Cloud-First Strategy: What Is It and Why Include Print?

What is a cloud first strategy? What principles drive them and what software do you need to effectively include cloud print enabled printers in your IT infrastructure?

When kept separate from your cloud strategy, your print infrastructure can be a common source of headaches, and it’s not hard to see why. When you rely on on-site print servers, one office can have hundreds of print queues operating at any given time, which can lead to complicated dynamics and a wide error margin. And if we’re being honest—the hassle doesn’t end there.

📖 Read on → Print Management Pains & the Cloud Print Cure 

 
Not only do you need to ensure that users have access to these print queues, but also that the necessary drivers are installed to communicate with them. What’s even worse, traditional print drivers need to be installed one by one, with no option for global control. In a fast-paced IT world, how can IT teams let go of print-related overhead and focus on the things that matter? The solution is to include print in your cloud-first strategy.

A cloud first strategy is an approach to computing that prioritizes cloud technology during new implementations of applications or IT infrastructure. It’s a strategy that gives precedence to cloud services over legacy IT systems, where companies gradually shift their infrastructure to cloud computing platforms.

The cloud-connected technologies that take preference in this strategy are those that integrate with internet-based services including networking, storage, and databases–like Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), or Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS).

A cloud first strategy sets It teams on a path to let go of on-premises infrastructure and its maintenance. By including print in your cloud first model, your print ecosystem can be modernized, maintenance costs and time reduced, and security risks mitigated.

A Cloud Strategy Puts Force to IT Transformation 

If your company employs a cloud first strategy, chances are that multiple of your IT services have moved to the cloud already. This includes popular platforms that are an integral part of your team's every day, like Office 365, email services, SharePoint, Azure AD, and more. In 2023, 70% of organizations reported that +50% of their infrastructure is in the cloud.

Adopting cloud technology, especially the kind that is ‘born in the cloud’ is a fundamental step towards IT modernization and digital transformation. Here's why 👉🏼 7 Ways Pure Cloud Solutions Drive Innovation Forward.

What many companies leave behind in their quest for cloud-enabled efficiency and agility is their print infrastructure. For a long time, cloud printing was a relatively untapped industry. But today, there’s no longer an excuse not to leverage cloud tech to minimize the level of commitment your printers require. Chances are that your competitors do just that.

As the market has expanded, so has its ability to deliver not only cloud-optimized print products but also future-ready innovations that make cloud-print-enabled printers significantly more profitable and productive. These are the solutions that are born in the cloud, i.e., native cloud printing software.

One reason that some companies still look to legacy solutions is that they are under the impression that secure cloud print solutions can’t exist. Or, if that's not the case, and you realize that cloud solutions are in fact secure by design, it may be user reactions that are holding you back. Many customers worry that it can cause a massive upheaval to their users and the way they print–to the point where the switch wouldn’t even be worth it.
 
Neither assumption is true—at least they aren’t if you’re strategic about the way you adopt and implement print to your cloud first strategy.

If you’re methodical about your cloud-first strategy, there’s no doubt that it can help your IT team remove wrenching workloads and friction, reduce infrastructure costs, drive flexibility, and much more. More on that below.

How Does a Cloud First Strategy Help IT Teams?

While we’re big on cloud-first strategies, in reality, it’s more about being cloud smart than cloud-first. Cloud first strategies do not automatically mean cloud only infrastructure–A smart cloud strategy takes that into account. Ultimately, it’s about understanding where, within your current IT infrastructure, cloud technology adds value.

A thoroughgoing cloud-first strategy gives IT infrastructures the power of tools and services working together to complete repetitive IT tasks–with ease and at a low level of required attention. These solutions minimize IT expenditures and allow IT teams to focus on their core business.

A cloud first strategy helps clients and IT customers drive digitalization projects within their companies, building the backbone of a competitive digital enterprise. It allows for remote access to cloud storage and workflows, ensures higher infrastructure scalability, and makes efficient use of automation technology.

These strategies can help businesses and their IT departments improve performance by getting their hands on powerful computing resources on demand. They also become an integral part of driving down IT costs. Instead of housing all your data, physical servers, and more, you can get rid of your expensive hardware and migrate all your IT to a cloud infrastructure.

📖 Read on → How SaaS Helps Transform IT to Become Business Enablers

In total, a cloud first strategy helps IT teams step away from infrastructure maintenance and helpdesks–so they can focus on strategic initiatives instead.

Here are 8 advantages of leveraging a cloud-favouring strategy:

1. Cloud services scale up or down on demand
2. Less hardware means less devastating hardware failures
3. Cloud tech providers take a proactive security approach
4. Cloud solutions support remote and hybrid workforces
5. You’ll benefit from the latest updates and innovations 
6. Cloud solutions alleviate the burden on your IT Team 
7. Cloud-high availability means greater user productivity
8. Native cloud tech is flexible and easily attuned to your needs

📖 Read on → Why Move to the Cloud: 11 Reasons

Include Print in your New Cloud Strategy

Native cloud print solutions have proven themselves as productivity-enhancing tools that give IT teams the support they need to let go of print management once and for all. While this may not be true for every single cloud print tool, it’s certainly true for SAFEQ Cloud.

SAFEQ Cloud is a native cloud print solution that eliminates the need for print servers. Instead, your entire print environment is migrated to the cloud, which means that print jobs are deployed from any device to a web-based infrastructure with ease. With this highly scalable solution, you can shift capacities depending on business needs.

