What You Need to Know About the End-of-Life for Google Cloud Print

Google announced in November of 2019 that Google Cloud Print will hit End-of-Life in December 2020 and will no longer be supported. Although the product has been in beta since its launch in 2010, many organizations still use the service in some capacity. The advice from Google and other experts to prevent issues with EOL of the product is to either print directly to a local printer or utilize an alternative solution depending on your environment type.

Google Cloud Print Functionality

Since its inception, Google Cloud Print has been the cloud-based printing solution recommended by Google to its users. The System can turn any PC that runs Chrome into a print server for users’ Google accounts. This allows Google to circumvent having printer drivers for Chrome Operating Systems. Google Cloud Print allows users to print from anywhere, with added elements of security, and simplified printer sharing. Some organizations were able to replace or supplement their print infrastructure with this service.

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Additions to Google Chrome

With the end of Google Cloud Print on the horizon, Google has announced the following native printing features will be applied to Chrome Operating Systems by the end of 2019:

• Interface for Admins to manage thousands of printers by organizational unit
• Management via the Admin console policy for user-printing defaults for 2-sided (duplex) and color printing
• Advanced printing attributes support, i.e. stapling, paper trays, pin printing
• Third-party printing features, such as secure printing and print-usage tracking enabled via admin console policy to include user account and file name in IPP header of print job
• Admin console policy for managing PIN-code printing, allowing users to enter PIN when sending a print job and release the print job for printing when they enter a PIN on the printer

These additional features are currently in development and will be made available prior to support for Google Cloud print ending:

• Support, including authentication, for external CUPS print servers
• Policy for configuring connections to external CUPS print servers
• APIs for third parties to be able to access print job metadata, submit print jobs and printer-management capabilities

Learn more about it here

A Solution for the Future

If you are affected by the EOL announcement for Google Cloud Print, now is the time to create a plan. If your users are on chromebooks, then you can adjust by printing directly to local and network printers from chromebooks, instead of printing through Google Cloud Print. If this is not the case, you will need an alternative solution.

Tricerat’s patented print management software is a secure and simple solution that allows users to print from any device, in any location, to any printer. Tricerat supports Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, printing. Admins can redirect printers from remote user workstations or assign network-managed Print Server printers to remote users. Our centralized console offers simple and quick assignments of printers and users, which can be done by IP range, group, location, and more.

Here are some of the key features Tricerat software offers:

• Support for all printers and devices
• Advance Print Features accessible for all users with native print dialogue
• Automatically install nearby printers for end users
• Securely share office printers with visitors with no IT intervention
• Instant access based on physical location
• And more

To learn more about Tricerat’s printing solution, schedule a demo today!