For those of us who remember, way back in the day, students used to have to go to a computer lab to type up their essays and reports. At any given time, you would see them hunched over keyboards, typing away. Most of us, even twenty or so years ago, didn’t have a personal computer.

Then things started to change.

In the last ten years technology has come on in leaps and bounds. We have tablets, we have desktops, we have laptops, and we have smartphones. Many of us have a combination of all of these and it is redefining the way Universities and other educational establishments work.

It’s having an effect on printing too. At Colorado State University they print around 1.6 million pages of documents a year. That sounds a lot, doesn’t it? Not only in the amount of paper but also for the daily wear and tear of multi-function printers and the cost implications in that.

But when you factor in that the university used to print around 9 million pages on their MFPs then you have to admire the reduction in savings and the consequent benefit to the environment.

The reason? Printing guru Xerox came to the university’s IT department one day a few years ago, and said they had a couple of new ideas, such as:

• Printers that can connect to student’s smartphones, tablets and pcs by using a dedicated app. Students can work at home and then send their essay or thesis to the print queue, come in next morning, swipe their student card and get the document printed. For Colorado, it’s saving on expensive computer labs and allowing students to be more efficient.
• The option to scan and save rather than print out. Back in the day, students used to have to print out whole pieces of text. Now they can scan on a multifunction printer and save it to their devices, including e-readers.
• Creating a new awareness on what needs to be printed and what doesn’t. You can load a document onto a tablet and read it just as easily as print it out and read it. The added advantage is you don’t have to carry all that loose paper around.

It’s a change in operational procedure that many universities around the world are starting to take on. We are changing the way we read things and at last beginning to think about the sustainability issues more than we ever did before. It’s helping educational establishments save more money that can be better used elsewhere and is having untold knock-on benefits with regards to the environment.

In the last few years, multi-function printers that have a wide range of connectivity have become more and more popular in both educational establishments and businesses, large and small. Innovations such as better and more intelligent sleep modes, more eco-friendly mechanisms and toner delivery, and the ability to link it all to the cloud, have certainly benefited institutions like Colorado State University.

Innovate with Mobile Solutions All While Improving Sustainability