Understanding Azure Universal Print Cloud Printing Solution

Azure Universal Print is a cloud-based printing solution that simplifies printing from anywhere, on any device. It integrates with Azure Active Directory and supports multiple print drivers.

To use Azure Universal Print, you need to enable it in the Azure portal, which takes just a few minutes. This sets up the necessary resources and configurations for your organization.

With Azure Universal Print, you can manage print queues, monitor print usage, and control access to printers securely. This helps reduce costs and improves print infrastructure management.

Azure Universal Print supports a wide range of print devices and manufacturers, making it a versatile solution for various printing needs.

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Universal Print is a modern print solution that organizations can use to manage their print infrastructure through cloud services from Microsoft.

It runs entirely on Microsoft Azure, which means you don't need any on-premises infrastructure to get started.

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To set up Azure Universal Print, you'll need to determine how you'll connect your printers. Some printers, called "Universal Print ready" printers, can connect directly to the service without any additional infrastructure.

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These printers have updated firmware with Universal Print support and can be registered with Universal Print directly. This will give you the best performance and management experience.

To check if your printer is Universal Print ready, refer to the list of Universal Print ready printer models. If it's not, you'll need to use a connector to register it.

Here are the steps to follow:

Before we dive into the installation process, let's make sure you have the necessary prerequisites in place.

To start, you'll need a Pharos Cloud account for your organization.

Next, ensure that all users and IT administrators have a Universal Print license.

An administrator must be assigned a Printer Administrator or a Global Administrator role in the Azure Active Directory.

Finally, verify that users' workstations are running Windows 10 version 1903 or later.

Universal Print communicates with printers using the Mopria standard, which means many printers can connect directly to the service without any additional infrastructure.

If your printers are Universal Print ready, you can register them directly with Universal Print without any additional software or infrastructure. However, if they're not, you'll need to use a connector to register them.

You can install the connector on a physical machine within your network boundary or use an Azure VM to host it. The connector installation instructions provide the necessary steps to satisfy the prerequisites, install the connector service, and register it with Universal Print.

The process for registering printers depends on whether they're Universal Print ready or not. Refer to the list of Universal Print ready printer models to see whether you need a connector.

Specifying a Document Proxy URL is suitable for sites with HP printers using Cloud Release only. You'll need to deploy the Universal Print Document proxy to your Azure environment first before you can specify a Document Proxy URL.

The Universal Print integration works as follows:

To use Universal Print, you'll need to meet the following prerequisites:

Installing a Universal Print-compatible Print Scout is suitable for sites with printers that do not support Cloud Release, which includes all printer manufacturers except HP. The Print Scout pulls the jobs directly from Universal Print and forwards those jobs to the printer.

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Manage your printers with Universal Print and simplify office printing for IT administrators and employees. Universal Print eliminates on-premises print servers and does not require print drivers.

To keep track of your organization's printers, use the List printers and printerStatus APIs. You can also see who's using your printers and how much they're printing by using the reporting APIs.

To configure user permissions, modify user and group membership on printers. You can also use the Universal Print API to integrate with all three areas: printer status, configurations, and usage.

Here are the key areas to focus on when managing your printers with Universal Print:

By following these steps, you can effectively manage your printers and improve office printing for your organization.

To deploy Azure Universal Print, you'll need to have a Microsoft 365 subscription and an Azure Active Directory environment. This service centralizes print management through the Universal Print portal, supporting single sign-on scenarios.

You can deploy Universal Print with non-compatible printers using the Universal Print connector software. This software simplifies the process of integrating printers from multiple manufacturers and their various device models.

To create a seamless experience for users, their most commonly used Universal Print printers can be automatically installed on Windows devices by using Intune. This is supported for devices with Windows 11 and Windows 10 21H2+.

To request access to the Pharos Cloud Universal Print Connector application in Azure, navigate to the Secure > Universal Print tab in the web portal and sign in with your Azure AD account. If the Approval required message appears, enter a justification for requesting the Pharos Cloud Universal Print Connector.

The Azure administrator is notified of the request with a link to the Azure portal to review the request in more detail. From the navigation menu, select Enterprise Applications and search for Pharos Beacon Universal Print Connector.

Enabling Universal Print integration creates a global single queue called Secure Printer within Universal Print and shares it for users in your organization. All users print to that single shared queue.

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To enable Universal Print integration, toggle the switch for the "Enable Universal Print Integration" setting to ON. Depending on your printer manufacturer and whether you want Cloud Release, you'll need to enter a Document Proxy URL or install a Universal Print compatible Print Scout.

Here are the steps to request access to the Pharos Cloud Universal Print Connector application in Azure: