Print Management Software

[AceDaz]

Does anyone use any Print Management Software on their network? We wish to, not only manage network printers, but local printers as well...from 1 location.

 

It will also need to be compatible with Server 2003 and Server 2008 (Upgrading soon) and also XP and Windows 7.

 

Has anyone got any ideas?

 

Thanks

[camel]

Papercut NG which does all above. We by through reseller ITS. Creat topup cards for the students and track department printing, plus loads more. Compat with mac, win linux...

[sted]

Papercut NG which does all above. We by through reseller ITS. Creat topup cards for the students and track department printing, plus loads more. Compat with mac, win linux...

 

as far as im aware it wont do local printers (unless you cheat and reshare it back from the server that has papercuts installed)

[camel]

The cheat is a good work around however, Papercut has two install options, primary (which you would install on the print server) and secondary which you can install on any computer with a locally attached printer. The local printer is then configurable like networked printers in papercut web interface.

[Big_Ted]

as far as im aware it wont do local printers (unless you cheat and reshare it back from the server that has papercuts installed)

 

 

A secondary print server is a system that directly hosts a printer. In many situations it may be a dedicated server, however a secondary server may also be a desktop system hosting a directly attached USB printer. If this printer is to be controlled and tracked by PaperCut NG, a small monitoring component needs to be installed. The monitoring component intercepts the local printing and reports this use back to the primary Application Server. A secondary server may either be:

 

1. A server style system hosting many printers.

 

2. A desktop style system hosting printer(s) also shared to other network users.

 

3. A desktop style system with the printer used only for local users (not shared).

 

Manual info here:

Chapter*14.*Configuring Secondary Print Servers and Locally Attached Printers

also handy: Automating Secondary Server Deployment on Windows

hope that helps.

[BlueDragon]

Take a look at PaperCut or Software Shelf's Print Manager Plus (Academic Edition), both very good.

 

Note some print management solutions are rebadged OEM of PaperCut. You cant go far wrong with PaperCut, very robust and good value.

[Big_Ted]

 

Note some print management solutions are rebadged OEM of PaperCut. You cant go far wrong with PaperCut, very robust and good value.

 

I think there is just one rebadged version and that is sold in the US.

[glennda]

I think there is just one rebadged version and that is sold in the US.

 

Is PCounter not rebadged Papercut?

 

EDIT: I may have made that up!

[Big_Ted]

I think you did

[DaveCoop]

Papercut all the way for me !!!!!

[glennda]

I think you did

 

there is def a few which are rebadged not pcounter then

[Big_Ted]

there is def a few which are rebadged not pcounter then

 

Just the one i think in the US

used to be more than 1 but no more.

[northerner_chris]

Seems like Papercut is more popular than PCounter.

 

I've just installed the PCounter 60day trial and it seems ok, had a few issues with Epson printers but I like the fact it will monitor printers that are locally attached to individual workstations, struggling to see if Papercut lets you do that?

 

Ultimately I'd like to introduce biometrics pull printing in some areas of the school, I've seen that PCounter will work with biometric biostore devices, any ideas if papercut will do the same? Would like to find a way of adding the thumb scanner to existing printers rather than having to buy specific copiers/printers with them embedded don't know if that's possible?

 

Many thanks,

Chris

[Soulfish]

We use our biostore biometric database with Papercut MF (same as NG but support for direct control of MFDs). Also had it working to monitor printers attached to local computers at my last school.

[Big_Ted]

Seems like Papercut is more popular than PCounter.

 

I've just installed the PCounter 60day trial and it seems ok, had a few issues with Epson printers but I like the fact it will monitor printers that are locally attached to individual workstations, struggling to see if Papercut lets you do that?

 

Ultimately I'd like to introduce biometrics pull printing in some areas of the school, I've seen that PCounter will work with biometric biostore devices, any ideas if papercut will do the same? Would like to find a way of adding the thumb scanner to existing printers rather than having to buy specific copiers/printers with them embedded don't know if that's possible?

 

Many thanks,

Chris

Hi - have a look 9 or so posts above yours. PaperCut can track locally attached USB printers or printers on other print servers. Just in case you miss it:

Chapter*14.*Configuring Secondary Print Servers and Locally Attached Printers

 

Supporting biometrics is a complicated thing ultimatly it depends on what hardware you are connecting it to, but something can normally be done. At this time there are plenty of sites using PaperCut MF with biometrics in the UK.

Adding bioscanners to low cost printers is probably not worth it but adding to a MFD is worth looking at but in my experience it is not cheap.

[glennda]

Biometric integration is indeed possible with Papercut. I'm currently speccing up PC-MF with Biometric integration with Biostore using Ricoh Copiers.

 

There are leasing companies who will bundle this in and also Ricoh direct are looking into it as they find in the education Equitrak is too expensive at roughly £10 per head.

 

EDIT: with budget printers it is probably be possible but cost would be to much IMHO

[sjatkn]

We use Print Manager Plus, and find it works just fine for us. There is a PMP Workstation connected printer service available for Windows (not OSX I don't think). There is also a client service which shows the current page count and print balance which is available for Windows and OSX.

 

We have had very few problems, except when we still had some inkjet printers in use, these would often give incorrect page counts (in the 1000's for a 1 page print).

[Big_Ted]

Biometric integration is indeed possible with Papercut. I'm currently speccing up PC-MF with Biometric integration with Biostore using Ricoh Copiers.

 

There are leasing companies who will bundle this in and also Ricoh direct are looking into it as they find in the education Equitrak is too expensive at roughly £10 per head.

 

EDIT: with budget printers it is probably be possible but cost would be to much IMHO

 

If you need a hand let me know.