Signs It's Time to Upgrade Your Printer

Not often does one think about their printer situation – unless something goes wrong. If you find that your printer is constantly needing repairs, maintenance, or producing poor prints – perhaps it’s time to consider an upgrade.

The biggest obstacle for most workplaces when upgrading office equipment is budget. Though, when you factor in all the challenges such as time, maintenance, staff frustrations levels, poor prints, etc.it is an investment worth the cost.

Here are three signs that it’s time to upgrade your business office equipment.
 

1. Evolved Business Growth

It makes sense that the equipment you purchased 5 years ago may not suit your business needs today. Your business is constantly evolving and you can’t scale and reach your growth goals when you have equipment that can’t keep up with your demands. Some examples would include:

• No longer provides the page output you need (volume, and speed)
• Can’t hold the paper capacity that your business requires
• Doesn’t have advanced technological capabilities that streamlines workflows.
• Doesn’t offer the user interface that your employees need to be efficient

When you invest in modern office equipment, you can accomplish more tasks in less time with a high quality output.

2. Reduced Print Quality and Functionality

Your documents are a refection of your business. Outdated office equipment can result in faded or blurred ink, blemishes, and ink spots on documents, which can make print readability and credibility problematic – not to mention, doesn’t look professional.

Modern printers make it possible to create prints that are as good as those that are outsourced by print shops.

3. Outdated Technology

Computers, tablets, and smartphones get updated every few years to keep up with new technology, so why shouldn't your printer? During the last 5-10 years, print technology has progressed rapidly, with the latest models outperforming previous models in many ways. With a new model, you'll get advanced features such as scanning, automatic duplex printing (two-sided printing), mobile printing and more. Access to enhanced printing capabilities might prove to be the distinguishing factor for a business's success.

Another drawback of using an older printer is that it may be hard and expensive to replace old parts. Today's printer technology changes so rapidly that it can be difficult to find affordable replacement components for models from a few years ago. If your printer is over five years old, consider replacing it with a newer model.

4. Your Printing Network is Not Secure

Small businesses are generally low hanging fruit for hackers. One entryway to stealing your information could be through your out-of-date printers. Printers should be equipped with the following security measures to help protect your business:

• Authentication: Documents can be password protected, whether they are printed or PDF documents. In other words, only authorized personnel can retrieve documents from the machine and access PDFs created through scans.
• Encryption: As documents are sent to printers, they can be encrypted, which prevents hackers from hijacking and stealing the data. 

Where to Get a New Printer?

First and foremost, you want to ensure that you are dealing with a reputable printer supplier and installing recognized brand names. Get a FREE technology consultation from one of our knowledgeable Account Managers or try the Perfect Printer Match quiz to find the printer that is right for your business.