Follow Me Printing

[Stuart_C]

Maybe not the right forum for this but has anyone got a "Follow Me" Printing solution set up? What are you using to provide the service? What sort of cost would I be looking at?

(Yes I know I'm being vague but I'm only just starting to look at this to see if it's a viable option for here)

[srochford]

We use SafeCom - Home

 

Don't really know what it costs but it's not ridiculous - "full cost recovery" comes in at about 2-3p per mono page (ie that covers the cost of leasing the equipment, toner and paper). We use HP multifunction devices and it's all supplied by Welcome to DTP Group - Managed Print & Copy Services - Enterprise Solutions - HP Gold Preferred Partner who are generally pretty good (but we're a big organisation with 2 full time DTP staff on site)

[localzuk]

You can do this with PaperCut MF/NG. What you need is a set of identical printer devices with some form of release station (either embedded devices, or a PC).

 

I'd say speak to the guys at Select Technology – Custom MFD Solutions – Call us on (0) 1256 246970 and see what they recommend.

[MatthewL]

We are using PCounter with Sharp MFP's from United Carlton. Just ordered some more for another setup.

[nadeem]

We use Equitrac Express (I'm happy to recommend a partner to help you get this up and running). I'm very happy with it (currently have about 1100 users at the moment, and we only use the one virtual print server)

[Stuart_C]

Cheers for the info. It's not something I'm thinking of in the short term but I just want to do some tentative research to decide if I want to go with it.

[plexer]

I was talking about this with a guy I know from uni and the system that they use basically has a small embedded type station next to a printer which you use to release your printing, that way it will continue to work with your current printers.

 

I'll ask him what it was called if you want?

 

Ben

[plexer]

Open source follow me printing system VirtualAppliance - bifrost - Trac

 

Ben

[plexer]

The system that my uni friend manages is safecom.

 

Looking at the bifrost system it could be very desirable as soon as they work with rfid readers, for the release station they use sheevaplugs with usb connected magstripe readers, plus point on the sheeva plug is that it is sub £100 for less than £150 per printer you have an authentication enabled device.

 

Ben

[Stleel1]

Imperial College of London and Brunel University are hosting an open day and forum for pull printing and student charging on the 1st of December, Maybe worth a visit to look how they both have implmented SafeCom into their environments. This is inconjuction with SafeCom.

[fiona_b]

The only company to offer Follow Me printing is Ringdale Connecting People and Information - FollowMe® Printing, Building Access Control Systems, Print Servers, Biometric ID System, Fax and Workflow - Ringdale UK this is because they have registered follow me as a trademark.

Interesting fact, a friend of mine worked at an office equipment reseller, they went for a lot of tenders concerning print/copy management using various bits of software such as Equitrac / PaperCut / Pcounter / Pharos.

Now pretty much all the tenders specified the solution offered MUST have Follow Me printing, and such is the way of tenders they couldn’t offer anything but Ringdale software because of that. Silly really as all the other software has its own method of Follow Me. If you ever get a chance to read a tender you can see how poorly researched they are as people copy and paste features (and trademarks) from websites.

 

As for what software to use my options would be Equitrac or papercut, papercut gets fairly postive feedback on this forum so that is where i would start. Contact your local reseller or any UK reseller(s).

Follow Me (or what ever you wish to call it) has many options for users to get at their secure prints, having looked into it a while ago papercut offers a lot of options including intergrated software, dedicated pc bases software, usb card readers etc. That would be my first port of investigation.

Edited November 11, 2010 by fiona_b

[localzuk]

Just to point out - having a trademark doesn't mean that companies can't implement their own similar system. It simply means they can't use the term 'FollowMe' or anything very similar.

 

The proper name for this technology is 'Pull Printing'.

[fiona_b]

I hope that is what i said but i admit it may not of come over very well

[ezzauk]

We are just about to roll out a SafeCom Manage Print Solution (Phoenix Computers) 5 x Hewlett Packard m4345xs and 1 x Hewlett Packard m4730 colour, as for the cost its all down to the printers and the printing output and service. We are looking at somethink like 1.93 pence per click mono and 5.9 pence per click colour.

[plexer]

I would like to see a pull printing system using the yubikey for auth, this could be integrated into the bifrost system as the sheeva plug has a usable usb port.

 

Ben

[localzuk]

I would like to see a pull printing system using the yubikey for auth, this could be integrated into the bifrost system as the sheeva plug has a usable usb port.

 

Ben

 

Ok, this is a first for me but nearly every term you used there is unknown to me! Care to elaborate a little?