Management software can reduce the problem.
Iain Thompson reports G iven the big demands on IT managers' time, network printer software has traditionally been low down on the list of priorities. It is unsurprising that a recent poll by Xerox found that network printing and document strategy was not a major concern for managers, compared with problems such as the year 2000 and intranet and extranet strategy. However, the same survey showed that printing made up 60 percent of network traffic and accounted for 50 percent of all support calls. Changing patterns of printer usage are also having an effect. Single users directly connected to a printer are on the decline, as network printers become cheaper and more flexible in their choice of media output.