Virtualization and Cloud executives share their predictions for 2016.  Read them in this 8th Annual VMblog.com series exclusive.

Contributed by Henning Volkmer, President and CEO of ThinPrint Inc

The Importance of Printing in the Mobile-Cloud Era

In 2016 we will see two trends pick up more speed than ever before: The build out of the cloud infrastructure and the popularity of mobile devices. This will increase the demand for new ways to print, making solutions to provide, manage and optimize printing, more important than ever. Let's look at these trends in more detail before I explain why:

The Cloud Service Infrastructure

Fueled by years of innovation and groundwork, there is a meteoric rise of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) providers who, based on their architecture and infrastructure, provide the full set of applications a customer needs. Three types of providers dominate the industry. One is the big virtualization vendors, like Citrix or VMware. The second is Amazon and other large cloud computing or system integrator companies. The third is the innovative community of smaller service providers, offering very compelling and tailored services to a specific industry or vertical. This group takes advantage of the latest developments combined with their own expertise to drive the marketplace.

The Private Cloud Infrastructure

Not every company is moving their infrastructure to a service cloud. However, the traditional data center infrastructure is rapidly gaining more cloud-like features through the continued rise of the virtual desktop, the software-defined trend and other technologies that allow access to centralized resources both from within the company network as well as outside. This allows companies to be more effective, more secure and more innovative than with previous iterations of enterprise IT. Employees benefit through easier-to- use applications, a broader choice of devices as well as overall greater flexibility in using the tools for the job where and when needed.

Mobile Devices

2015 saw rapid growth in the native security capabilities of mobile platforms, making a wider variety of devices and applications available to enterprises and their employees than ever before. iOS and Android, which own the vast majority of the mobile market space, continued to lead with major innovation, but other platforms are also participating. Microsoft is making another push to gain relevance in the mobile space with Windows 10. Blackberry is betting on Android with a twist of its own software to regain some of its former relevance. Combined, all of these developments made mobility far more secure and easier. Mobility, therefore, became a more appealing and realistic means to drive and transform businesses.

How then, does all of this affect printing? Regardless of the technological strides made, we are still nowhere near the advent of the paperless office. Printing is and will remain a pivotal day-to-day function in the workplace. The above trends have just made it more complex.

Employees have greater flexibility in choosing their locations, be it their desk, other locations in the building, or offsite. Additionally, they have greater flexibility in choosing their device, be it a company-owned or personal PC, Mac, smartphone or tablet. Traditional and popular desktop applications, such as Microsoft Word, Keynote or QuickBooks, are increasingly and more easily being made available to virtual desktops. Each combination of these choices requires a greater than ever number and variety of printers be supported. While printing scenarios have become more complex, there are very high expectations around its ease of use both from the administrative side as well as the end user's perspective. Printing is expected to be more readily available, secure, reliable and cost effective than ever.

Here are a few examples showcasing the challenges to be considered with printing in the mobile-cloud era.

Availability and reliability: All the different scenarios outlined above challenge both printing availability and reliability. IT must now connect different networks for different locations, remote users, mobile users, private cloud and service cloud offerings, and compatibility amongst different devices, applications and drivers must be assured to guarantee print jobs can and do arrive at the printer needed. This is no small feat. For example, many enterprise printers are not compatible with the print technology built into employees' mobile devices.  It's also possible a mobile device's print technology is not designed to meet complex enterprise network requirements. An example of this is that many mobile devices and printers rely on unsecure consumer cloud printing services. Another challenge is reliance on service cloud applications. Using the service cloud requires connecting different resources, such as printers and employee devices, both inside and outside of the office with WANs. This calls for solutions to not only connect printers and devices, but to optimize and manage data volumes to not bog down the network.

Simplicity: This category covers both end users and IT administrators. End users want a simple workflow to print. They don't want to spend time learning how to access printer features for different printers or how to find the printer closest to them. IT, on the other hand, doesn't want the hassle of administering printing for every one of a user's myriad of devices. This normally comes with time spent finding, explaining and fixing driver or configuration issues, while having to revamp the print infrastructure every other year to meet the requirements of new or changed mobile platforms.

Security: With cloud-based or mobile environments, print jobs are more exposed to accidental or intentional security risks. Print jobs originating in multi-tenant environments can easily be delivered to the wrong printer or tenant. A confidential document could easily end up in the wrong person's hands if someone accidentally grabs a sheet that printed directly before or after their job. Additionally, with documents being sent over the Internet, it must be assured the document is properly encrypted to avoid access from unauthorized eyes.

Cost effectiveness: Printing is inherently expensive. This isn't due to the supplies needed, but because of the man power and infrastructure required. Printing requires lots of bandwidth, which is costly to acquire, and can easily impact other network operations. Additionally, testing, setting up and maintaining printers, settings and mappings are time-consuming and requires continual user support, racking up high costs.

The move to the cloud and the rise of mobile devices will continue in 2016 and beyond. As we adopt new technologies, we can't forget to update those legacy solutions we've come to rely on, like printing. At ThinPrint, we provide the solutions for many of the world's largest enterprises to ensure printing works exactly as needed and expected. In line with the mobile cloud era, we've made a strategic investment into a new business unit, ThinPrint Cloud Services, acquiring the technology for optimal print support for cloud scenarios. I'm excited to see what cloud and mobility will bring in 2016, and am equally excited to help ensure that these new technologies continue to connect with what will remain one of the key day-to-day functions in the workplace.

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About the Author

Henning Volkmer - President & CEO, Cortado, Inc. 

Henning Volkmer is the president and CEO of Cortado, Inc., driving the execution of the company's strategy as the leading innovator of the business class of cloud desktop services across the Americas.

Volkmer has established a broad technological background and has been at the forefront of mobile technology trends for the past seventeen years. In addition to holding various positions within the Cortado group, Volkmer served as part of a project team focused on reducing costs in the network infrastructure division with what is now Nokia Siemens Network.

Under Volkmer's direction, ThinPrint brand has increased its lead as the premier print management software, while Cortado brand has become recognized as a pioneer business solution, shaping the future of the cloud desktop.