• Quick scalability to accommodate growth.
• Multiple layers of built-in security.

THE IMPORTANCE OF MOBILE PRINTING

IDC’s research shows the mobile era in the workplace has rapidly emerged. The IT analytics firm expects the world’s mobile worker population to reach 1.3 billion, or 37.2% of the total workforce, by the end of 2015.

No longer bound to a desk, more and more, business-on-the-go is the norm for today’s mobile workforce. Tablets and laptops are taken into meetings and on the road, while smartphone are taken literally everywhere. By taking advantage of these devices’ connectivity to the cloud, wireless-enabled copiers and printers allow you to easily print from any mobile platform connected to Wi-Fi or the Internet.

IS MOBILE PRINTING RIGHT FOR YOU...?

The criteria for deciding to implement mobile printing solutions can differ from one business to the next. Most often, organizations consider their employee and mobile workforce size, available IT resources, and data protection requirements.

Depending on their needs, some companies will find mobile printing a much-welcomed upgrade from a traditional printing environment. Fewer connectivity issues, easing IT and technical burdens, and powerful security options help staff get back valuable time, increase productivity, and ensure information is safe.

Likewise, BYOD-friendly organizations and those with employees predominantly using laptops, tablets, and smartphones will benefit from the ease of information and printing mobility.

THE TAKEAWAY

Workplace mobility has finally reached a point where it makes sense for companies and organizations to implement mobile printing solutions that allow their on-the-go employees to connect, communicate, collaborate, and print documents from any place and at any time.

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