Controlling the Cost of Computer Printing

Controlling the Cost of Computer Printing

PCOUNTERCost Recovery for Network Printing

Print Auditing, User Accounting & Printer Management

Altman & AssociatesProviders of High PerformanceProviders of High Performance

Network & Systems Management SoftwareNetwork & Systems Management Software

Distributed and Supported by

www.altman.co.uk

Altman & Associates - Network & Systems Management

Altman & AssociatesAltman & AssociatesCompany BackgroundCompany Background

Established in 1988 as distributor of mainframe system management tools

Business has evolved to address similar issues on contemporary network platforms such as Novell and in more recent times, Windows NT & 2000 based systems


Altman & AssociatesAltman & AssociatesCompany ObjectiveCompany Objective

To source, develop and support

unique, niche software tools and solutions

that address key network management issues


Altman & AssociatesAltman & AssociatesNetwork Management PartnersNetwork Management Partners

A.N.D. Technologies Inc.A.N.D. Technologies Inc. Avanti Technology Inc.Avanti Technology Inc. Blue Lance Inc.Blue Lance Inc. Connectotel LtdConnectotel Ltd Ingenuity SoftwareIngenuity Software Knozall Systems Inc.Knozall Systems Inc. Visual Click Software Inc.Visual Click Software Inc.


Product SummaryProduct SummaryNetwork Server ManagementNetwork Server Management

Audit & SecurityAudit & Security

Automation & SynchronisationAutomation & Synchronisation

NDS / eDirectory Management & ReportingNDS / eDirectory Management & Reporting

Storage Analysis & ManagementStorage Analysis & Management

Performance ManagementPerformance Management

Print Auditing & AccountingPrint Auditing & Accounting


PPrintrint AAccountingccounting

1. Explosive network growthGreater access for all network computer users

2. Lack of AccountabilityUsers rarely have to justify resource usage

3. Low cost of printer hardwareTotal cost of ownership not budgeted for

Why is there a need ?Why is there a need ?


0

20

40

60

80

100

Hardware

ServiceSupplies

The Need forThe Need for P Printrint AAccountingccountingThe True Cost of OwnershipThe True Cost of Ownership

(Source: IBM)(Source: IBM)

Consumables!Hardware - 11%

Service - 3%

Supplies - 86%


The “Paperless Office” never happened

Thinking “GREEN”is morally, politically and commercially expedient

The Need forThe Need for P Printrint AAccountingccounting

KEY FACTORS


The Need forThe Need for P Printrint AAccountingccounting

They have no idea what the cost is, usually because they have no means of accounting for it.

The “users” often have no responsibility for the budget which pays for the consumable items.

Why are organisations unawareof the print cost problem?


PPCOUNTERCOUNTERFeature ListFeature List

Totally automated Totally automated centralisedcentralised tracking, control and accounting of all tracking, control and accounting of all users’ printingusers’ printing

Full Full Audit trail of print output - WHO printed WHAT, WHERE, WHEN and HOW MUCH

Accounting on a cost & page count basis for any PCL, Postscript, Epson ESC/P or ESC/P2 device - HPGL devices costed by area used

Accounting by user (anyone with a network login) on a cost and page count basis

Optional assignment of print quotas (ideal for students in education)



Charge-back facilities to allow any user to cross charge to

departments, bill to clients or allocate costs to projects

Re-direction / restriction based on page count or job size

Secure “Release Station” option - secondary release of print jobs by

input of user password or for pay-for-print card based operation

Automatic rejection of unsupported job types or incorrect paper sizes

Optional workstation accounting for locally attached printers



Supported on all versions of NetWare (including NDPS), NT server

and Windows 2000

Accounts for printing from any network PC

Easy implementation: no changes required to server, workstation or

user configurations

No requirement for additional server or workstation resources

Discrete tracking: users need not be aware that their printing is being

counted


PPCOUNTERCOUNTERNetwork Print AccountingSet-up and administration

No user set-up is required - users are automatically tracked by their

network login

Default queue/device settings can be defined to avoid repetitive set-

ups of similar print devices

Print credits can be quickly assigned to individuals or groups of users

“Zero Administration” option is available by linking to a money loader

machine which accepts coins/notes and updates students’ Pcounter

quota balance automatically


PPCOUNTERCOUNTER - - Printer/Queue ConfigurationPrinter/Queue Configuration


PPCOUNTERCOUNTER - - ‘Rules’ based control‘Rules’ based control

Restrict, hold, stop or redirect jobs based on MB size, page count, copy count, device down or document name


PPCOUNTERCOUNTER - - “Charge-back” accounting“Charge-back” accounting

Pcounter provides a number of configuration options to facilitate charge-back accounting. 1 or 2 level charge codes Force selection from a list of pre-defined codes Associate selected codes with specific users Exclude specified users from accounting


PPCOUNTERCOUNTER - - Centralised Queue ManagementCentralised Queue Management

Viewing & modification of all print jobs. Modification of Windows NT printer properties, Novell NetWare (Bindery & NDS) queue properties: Users, Operators. Create/rename/delete printer queues. Pause/resume/purge/restart/delete printers, queues & print jobs. Cut & paste/view print documents, move jobs between printers and queues - even between Novell queues and Windows printers. Drag & drop files onto printers/queues and drag documents from one printer/queue to another.


