An introduction to pull printing and biometrics

Securing your documents and data has never been more vital, every day there is news coverage around data leaks from high-profile brands.  Many people don’t realise that your office photocopier or multi-function device can often be the weakest link in your security chain.

Pull print solutions are just one way that businesses can ensure that their documents remain secure. Users authenticate themselves at the device and retrieve their prints, not only does this improve document security, keeping devices in the right hands, but it also has an environmental benefit too, reducing print waste and those stacks of unclaimed prints often seen in offices across the country with any unclaimed prints being deleted from the print server after a set period.

Pull print technology often comes with two main authentication methods, a unique PIN code allocated to each user or a proximity card, this can be the same one used to access the office building for example, so that the device recognises the user claiming the print job.

This technology has a commercial benefit too, as users retrieve their jobs the relevant department can be cross-charged for those prints, providing complete visibility of print expenditure and assisting with cost allocation and budgeting.

So how does biometric print release work?

Biometric technology works on exactly the same principle as the other pull print technologies with one vital difference, using an individual’s unique fingerprint to access their print jobs.  This provides complete security to the print network, ensuring the highest of secure print access.

Using a fingerprint offers a unique, secure method of identification.  It’s easily set up. When the user’s finger is placed on the reader the image converts into a string of binary code to identify the person accessing the device and this is saved for future access and there is no worry of the fingerprint being recreated or used fraudulently.

With biometric document retrieval, it’s as simple as walking up to the selected machine putting the finger on the reader and then releasing the print job as you would with any other pull print solution, with the added benefit of no more worry of lost proximity cards or forgotten PIN codes.

This type of technology works extremely well in large organisations with high numbers of multi-functional devices across the site where print security needs to be maintained.  Also in educational settings, biometric solutions can allow students to access devices to print coursework against their allocated credits and be linked to the canteen to pay for their lunches.  It’s an easily managed solution and it makes things straightforward for the school and the pupil.

Biometric pull print offers another option to an already flexible way to improve document security and reduce print waste.

‍

To learn more about the latest print technology, please contact our expert team today.