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Avoid awkward privacy and security vulnerability questions with a secure print set-up.

Network-connected printers can be a route into your company for cyber criminals. For example, if default passwords are still in use or your Wi-Fi network is unsecure, your printing is vulnerable. By failing to tackle these potential weak spots, your business is in danger of GDPR’s heavy-weight penalties.

Just 22% of all businesses surveyed were completely assured their print infrastructure was secure.1

Companies operating a standardised printer fleet are 26% less likely to suffer data loss.1

Make sure printer security doesn’t put your business in peril—download the report by entering your details below

1 Quocirca Managed Print Services Landscape, 2017. European survey results of 180 midmarket (500-999 employees) and large (1000+ employees) organisations in UK, France and Germany using a managed print service.

With GCSE results out today and expected to have been the toughest yet with the new grading system, it got us thinking. How essential is technology to the way our students learn? 

When I think back to my school days, which actually weren’t too long ago (no, really!), the overhead projector was the latest mod-con to hit the assembly hall and the chalkboard was still the smartest way to share real-time lesson content.

Well, technology has come a long way since those days, yet we still managed back then. Students were still learning, achieving and prospering from their education. So if we were able to nurture success before the technology boom, why is it so important in today’s classroom?

Here are 4 reasons why we believe technology now plays a critical role in learning:

1. Students demand it

Teens spend nearly 9 hours every day consuming media and have grown up immersed in technology, so keeping up with this demand is essential. The innovative adoption of technology can also play a key role in the recruitment of the next student body but IT departments should ensure that core infrastructures and applications have the flexibility to support these changes.

2. Learn at their own pace

Traditional learning could often be fast paced, risking a drop off of concentration and understanding. With the integration of technology in the classroom and learning concepts such as flipped learning, students can learn at their own speed, pause, and recap whenever they need, meaning that the more advanced student can go ahead, freeing up the teacher to provide support 1:1 to those who need it.

3. Enhance Engagement

Feedback from our customers over the years suggests that students learn best being more interactive. This is particularly apparent in STEAM subjects where content is often more complex. Technologies such as 3D print and robotics are leading the way in STEAM by breaking down the learning barriers and offering more practical methods of learning, whilst future-proofing students as they enter the workplace.

4. Enable Collaboration

Technology permits a connected world and in this case, a connected learning environment. With intelligent applications such as Office 365 and G Suite, students and teachers can communicate, collaborate, chat and use the familiar productivity applications in a secure environment.

As experts in education technology, we are close to the market and its trends. Here are a few technologies that are already making a real impact in the classroom:

Chromebooks

Chromebooks are taking over the classroom and the reasons are simple. They are cost effective and affordable, feature an all-day battery life and instant on functionality; and with Chromecast, students and teachers can instantly share their screen.

If you are interested in Chromebook, you should check out our latest offer! You can get a HP Chromebook for as little as £65.00!

3D print

For reasons we’ve previously discussed, 3D printing can play a valuable part in STEAM subjects, transforming the classroom into an interactive learning environment.

iPad

iPad is the ideal computing companion both inside and outside of the classroom. Its portable format, instant load up time and touch screen makes life easy for teachers and students alike. Perfect for internet research, making videos and music, taking lesson notes and sharing and managing content.  What’s more, iPad is now much more cost effective and has full integration with cloud platforms such as Google and Microsoft.

So it’s clear, we have come a long way since school days were guided by a text book and piece of chalk. The dawn of the internet revolutionised the way we gained information and technology evolved around us – so much so, that teens today are technology native and would probably rather swap their right kidney than sacrifice their mobile phone.

That said, technology has enabled personalised, engaging and even mobile learning. Its enhanced collaboration and takes traditional subjects such as science, engineering and technology to the next level. Without it, the classroom struggles to thrive which is why building a technology environment that supports these trends is essential.

Is your tech up to the task?

Not sure how to enable cloud managed mobility, whether your network can support the load or how flipped learning can really make a difference? Our specialists have the answers and can help determine whether your existing IT is up to the job.