Whether you choose to use a private or a public cloud deployment, with SAFEQ Cloud, your print jobs stay safely behind your own firewall’s protection. The print solution is designed and deeply rooted in Zero Trust principles – leaving your infrastructure safeguarded and upgraded proactively. According to Salesforce, over 90% of the companies that adopt a cloud computing solution say it helped improve their IT security posture.

While SAFEQ Cloud is a print software, you’ll also need to make sure you've got cloud print enabled printers in your printer fleet. Not to worry, though, because most printer brands collaborate with print software providers like us to make their printers and MFD’s cloud-connected. And even if your print ecosystem is made up of a mixed fleet of printers and wide range of equipment, solutions like SAFEQ Cloud can help centralize them all.

SAFEQ Cloud includes a single (full-featured) print driver which supports all printers and MFPs, which means you can enjoy seamless operation across all printing manufacturers and operating systems.

Let’s delve deeper into what you get with cloud print software like SAFEQ Cloud.

#1 - Big Convenience and Big Savings

If you’ve developed a cloud first strategy before, then you know how quickly your company’s transition can turn into bottom-line savings. Companies can save an average of 15% on all IT costs by migrating to the cloud. Even better, it is estimated that companies can cut costs by up to 30% when they ditch their traditional printing practices.

These savings come from a reduction in equipment and a more productive IT team that is free to spend their time tending to on-mission tasks. Even more, cloud-based printing is extremely cost-effective, since you pay via a subscription model. Take SAFEQ Cloud, for instance, where users only pay for the licenses you need.

SAFEQ Cloud comes with no upfront investments. Our SaaS model lets you scale up or down as required and only pay for the licenses you need.

Think of it this way—when your IT team is busy tending to a printing-related issue, not only is it a use of resources, but it’s also a distraction away from other possible technology.

#2 - Quick Implementation and Fast ROI

Expanding your cloud-first journey and switching over to cloud-only printing management is quite simple and painless. Once installation is complete, all management is handled from one simple web-based UI (central interface). You can decide whether you’d like to control this interface yourself or outsource it to a trusted partner.

The typical ROI time for SAFEQ Cloud users is 6-12 months. However, you’ll likely see an improvement in the quality of your IT team’s experience immediately.

#3 - Seamless Cloud Computing

Traditional user printing is a familiar crux for IT departments, with print jobs getting lost and servers breaking down. With your team able to easily print from all kinds of devices to all types of printers, they will be empowered to handle their print jobs, with no necessary trips to the IT desk. Seamless cloud printing solutions come as a saving grace for IT departments.

Plus, with innovative pull printing capabilities, your team members will be in control of exactly when a print document is released, leaving less room for sensitive information to be left in the print tray for all eyes to see.

IT teams are the backbone of any technology company. While they work tirelessly every day (and sometimes at night) to ensure that a business can operate smoothly, they can most efficiently do their jobs when they have the right tools at their disposal. Finding the perfect print solution for your business isn’t as hard as it seems—it’s SAFEQ Cloud. Here’s why:

• Streamlined print infrastructure (everything in one place)
• With SaaS, SAFEQ Cloud is delivered as a management-free system
• Enabled global IT control (IT has full visibility of the print environment)
• Full-featured single-driver (never install another print driver again)
• Printer/brand agnostic (use whichever brands you prefer, or mix multiple)
• Zero-trust safety model (authentication, data center security, etc.)
• Process compliance and certifications
  
  

FAQs on Print In A Cloud First Strategy

Q1) What is the Benefit of Cloud Printing?

Cloud print benefits, among others, are cost savings, high environmental flexibility, advanced security measures, IT team freedom, less troubleshooting/maintenance, speedy print procedures, high scalability and business agility, and cloud high availability.

When you align and implement print to your cloud first strategy, these benefits co-exist along with your other cloud tech initiatives, progressively leading to a cost-effective IT infrastructure with zero labor hours spent on tedious, repetitive tasks.

Q2) What Is a Cloud First World?

Cloud first refers to cloud migrations being considered before legacy solutions when addressing IT pain points, meeting IT priorities, or launching new projects. A cloud first world resides within major cloud providers such as AWS or Azure, where companies have individualized environments, but shared features, tools, and infrastructure (i.e., Multi Tenancy Cloud).

📖 Read on → What is Multi Tenancy Cloud? And Why You Should Opt for It

 
Since Y Soft's acquisition of EveryonePrint, our united aim has been to become cloud-first, not cloud-only, and enable businesses globally to accelerate their digital transformation and leverage cloud technology to let go of IT burdens (a No Print Management world).

Final Points

SAFEQ Cloud is a unique Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) print solution. With it, we’ve helped a wide range of companies accelerate their cloud first strategy and free up their IT admin’s time to enjoy easy, secure printing.

While you are likely using a cloud strategy and on a cloud journey right now, you may still wonder if cloud print software is really for you. Still thinking “how does a cloud first strategy help clients like me”? If you want to learn more about how these solutions help businesses modernize their IT infrastructure, accelerate their digitalization strategy, and reduce infrastructure costs, we’ve got a success story for you!

Have a look at our customer, Brusafe, Brussels’ security campus. When they needed their print setup to be part of their cloud first strategy, SAFEQ Cloud was there–as an invisible system, that was just there, and worked exactly as it should.

Make print part of your cloud first strategy, and transcend your IT team far beyond their traditional print hassles, headaches, and horrors. This might just be the step needed to set IT free. How? Here’s what Brusafe did: