Printer Hardware Centralisation Can Boost Efficiency

The benefits that organisations can realise by centralising their printer hardware and toner cartridges is being explored as part of a new scheme at Colorado State University.

At present, students print more than 60,000 documents per day, which is a lot of ink cartridges, but a new system that is being considered could see an opt-in centralised system being run on campus, the Rocky Mountain Collegian.

Each college would no longer function independently and people would no longer need to visit computer labs to print, instead using specialised printer ink kiosks around campus.

A per-page fee has also been proposed in order to reduce the number of excessive print jobs being performed, which is hoped to reduce both printer ink and paper costs.

David Thilmany, representative for the College of Liberal Arts on the College Information Technology Administrators Council, which is pursuing the change, has reassured students that the changes will be gradual.

He said: "On the technical end of things, it’s definitely possible to work towards that end, if that’s what students want to do."

Tim Tierney, councillor and chair of the Beacon Hill-Cyrville information technology subcommittee, recently told the Ottawa Citizen that new software has been keeping track of the council's print efficiency and is designed to drive down the authority's impact on the environment.

Posted by Johnny McMaster