Ben Brown
Head of Schools

NHS frontline providers were expected to make efficiency savings worth a total £3.7 billion by reducing costs and improving ways of working during 2017/18.

That wasn’t just an aspiration – it was a mandatory requirement for every trust and Clinical Commissioning Group in the country, and achieving this target has only been made possible by improving efficiency and making savings in every area of the service.

That is an ongoing process, but it’s surprising that more NHS organisations haven’t considered the benefits of a Managed Print service, especially as so many are lumbered with inefficient and ineffective legacy print systems.

What is Managed Print Service (MPS)?

Here, we go through some of the most common misconceptions about MPS, and explore how true they really are.

1. Print is on the way out anyway

It may seem counter-intuitive to be considering the future of your print function when the NHS has announced its ambition to be paper-free at the point of care by 2020.

But, the reality is that the widespread use of paper will continue within parts of the service beyond that date, and adopting MPS can be an effective way to cut both the number of printers in the organisation, and the amount of supplies used, including paper.

Consolidating a fleet of older, less-efficient, single-function printers into a smaller number of more versatile multi-function printers, can help cut the amount of print supplies used, as well as helping address the annual cost of paper storage. That’s estimated to be between £500,000 and £1million for each NHS Trust , while MPS can shrink your printer fleet by up to 60 per cent.

2. Existing NHS systems aren’t compatible

One thing common to many NHS IT systems is that they still use older technologies.
Systems have often evolved organically over time, leading to networks that use a variety of different kinds of hardware and software.

But that is no barrier to using MPS, which is a flexible service that can be applied in a variety of ways.
Many believe that MPS can only be used with a unified network of modern printers, but it can work with existing legacy kit too.

In reality, we commonly find that organisations require a bespoke solution, which can include replacing some older hardware that is becoming obsolete with either leased or bought new machines. Other items of existing hardware may still be functional and can be incorporated alongside the new tech, helping to minimise the initial investment required.

3. The upfront investment is prohibitive

Every MPS process we manage starts off with an assessment of your print requirements by a member of our experienced team, who will appraise your current print infrastructure to understand what you need from MPS. We’ll then build a tailored and sustainable solution that balances security, print policies, productivity and usability, which could well include acquiring more efficient hardware.

Of course, any new supplier agreement will justifiably come under financial scrutiny – after all, this is taxpayers’ money that is being spent. But, to help manage that cost, MPS typically offers flexible payment options. And we can provide an audit that details the savings that you can achieve, which are typically around 20 per cent per page printed, justifying the business case for the investment.

4. Installing MPS is disruptive

With growing demand for NHS services continuing to heap pressure on staff and resources, it’s no surprise that anything that could possibly interrupt services is a cause for concern. But the idea that installing MPS is complex and disruptive is outdated. Implementing MPS in a modern system can be as simple as flicking a switch – completely seamless. Where there is existing legacy technology to incorporate, they can still be integrated with minimal disruption.

5. MPS is a security risk

Sadly, we are all too aware that the NHS is a target for cyber crooks, but how can MPS help defend against those threats? A print audit will identify any print security risks in your organisation and recommend a tailored security plan to shut them down. That might include a printer sign-in procedure to stop documents being taken from output trays, or installing multifunctional printers with an automatic hard drive wiping function.

There are also network-level solutions that can be taken to reduce the risk of information being stolen by hackers. And it makes sense that, by having just one print provider implementing MPS across your organisation, the number of outsiders who have access to your networked devices is reduced. Criminals are constantly working to find new ways to hack in to computer systems, so staying safe means an ongoing process of audits and improvements.

We’ve got more than 30 years’ experience providing print solutions for organisations of all sizes.

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Simplifying All-flash with HPE Nimble

The path to an all-flash data centre and cloud may be complicated, but it doesn’t have to be disruptive. Like many other organisations, you may be planning to move to all flash as your primary storage technology because of the many advantages over traditional storage.

