Recomendations - Print Management Software

[LukeC]

Im looking at implementing print management software to be used with our existing printers (HP/Kyocera/Brother, Mix of windows 7 / XP clients and moving to 2008 Print server). Id like the software to be able to do the following:

1. Prompt a teacher for a PIN so it bills it to that department.
2. Stop students printing with out authroisation from teacher. (adds it to a queue with teacher being able to authroise at once)
3. When the teacher authroises it, it is then billed to their department.
4. History of all print jobs (date & time) PC printed from???
5. IT Team to be able to authorise jobs and charge it to specific department
6. Software to run a report at end of each month with costs for each department (including student printing)
7. Show a breakdown of jobs printed if requested.
8. Link with Active Directory

Hope this is clear, it would be much apreciated if you could recommend me some software that achives all of the above. I will also be keen to come and see it in action as well and get first hand experience, based in Lancashire. Thanks

[MatthewL]

Pcounter and Papercut will do exactly what you want but the smaller desktop machines will not be able to prompt for pin but you can use a thing called teacher release where you can login to a web page and then release the jobs onto the smaller printers if that makes sense.

[shilpi]

One more vote to papercut

[ChrisH]

I like the scripting aspect of Papercut it's very flexible and allows you to tailor it to your requirements eg we have ICT suites that have normal timetabled lessons and bookable sessions so I made a script to charge the department who is in there for that period and on bookable sessions the print jobs go to the release queue, for which each dept has a shared account they release the jobs from.

[synaesthesia]

Papercut. As simple as you need (Default install) or as in-depth as you could ever hope, and then some thanks to it's scripting abilities.

[MatthewL]

Out of the 2 PaperCut is more up to date where PCounter needs some development putting into it to update it but saying that its a really good and powerful product as it is. I have been using PCounter for 3 years now.

[plexer]

I was told by someone from Altman that a pcounter overhaul is on the cards in the not too distant future.

I'd agree with what's been said though paper cut does look more up to date.

Ben

[MatthewL]

Had heard the same when I was on the phone to them yesterday funnily enough but will try and confirm it.

[LukeC]

Thanks all, does any one know how it compares with print manger plus 2010?

[RTFM]

We use papercut

[SYNACK]

Papercut here too.

[naysweb]

We use papercut too. We was using Impero print system but found for our clients and windows 7 computer just did not work Consistently.

[plexer]

Thanks all, does any one know how it compares with print manger plus 2010?

I never was happy with pmp and frequently turned it's service off.

Ben

[john]

I use Print Manager Plus and it seems fine, however we just use it for simple needs and simple reporting. Students and staff get a credit limit, exceed it and we add more and charge you for it (students have to come with the £ to us in advance staff are internally charged), the basic main program doesn't have all the feature you have listed that you want but I do know they have release modules and things you can buy as extras which will add some of the features you are wanting.

[timbo343]

Papercut with us, been using since 2008 and not let us down, however we are only using it for detailed reporting but the option is there if we want to use it further which we have thought about. Another plus it will print credentials on the bottom of each paper printed.