Posted on Mon, May 31, 2010
Has anyone been following Facebook & their recent challenges around protecting the privacy of their more than 200 million active users? At last count, there were more than 30,000 users committed to ‘quitting' Facebook.
As always, this situation has me thinking about the parallels with printers, copiers, and the privacy that should be protecting these devices.
'Assuming' Facebook was properly managing your security has turned out to be questionable. Similarly, assuming your MPS Provider is treating your confidential data in a secure way may also lead to problems down the road. Printers and MFP's are incredibly sophisticated and if not properly managed, can pose a serious threat to the security of the business. They deliver and communicate data, store information on hard drives and have direct network access. That being said, it's no surprise that there is a lot of buzz nowadays around security.
We've talked about arbitrarily removing personal devices in the effort to save a few dollars. Beyond the potential loss of productivity, this product transition can also result in significant risks to personal and corporate information if not managed with an appropriate focus on privacy and security.
There are a few things to consider when thinking about your print security strategy. I would recommend your supplier(s) (MPS provider, hardware, software, etc) must be able to properly address all of the below:
- How is data stored and ultimately removed from device hard drives?
- How is sensitive information accessed?
- Who has access to information stored?
- Is encryption required?
- Should jobs be tracked?
- Are sensitive documents printed left unsupervised in public spaces?
- What happens to documents that are left behind or forgotten?
- What types of documents are being printed and where?
- What sort of credentials are required for scanning and sending?
- How can printers be accessed outside the firewalls? Inside?
- Are there potential threats around outsourced managed services providers with access?
The list continues but the point is any printer with network access (even ones locally attached) should be treated like any other network device, and vulnerabilities should be addressed. Software solutions can address several issues around secure workflow. However, where the software stops, a strong Managed Services company must step in. Can a hacker get to your printer? What happens to information stored on your devices if they are returned when the lease is up? What did that service technician do with the faulty hard drive he just replaced? I would even challenge you to go take a look at what's sitting in that printer outside your office waiting to be picked up.
We have seen an explosion around MPS over the past 2-3 years, with many new companies (including OEM manufacturers) suggesting they are fully capable of deploying a complete MPS solution. Through my eyes, it's not that basic as MPS is far from being a ‘Me Too' commodity industry. Without significant experience and outstanding processes, the risk exists that when one of the above questions is asked, the Provider may not have the needed experience. Worse still: the Provider is unaware of the security risk of the above & sensitive data escapes into the public domain. Further, if you're considering moving some components of your print environment into the ‘Cloud' one day, these questions will become even more important.
As technology continues to advance, so should expectations around your MPS Provider. While both the direct cost of printing documents and managing workflow should be part of any customer decision, don't stop there. Add security as a critical component to your vendor selection and you'll greatly reduce the risk of personal or corporate information getting into the wrong hands.
Posted on Sat, May 15, 2010
The 2010 MPS Conference in San Antonio confirms the industry is growing. It's also very interesting to see where all of these participants line up on the MPS curve.
The attendance was great, with more than double the participants from the 2009 event. In addition, of these attendees, more than 75% have been providing an MPS solution for fewer than five years. This includes manufacturers revising their go-to-market strategies (Ricoh, HP, Canon, OKI, Xerox, etc.), IT Providers, traditional Copier Resellers, Toner/Supply Remanufacturers, and Workflow Solution Providers. With such a diverse group seeking a better understanding of what it means to provide a true Managed Print solution (and how to provide that solution), the Conference was split into multiple tracks to provide this support for the new entrants into the MPS space. There was also a track for end-user customers that provided some additional research around industry solutions and best practices.
As one of the pioneers of Managed Print Services, and the largest independent MPS provider in North America, LaserNetworks participated in several of these discussions around Best Practices. We also led a session around the environment and how a well-deployed MPS solution can provide customers with a significant reduction in their carbon footprint. Beyond being recognized as one of the Top 5 Green IT Solution Providers in Canada, LaserNetworks' commitment to the environment, and specifically to the reduction of carbon emissions has long been a core value of the company. Below was the kickoff slide from my presentation, showing the near perfect correlation between the increase in global temperatues and the increase in CO2 emissions.
You'll also note the significant ‘hockey stick' over the past few decades as industrialization and emissions have increased at an alarming rate. In terms of MPS, I believe a properly deployed solution, focused on maximizing user productivity & the useful life of assets, will drive down this carbon footprint. There was also a very interesting discussion around the footprint calculation associated with the manufacturing of a device. Often the energy calculations presented to customers shows energy savings afforded by switching to the newer technology. This is absolutely true & is good for the environment when the device must be upgraded due to SLA or technology changes. However, the footprint associated with manufacturing a new machine should also be captured somewhere in the analysis. This was also an opinion shared by Dr. David Suzuki, a leader voice on climate change. (See my previous post)
Unfortunately (to date), I have not been able to find any statistics on the carbon footprint associated with the manufacturing of a new copier, printer, or MFP. The closest I have come is a study by Toyota on the manufacturing footprint of the Toyota Prius, which came in at 28%. So, would the impact of an MFP be greater because it doesn't use gas & oil to power its operation...or would the impact be less because it uses paper (can have a significant footprint) and the toner cartridges are often used only once before being sent for recycling? If anyone has info on this manufacturing footprint, it would be greatly appreciated if you could provide us with some additional insight.
Note: for anyone that would like to discuss the presentation or learn more about LaserNetworks and the initiatives we've undertaken to minimize our carbon footprint, please email me at bstevenson@lasernetworks.com.
Again, I thought the conference was excellent & the topics were relevant. News that the Managed Print Services Association now has over 1,000 members (yeah, a bit of a plug for the Association as I am a Board Member representing the MPS Providers) further cements the growth in Managed Print.
One area I'd like to see the Conference add to its agenda next year is around security. Whether it's hardcopy, electronic workflow, old images that may reside on hard drives, or what complications may reside in the cloud, many of our customers are very concerned with this topic.
Congratulations to San Antonio for hosting a great conference (and my birthday!) & looking forward to seeing our European counterparts in Barcelona this November.