But there are many obstacles related to application performance, availability, manageability, scalability, investment protection, and disaster recovery that need to be considered first. With a few simple recommendations, your organisation can avoid the most common missteps and make the transition painless.

Download this FREE check list and find out how to overcome the obstacles related to the all flash data centre.

Managing the software license lifecycle can be difficult but your immediate hurdle is finding the right licensing model for your organisation in the first place.

What licensing models are available?

Perpetual: Requires the user to pay an upfront license fee for the on-going right to use the software.

Subscription: Allows you to lease software at a lower upfront cost by paying on a per user, per device or server fee, for either 1 or 3 years.

Consumption: Allows you to adjust your costs to reflect actual usage to avoid overpaying for services.

How do you decide which licensing model is right for your organisation?

Compatibility

Although perpetual licences may be used indefinitely, they have a short lifecycle and within few years eventually become obsolete if the maintenance is not purchased with the license or due to the organisations direction to migrating to the cloud. As a result you may need to upgrade periodically to ensure compatibility with other applications. If you continue to use a product which has reached end of life updates, patches and hotfixes will no longer provided. This may expose your organisation to risks, including harmful viruses, spyware and other malicious software which can steal or damage your data.

With a subscription model, upgrades and new features are released in real time and rolled into the annual anniversary cost, ensuring no compatibility or obsolescence issues.

With the consumption model, again upgrades and new features are released in real time and rolled into the daily cost, ensuring no compatibility or obsolescence issues.

Scalability

With perpetual licences, if you employ new staff members you need to buy additional licences outright – but if a staff member leaves, you are stuck with those additional licences. Also every time you buy an additional license it may be of a newer version than a previously purchased license meaning that different users will be working on different versions of a particular software.

The subscription model provides a degree of flexibility because you only pay for what you use, adding and scaling back licences in line with demand at each annual anniversary. Furthermore you would be able to update each user and device to the same version according to your business needs.

The consumption model would allow you to switch off any service at any time providing the maximum flexibility and on the long run potentially saving you the most money.

Cost

The perpetual model allows you to pay for software upfront and maintenance in addition, for a set period of time. This model has the highest initial cost and the maintenance cannot lapse otherwise you may lose out on updates.

A subscription model offers better affordability with a predictable payment schedule, enabling the organisation to budget in advance for the expenditure.

The consumption model also offers better affordability in comparison to perpetual licensing together with the added flexibility of being able to switch services on and off as and when desired.

Which is right for you?

We have a team of highly experienced licensing consultants on hand ready to discuss your requirements and offer options based on your business needs.

Establishing a technology benefits scheme is an effective way to engage and excite your people. Through salary contributions, you can enable access to the latest technology, at unbeatable prices.

Here’s 4 reasons why you should talk to us about establishing a technology benefits scheme at your organisation.

1. Purpose built XMA Benefit Store

Our exclusive secure online store, provides access to preferential pricing to employees of public and private sector customers, as well as parents and students in education. Simply register for an account using your organisation email address to access a huge range of promotions and discounted prices on leading high street technology brands.

2. The choice really is yours

With over 6,000 products to choose from, you’ll be spoilt for choice. We have an extensive range of computing products including laptops, desktops and tablets from all the biggest brands, printers and printing supplies, iPhone and Apple Watch, along with all the accessories you’ll ever need.

3. Hassle free

We provide a simple, easy to deploy programme with minimal effort and no cost to your organisation.

4. Quick and easy

It was always our intention to keep this process simple – and we won’t keep you waiting around. Simply let us know that you want to be a part of XMA Benefits Store we’ll do the rest. And for products in stock, we’ll even deliver them next day, for free, to your home or workplace.

We can give you the best advice, ordering experience, pricing and product selection, so why not visit the XMA Benefit Store and see for yourself.

Everyone seems to be looking for ways to be more “green” these days ­– hybrid cars, reusable grocery bags, etc. And those in IT are no exception. Traditional IT environments consume an incredible amount of energy resources, such as power and cooling. The key for organisations focused on moving towards a greener data centre is to emphasise efficiency in energy consumption and efficiency in IT processes and systems. In other words, green IT needs to align to efficient IT.

