The Benefits Of A Network Printer
When you spend some time talking to your company’s IT department you begin to realize just how difficult it can be when you are in charge of a company’s computer needs. Some requests are realistic like the need for more memory to run a certain corporate application. Some requests border on the insane like the need for a 19 inch flat screen monitor because that is how CNN.com looks best.
In an environment where a department is forced to balance the rational with the ridiculous there is always the search for ways to make everything work better and to make the processes easier to administer. For example, in an area where there are no physical network connections it makes sense to implement a wireless printer so that everyone has the ability to print documents.
But it would be incredibly impractical to assume that everyone in the company would get their own personal printer at their desk and that is why the network printer was created. A network printer is a printer that is connected to the company network which allows it to be accessed by everyone on a particular network segment. If your company is a larger company then there is usually more than one network printer and in that case each network printer is usually set up to serve a particular department. For smaller companies one network printer will usually suffice.
In most cases a network printer is a larger laser printer with a fast network connection and a larger amount of memory than the standard printer would have. In some cases the network printer would need to have postscript added to it in order for it to be able to spool various printing jobs. Either way the network printer makes life a lot easier for the IT department even though the network printer is notorious for making life miserable for everyone else.
The Only Real Drawback
There is one administrative drawback to a network printer and that is when the printer is down then more than one person cannot access it. That means that one down printer can generate potentially dozens of frantic phone calls to IT screaming that the printer is, indeed, down. But with all of the administrative problems that a network printer solves this one little drawback is usually dealt with by the IT department in a brisk and efficient way. When the printer goes down they don’t answer the phone while they are fixing the printer. You can get everyone to print from the same network printer but that does not mean you can always get them to get along.
