The vast majority of today’s business enterprises have modernized their infrastructure domains to capitalize on the advantages of cloud delivery, with one glaring exception: print management. Print infrastructure has remained the one place where many enterprises continue to rely on legacy systems. And the delay is becoming increasingly dangerous.
“Organizations that continue to delay the shift to cloud print management are taking on more risk every year,” says Kevin Pickhardt, Executive Chairman of Pharos Systems International. “Sticking with a legacy print environment increases security exposure, creates operational inefficiencies, complicates compliance efforts, and slows down valuable modernization initiatives like Zero Trust and Windows Protected Print.”
Pickhardt’s role at Pharos is focused on strategic direction, governance, and ensuring the company continues to lead innovation in enterprise print management and cloud-native infrastructure. He brings decades of leadership experience in scaling enterprise technology companies and guiding long-term growth strategies. Drawing upon his strong background in building and advising technology-driven organizations, Pickhardt plays a key role in shaping Pharos’s vision around PrintOps — a modern, cloud-native, user-centric approach to printing and the infrastructure and operations that support it.
The following explores the top risks associated with delaying the adoption of cloud-based printing solutions. If not addressed, these risks can compromise security, operational efficiency, user experience, and the ability to keep enterprise technology up to date.
Security and compliance risks resulting from delayed cloud print adoption
Like every other IT system, print servers need to be secured, patched, monitored, and maintained. But studies show that legacy print technology rarely gets the security attention it needs, which makes it an active attack surface. By reducing infrastructure, cloud-native print shrinks that attack surface.
“The PrintNightmare vulnerability made it clear that print services can become a gateway for privilege escalation and remote code execution,” Pickhardt points out. “The conditions that made that possible, such as unpatched systems, exposed management interfaces, and default configurations, are still often present in traditional print management.”
Because legacy print servers depend on trusted connections, they create an exception for Zero Trust programs. This is another security risk that cloud solutions address by treating workstations and printers as resources to be secured and validated.
“Most Zero Trust programs quietly exempt print,” Pickhardt says. “The secure infrastructure cloud print services provide adds a layer to Zero Trust architecture that closes a significant and persistent gap.”
Traditional printing’s lack of security can also lead to compliance risks. Enterprises that manage regulated data, such as patient records and financial documents, send that data through printers every day. When their systems don’t include components like centralized auditing or secure release printing, which are common in cloud solutions, they pose a risk.
Operational risks resulting from delayed cloud print adoption
The high volume of print-related IT tickets that flow into help desks is more than just an annoyance. Every time support teams need to respond to a driver conflict, mapping failure, or queue issue, they are pulled away from other projects that have the potential to move the enterprise forward.
In addition to its support burden, legacy printing also causes operational risk in the form of technical debt. The infrastructure is perceived to be working when it is actually becoming or has already become unsupported, insecure, and obsolete. As enterprises continue to defer modernizing print infrastructure, the tech debt grows.
“Organizations don’t avoid migration to the cloud by delaying it,” Pickhardt says. “They just risk losing control of it when it happens.”
Increasing and unpredictable maintenance costs are another operational risk that surfaces when the shift to cloud printing is delayed. Legacy servers carry ongoing costs, including licensing, storage, hardware, and administrative overhead. And the older the system gets, the more costs can grow.
“When organizations shift to cloud print infrastructure, they benefit from a more predictable operating model,” Pickhardt says. “The question isn’t whether organizations can afford to modernize. It’s whether they can afford not to.”
Finally, legacy systems compromise operational reliability. As organizations continue to support outdated infrastructure, they increase their print spending while often providing a worse experience. Cloud solutions simplify support, improve reliability, and deliver a better overall experience for the end user.
Workforce and experience risks resulting from delayed cloud print adoption
Organizations that hold to legacy print systems are ignoring the fact that the workplace has changed. In today’s world of remote work and mobile connectivity, traditional infrastructure has become obsolete. When organizations don’t address the limitations, they put efficiency at risk.
For modern users, legacy systems also put accessibility at risk. Most systems in today’s enterprise infrastructure can identify users and adapt access policies to their identity. Users expect technology that can recognize them and respond accordingly. Most print environments can’t function at that level, which limits their value.
Compatibility and modernization risks resulting from delayed cloud print adoption
Microsoft sent a message to the business world when it launched its Windows Protected Print initiative, making it clear that dependence on third-party print drivers, which have been a consistent source of security concerns for decades, is coming to an end. But those who don’t shift to cloud printing may not be ready for the change.
“The future of printing is driverless,” Pickhardt says. “Organizations that hold onto driver-dependent legacy systems face a compatibility reckoning when Microsoft starts to make Windows Protected Print the default. If they continue to delay, that reckoning will happen on Microsoft’s timeline and not their own.”
The modernization of the enterprise business landscape will eventually force a migration to cloud printing. Those who choose to defer the migration inherit growing risk, mounting debt, and increased complexity.
“Doing nothing is no longer the low-risk option,” Pickhardt warns. “In many cases, it’s the riskiest decision of all.”