The road to a greener data centre is paved both by small, incremental changes as well as monumental technology shifts. Advancements in software often naturally lead to more energy efficient data centres. For example, hard drives are now built to consume less power than in the past, new server features help reduce superfluous cooling costs, and data optimization techniques, such as inline and at inception deduplication and compression, lead to efficiencies in processing, storage, and backup.

Hyperconvergence represents a major technology development capable of transforming the data centre into a lean, green, efficiency machine. By converging all IT below the hypervisor, hyperconverged infrastructure immediately makes the data centre more efficient and environmentally sound. The data centre goes from as many as 12 disparate IT components to a single solution, so there is no longer a need to utilise storage space, power resources, or cooling functions on these IT components.

In fact, an IDC whitepaper found 75% of respondents realised an average of a 65% improvement in utilisation of storage resources as a result of hyperconverged infrastructure. In addition, nearly half of surveyed customers realised a 47% reduction in cost of data centre power and cooling expenses.

Though revolutionary, hyperconverged infrastructure is not a rip-and-replace technology as it can be introduced into existing environments as part of normal refresh cycles. For example, a hyperconverged solution can first be deployed in place of traditional data storage as a first step to modernising a data centre, and can later replace additional IT components over time as needs arise. This approach offers an opportunity to simplify the existing infrastructure and the complicated process of updating that infrastructure. Once standardised on a hyperconverged solution like HPE SimpliVity powered by Intel®, IT teams would only have a single product to refresh instead of a variety of separate IT components – which helps explain why 26% of customers in that same IDC study cited the need for fewer tech refresh cycles.

Hyperconvergence has always been focused on simplifying and consolidating the data centre. It’s no surprise that organisations looking to reduce their environmental footprint have discovered significant “green” opportunity in hyperconvergence. The benefits in space utilisation and operational efficiency make it more than worthwhile to implement a hyperconverged solution and transform your data centre into a lean, green efficiency machine.

When you have existing printers you’ve already bought and paid for, it’s tempting to think that maintaining your existing fleet will cost less than purchasing new printers or signing up managed print services (MPS). Why replace them if it’s not absolutely necessary?

The costs of an ageing fleet stack up, and in the long term, managed print services are able to save you more than just money. Here are five benefits MPS could bring to your organisation. Many businesses allow outdated, legacy printing devices to negatively impact productivity. Learn about the positive impact Managed Print Services can have on your business in this report from IT Pro.

1 – Cost savings

The consequences of sticking with an old printer are sometimes hidden, and can work at various levels, from running out of toner when you want to print an essential document, to the device breaking and your IT department being too busy to fix it. These consequences cost money, and the benefit of using managed print services is that you have the maximum availability of print when you need it most.

An MPS provider will look for ways to rationalise and consolidate your printers, replacing many old, large laser printers with a smaller number of newer, better distributed, faster devices or multi-function printers with all the necessary functions built in. Costs are visible and predictable, and you never have to worry about the expense of replacing ink and toners at different times across the business.

Maintaining your old printers might seem to help you keep costs low in the short term, but in the long term you’ll miss out on cost-saving opportunities, while facing expenses and uncertainties that MPS providers are there to alleviate.

2 – Efficiency

Old printers waste valuable time, which always has an impact on the bottom line. Not only does the time spent waiting for a slower printer really add up over a business year, but every paper jam and malfunction means more wasted time that could be used more productively.

An MPS provider will come in and analyse your business, printers and requirements in terms of printing, scanning and copying. This doesn’t mean pushing expensive hardware into every corner of the business, but instead they will look at where teams need specific capabilities, then will find the printer/s that will match those needs.

A really good provider will go further and look at ways that the business overall can print more efficiently, and save money by reducing the everyday print costs.

3 – Minimised downtime

In many organisations, employees can end up spending excessive amounts of time dealing with printers – not just waiting for old, slow devices to print, but dealing with malfunctions, changing cartridges, adding paper or waiting for someone from IT to fix a problem.