PPCOUNTERCOUNTER - - User Account BalancesUser Account Balances


PPCOUNTERCOUNTER - - User Account BalancesUser Account Balances

When used for quota management, users can check

their own Pcounter account balance at any time from

any network PC, by floating their mouse over the $

icon in the Windows Task Bar.


PPCOUNTER STATIONCOUNTER STATION

RELEASE STATIONRELEASE STATIONPcounter Station can display a list of all users' print jobs showing user, document name, page count, cost, which printer, the size and when the job was submitted. Jobs can be set to be deleted if left on the queue for more than X hours / days.


PPCOUNTER STATIONCOUNTER STATION

SECURE RELEASE STATIONSECURE RELEASE STATION

Pcounter Station allows a user to be selected from a list of network users, then, optionally, on input of a password, a list of pending print jobs will be displayed that can then be released on demand.


PPCOUNTER STATIONCOUNTER STATIONConfiguration OptionsConfiguration Options

Program Functionality Options Operator Console Release Station - Pcounter Station will be the only application available and locks down the desktop so that no other applications are accessible.

Numerical Format Options Currency Units

User Identification Options All users / all print jobs User name User name & network password

Additional options: Display only pause/held Display page counts and costs Allow deletion of print jobs by users Specify DLL link for own-code program to interface with other applications such as smart-card based accounting systems


PPCOUNTERCOUNTER

Automated Administration OptionsAutomated Administration Options

Mass User ManagementThis is achieved using a utility called ACCOUNT.EXE which provides single or mass user processing for updating of deposits, credits, setting quotas or resetting balances.

Scheduled updatesPcounter’s Administration function provides the capability to schedule updates on a single or multiple user basis - ideal for “drip-feeding” quotas, or resetting balances on a periodic basis.


PPCOUNTERCOUNTER

Automated Administration OptionsAutomated Administration Options

NetPrint Money LoaderA wall mounted vending device consisting of a high security steel case containing a processor and network connection, coin and note acceptors, lockable boxes, alarm, panel mounted keyboard and mini VGA display. Users login via the keyboard and deposit money which is automatically credited to their Pcounter account balance.


Pcounter Print HistoryAll print jobs are logged showing document name, printer, date/time, workstation, Client code/sub-code, Paper size, features, size (Mb), page count, cost and balance.History can be displayed per user from Pcounter Administrator or per device from within Pcontrol.

PPCOUNTERCOUNTER - - Extensive ReportingExtensive Reporting


Pcounter provides a number of reporting options - by User, Printer, Client codes, Groups and Deposits and relevant sub totaling. Reports can be output can be output to screen, printer, text file, HTML file or email.



Preferences can be set for style and reporting viewing (default Pcounter Padmin, Web browser or Excel, CSV)

Multiple logs can be selected and processed into single reports




Reports can be generated and displayed on screen, sent to a printer, saved as text or HTML, or emailed. Examples are shown here as screen output:-- by user, showing jobs, pages and cost- by device showing jobs, pages and cost



This example shows print page count totals per printer, broken down by day over a selected week


PPCOUNTERCOUNTER - - Extensive DeploymentExtensive Deployment

The No.1 product for student quota management

500+ sites in UK education, 5000+ worldwide

Campus wide deployment at:

Cambridge UniversityOxford UniversityUniversity of GlasgowUniversity of GreenwichUniversity of Highlands & IslandsUniversity of HuddersfieldUniversity of ManchesterUniversity of NottinghamUniversity of North London

PLUS hundreds of FE/HE Colleges & Schools!


• Product Fact Sheets• Questions & Answers• User References• Pricing

A FREE 60 day evaluation is available on the web including a graphical step by step installation guide in

PDF format

and full product documentation

www.altman.co.uk

PCOUNTERInformation Pack


How can we help you ?• Evaluation, sales & technical materials

• Pre-sale technical support and deployment assistance for resellers, integrators and end users

• On-site implementation, configuration and training service available

Altman & Associates Network & Systems ManagementNetwork & Systems Management

Telephone: 01937 541400Telephone: 01937 541400 Fax: 01937 541500Fax: 01937 541500

Web: www.altman.co.uk

Email: [email protected]

Questions ...Questions ...

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Controlling the Cost of Computer Printing