Azure Print Server: What You Need to Know

Azure Print Server is a cloud-based printing solution that allows you to manage and deploy print servers in the cloud. It's a great alternative to traditional on-premises print servers.

Azure Print Server is compatible with a wide range of devices, including Windows and macOS computers, as well as mobile devices running iOS and Android. This means you can print from anywhere, on any device.

One of the key benefits of Azure Print Server is its scalability. With Azure Print Server, you can easily add or remove print queues as needed, making it a great solution for businesses with changing printing needs.

Azure Print Server also integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft services, such as Azure Active Directory and Microsoft Intune. This makes it easy to manage and secure your print environment.

An Azure Print server is a cloud-based service that allows you to manage and monitor your printers remotely.

It's essentially a central hub that connects your printers to the cloud, making it easy to share and manage print jobs across different devices and locations.

Azure Print servers use a technology called Web Services on Devices (WSD) to communicate with printers, which is a standard protocol for printer management.

This means you can easily add, remove, and manage printers on your network without having to physically touch each device.

Azure Print also integrates with Azure Active Directory, which allows you to manage access and permissions for your printers and print jobs securely.

This integration makes it easy to control who can print what and when, which is especially useful for large organizations or businesses with multiple locations.

Universal Print on Azure offers a range of benefits, including cloud-managed infrastructure and reduced burden of managing printers using on-premises infrastructure.

With Universal Print, businesses can eliminate the need to manage clunky printer drivers and centralize management using the Azure portal. This provides IT admins with robust management capabilities and the ability to set up new printers, diagnose problems, and view reports and insights into printer usage.

One of the key benefits of Universal Print is the ability to print from any device to any printer, regardless of where you are. This is made possible by Universal Print capabilities and Azure Active Directory login.

Universal Print also allows location-based printing, so users can submit a print job to the closest printer that they are authorized to use. This feature is particularly beneficial for remote workers who can use their home printer and conform to the security policies of their organization.

Here are some of the benefits of Universal Print on Azure:

By moving printing to the cloud, businesses can also apply all the security benefits of Azure, including storage in accordance with Microsoft’s data management guidelines, the use of security groups, protected communication over HTTPS connections, and backing by a X.509 certificate.

To set up an Azure Print Server, you'll need to meet some prerequisites. You'll need an Azure Active Directory Tenant, which doesn't require a subscription.

Universal Print is included in commercial and educational Microsoft 365 and Windows 10 subscriptions, or can be purchased as a standalone subscription.

A Universal Print ready Printing Device is also required. You'll need a Global Admin or Printer Administrator account to manage the setup process.

The client device can be Azure Active Directory (AAD) joined, Hybrid AD joined, or AAD registered, and must be running Windows 10 Build version 1903 or later.

You'll also need Windows 10 64-bit (Pro or Enterprise), version 1809 or later, as the connector, and Windows Server 2016 64-bit or later.

NET Framework 4.7.2 or later must be installed, and the Universal Print connector must be installed.

Here's a summary of the required components:

Management and Support is a breeze with Azure Print Server. Print management is centralized through the Azure Universal Print portal, making it easy to view printer properties and manage printer default preferences.

Print job management includes features like print job status, history, and controls. You can also monitor printer shares and connectors in the Azure portal.

The Universal Print connector is a software application that mediates between legacy printer hardware and the Universal Print cloud solution. It needs to be connected to the same network as printers and be available 24×7.

Managing your Universal Print infrastructure is a breeze with the Azure Universal Print portal. From here, you can view printer properties and manage printer default preferences, including various location settings.

Printers can be shared based on users and user groups, which is a standard feature. You can also manage print job status, history, and controls.

The Azure Universal Print portal allows admins to easily manage and monitor their Universal Print infrastructure in a single location. This includes viewing printers, printer shares, and connectors.

You can download the Universal Print Connector from the main Universal Print portal and view reports to stay on top of your printer management.

Printer Support Issues can be a real challenge, especially when it comes to legacy printer hardware. Many organizations still have printers without native Universal Print support.

New printers on the market have Universal Print support built into the hardware. This means they can seamlessly integrate with the Universal Print cloud solution.

However, if you have legacy printers without this support, you're not out of luck. Microsoft has supplied a means to work around this with the Universal Print connector, a software application that mediates between the legacy printer hardware and the Universal Print cloud solution.

To get the Universal Print connector up and running, it needs to be connected to the same network as your printers, available 24/7, and connected to the Internet.

To get started with Azure Print Server, you'll need to install the Universal Print connector. This is a crucial step, as current in-market printers can't communicate with Universal Print directly and require a proxy connector.

Your Azure tenant needs to have Universal Print enabled, and you'll also need to have a user account with the role of Printer Administrator or Global Administrator. Additionally, your user account must be assigned a Universal Print license.

You'll also need a Windows 10 64-bit device, version 1809 or later, and a Windows Server 2016 64-bit or later operating system. Windows Server 2019 64-bit is recommended.

Here are the minimum requirements to get started:

Printer Compatibility is a crucial aspect of Azure Print Server, and Microsoft has made efforts to ensure that a wide range of printers can be used with the service.

Universal Print will support both compatible and non-compatible printers. Compatible printers will offer the best possible experience, and currently, only Canon Inc. is mentioned as one of the partners Microsoft is actively working with.

Windows 10 1903 or later is required for Universal Print to work, which might be a limitation for some users. However, this requirement ensures that the service is stable and efficient.

A Universal Print Connector is available for non-compatible printers, which is a relatively small piece of software offered by Microsoft. This connector can be installed on any machine-hosting printers to connect them to the Universal Print service.

An alternative connector option is also available in the form of an appliance, which might be more suitable for certain environments.