A good MPS provider will help reduce support costs and minimise downtime. Because it’s their job to maintain your printers and keep them running with a steady stream of supplies, your own IT team frees up its time to work on other projects.

4 – Up-to-date security

Newer printers have better tools for maintenance, management and most importantly, security. This has never been more important, with every old and outdated device now a potential security risk. Options like pull-printing, cloud printing and printing from mobile devices have gone from being expensive extras to standard features, while NFC and ID card-based authentication are no longer the preserve of larger businesses.

MPS providers are there to sort out things like security updates or rapid changes to firmware. With more threats out there and greater penalties for data breaches, that’s good news for businesses of every size.

5 – Environmental benefits

Do your existing printers have effective, high-performance duplex printing enabled? If not, you could be missing out on features that could save you up to 40% of your paper costs, according to some studies.

MPS providers look for ways to reduce waste, helping businesses make more effective use of more advanced printers and functions. Such printers have management features that prevent or discourage wastage, can restrict the use of colour, make duplex printing the default, or switch on pull printing, so that print jobs only print when actively requested from the printer. This can see drastic reductions in the number of printed pages left abandoned in the output tray.

Meanwhile, more modern, high-quality draft and eco-printing settings could use up to 50% less ink than standard modes, while producing output that’s easily good enough for both internal and external usage.

Source: HP

Performing under pressure

Having been put to the test by tough independent testers and business everywhere, the verdict is in on the Brother laser range. Proven to deliver high performance, reliability and great value for money, it’s clear how these machines have helped Brother become the number one brand for laser printers.

Independent testing facility Buyers Lab examined the Brother laser range over 2 months, printing up to 80,000 pages, and the results speak for themselves. With no service callouts required and no post-test servicing needed, the printers proved themselves to be faultlessly reliable and excellent performers time after time. Other areas the printers excelled in included:

• Superior print quality
• Simple setup, operation and maintenance
• Mobile and Cloud connectivity
• High-grade security
• Large paper capacity
• Lower than average energy consumption

Reliability where it matters most

Businesses across the UK have put Brother’s laser range to the test too, and trust them to deliver every time. Here’s what happy customers are saying about these dependable printers.

Colour printers you can count on

Every machine across the colour laser range has been proven to deliver crisp colour prints every time. Whether you need a dependable single function printer or a high-performance all-in-one, you can count on our tried and tested colour laser range to deliver the ‘highly reliable performance’ recognised by Buyers Lab.

HL-L8260CDW

Mono machines that always deliver

With high ratings from Buyers Lab and fantastic customers reviews, the quality, performance and reliability of Brother mono laser printers has been put into black and white too. Whether it’s print, scan, copy or fax you won’t be let down by the robust build quality and tested reliability you’re guaranteed with these machines.

DCP-L5500DN

Whether your plans are to integrate into a managed print strategy in the future or to just help make a difference in the way you operate now, we make printing easy.

Our print specialist are on hand to help, alternatively, buy online at Big Office Little Office.

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In a recent Education survey* Lexmark identified three key points based on the research project findings, in which Lexmark can help enable the Educations sector save time, money and the environment through its productive, secure and sustainable solutions.

Approximately 12% of respondents spend up to four hours scanning hard copy documents per week and 41% can’t qualify the amount of time they are spending scanning hard copy documents.

Enabling productivity

Lexmark’s smart multifunction printers are leading the way in delivering productivity enhancing features, using innovative touchscreen technology that can help manage costs more effectively and work smarter.

99% of respondents believe device security is a high or medium priority, but only 57% are confident that they have a security solution in place.

Enabling security

Lexmark makes security an integral part of all products to help create a safer and more productive environment for your school, college or university.

81% of people place at least a medium priority on the environment in their decision-making process when purchasing new printers.

Enabling sustainability

Lexmark is a recognised industry leader for sustainability initiatives and supports a number of environmental features which allow users to reduce the environmental impact of their printing and imaging activities.

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