Ricoh Brings Cloud Print to Business Class MFPs

Ricoh Americas Corporation today announced the release of an application that will make its business-class printers and multifunction products (MFPs) Google Cloud Print Ready.

With the Ricoh App for Google Cloud Print web printing services, organizations can print from smartphones, tablets, laptops and other devices without the need for expensive and time-consuming print servers and drivers, potentially achieving significant hardware and software-related savings.

Ricoh is focused on information mobility – helping customers make information accessible to those who need it, when they need it to make critical business decisions – and this app is the newest example of how workers can easily access, transform and manage information.

The solution enables businesses, nonprofits, government agencies and schools to leverage the capabilities of business-class document services at a lower cost. For example, the Ricoh App for Google Cloud Print web printing services is ideal for elementary schools where many students use cloud-friendly Google Chromebooks. Designed to leverage cloud apps, the laptops are tightly integrated with cloud-based applications in the Google ecosystem, including Google Cloud Print and the Google Docs office productivity suite.

“We’ve tried the Ricoh App for Google Cloud Print web printing services, and we just love it,” said Kelly Spaeth, Business Manager at Sea Crest School in Half Moon Bay, Calif. “Rather than investing in print servers and having to load print drivers on all of our devices, we’ve started using Google Cloud Print and now our teachers can immediately print their work to any nearby Ricoh MFP. This has enabled us to spend less time worrying about IT connectivity issues and gives our teachers more time to focus on education.”

The Ricoh App for Google Cloud Print web printing services may be purchased directly from Ricoh, and installation entails a quick and simple operation by a Ricoh technician who embeds a Java applet, often from a remote management console. Invited users or authorized guests can then print directly from their Chrome web browser or other Cloud Print Ready application.

“Our business is information mobility, and that means removing obstacles that stand between a user and the information they need to make critical business decisions,” said Matt Sakauchi, Vice President, Technology Marketing, Ricoh Americas Corporation. “The Ricoh App for Google Cloud Print web printing services is a wonderful example of that and a great complement to our already wide array of mobile printing applications. It’s another way we’re making information work for our customers in today’s dynamic business environment.”

(Source: Industry Analysts)