Windows ARM64 devices are making waves across industries, from education to business, and PaperCut is at the forefront of adapting to this growing trend. If you're wondering what this means for printing environments, we’ve got exciting updates to share. Let’s explore what’s new and how you can make the most of it.
In recent months the team at PaperCut have been working in overdrive to enhance Windows ARM64 support across their portfolio.
This is a work in progress. Be sure to check back to this KB article for further updates: https://www.papercut.com/kb/Main/windows-arm64-support-across-the-papercut-portfolio/
Recent updates include:
- MF User Client - Prism Emulation
- Print Deploy Client v1.9.2703 - Windows ARM64: Updated the PaperCut Global Print Driver used for BYOD-friendly (mobility print) queues to be compatible with Windows ARM64 computers.
- Print Deploy Cloner tool - resolved an error when previously cloning ARM64 drivers; this was addressed in Print Deploy server version 1.8.2680.
- Mobility Print Client v1.0.313 - Windows ARM64: Updated the printer driver support Windows ARM64 computers
- And ICYMI - The PaperCut Global PostScript print driver was updated to support ARM64 devices back in MF version 22.0.1
But now we’re very excited to announce that the PaperCut Hive client software supports Windows devices running ARM chips!
What’s the big deal about ARM64?
Our partners are increasingly encountering customers with users on ARM64 devices. This is no surprise, because we’re seeing more ARM-based devices being sold on the market.
Microsoft has recently expanded their Surface lineup to include additional ARM-based devices. We’re witnessing this same trend with other manufacturers offering more affordable ARM-based options. These lower-cost devices are especially popular in education, which is a key focus with quotas and balances on the way for PaperCut Hive.
However, it’s important to note that there is usually a trade-off between cost-efficiency and performance. To date, there is a scarcity of OEM print drivers which work on ARM64 devices. This means it’s unlikely that these end users will be able to print with advanced finishing features (such as stapling, hole punching, binding etc).
Best tips for supporting PaperCut MF Environments with ARM64 devices
Whilst you may share our excitement about Windows ARM64 support coming to Hive, you’ll likely have a majority of customers still using or considering PaperCut MF.
In fact, we’ve been seeing an uptick in support requests for getting PaperCut MF to work with ARM-based devices. Here are some handy tips to help you in your discussions with these clients:
- The biggest discussion point is Advanced Finishing. It is very likely that users printing from ARM64 devices will not be able to use these finishing options.
- The PaperCut Global PostScript Driver can be installed on ARM64 Devices. If using Find-Me printing, the virtual hold-release queue should utilise this driver. You might need to consider a separate Find-Me queue for ARM64 devices, so other users can still avail themselves to advanced finishing.
- Consider leveraging the benefits of Print Deploy to streamline the delivery of the Global PostScript Driver to end users. Remember you can create a Zone that delivers this driver to a group of users. Click here for more information about groups in PaperCut MF: https://www.papercut.com/help/manuals/ng-mf/applicationserver/user-groups/
- If an ARM user really needs advanced finishing, consider some other ways to do this:
- For example, a lot of schools have print rooms. With PaperCut MF user client, print room staff can enter “manager mode.” Here they can perform print jobs on behalf of other users and attribute the costs to another user.
- For a professional end-user experience, suggest Job Ticketing. It allows PaperCut users to browse an online store and submit their print job requests and provides a workflow for print room staff. A handy demo of this can be found here: https://www.papercut.com/help/manuals/job-ticketing/overview/getting-started/
- Does your customer have a VDI environment? Users might be able to remote onto an application server and print their jobs from there.
ARM64 devices are clearly here to stay, and with PaperCut’s continued focus on expanding compatibility, you’ll be well-equipped to support this evolving landscape. Stay tuned for ongoing updates, and let us know if there’s more we can help with as you navigate this exciting shift.
