Desktop Printer Policy
The purpose of this policy is:
- Utilize equipment provided by the cost-per-copy program wherever possible
- Support green initiatives by reducing the number of printing devices in the division
- Reduce the cost of consumables by using more efficient printing devices
Desktop Printer Purchasing
The purchase of personal desktop printers is not permitted. The IT
Operations Group will assist users in either accessing an existing network
printer or obtaining a new networked printer for
use by all staff in the department or area.
The low initial cost of personal inkjet or laser printers make them attractive for ad-hoc
purchasing, but they are designed for home use, and the overall cost of
ownership for these printers (the total cost-per-copy) is very high.
The final cost to print a page can be five-to-ten times more than an
appropriate workgroup printer and many times more than the cost-per-copy
program.
In locations where these printers already exist, the IT Operations Group will
actively seek to replace them with shared networked printers as soon as a
networked printer is available to the user. In locations where a user already
has access to a reliable, networked printer through the cost-per-copy program,
the printer will be removed.
A personal printer may be a appropriate in a location where a one or two staff members
have a significant physical separation from the rest of their department (i.e. on a different floor or
in a different building). In this case, a workgroup grade network printer is still recommended.
The director of IT is responsible for approving exceptions to this policy
based on any unique needs of a particular department.
Confidential Printing
All staff members occasionally have the need to print a document they
consider confidential. Printing these documents requires care by the staff
member to ensure that they are not left on the device once they are printed.
Confidential printing needs are not justification for a personal printer.
There are some things that we can do to help
protect your documents in this environment. Your
network copier has a "secure print" option which locks a document in the
printer until you enter a password to retrieve it. Physical placement of the
printers can also be changed to protect your documents. In this scenario,
putting your backup printer in a less public location can be a highly effective
fix, at the possible expense of convenience in accessing the printer.
Last Updated: October 14, 2009