Windows Protected Print mode eliminates kernel-mode print drivers entirely. New hire on day one: printing works. New laptop deployed: printing works. Windows update just ran: printing still works. No driver package. No GPO deployment. No compatibility testing.

Ran an informal audit across a few Canadian client environments recently, specifically looking at MFP security posture in isolation from the rest of the network. The results were worse than I expected, and I don't think these environments are unusual. What I found, across multiple organizations: Default or unchanged admin passwords on the device's own management interface No patch schedule — firmware several versions behind, sometimes years No authentication required to relea

Most IT teams have never heard of Windows Ready Print — and it's already changing how printers get deployed. Microsoft has rebranded its driverless print architecture as Windows Ready Print (WRP): the inbox IPP driver model that replaces vendor-specific print drivers entirely. No third-party software. No kernel-mode driver. As of July 2026, new printer installations default to WRP wherever the device supports it. Why this matters beyond the naming change. Turn on the stricter

"The printer still works" is a costly assumption. Most technology refresh decisions start with a visible failure. The MFP rarely fails visibly — it slows, jams occasionally, and keeps functioning well enough to defer the replacement conversation. Here's what that deferral is silently costing Canadian IT teams: Security exposure from unpatched firmware. Many MFPs more than five years old are no longer receiving firmware updates from the manufacturer. That means known vulnerabi

Most MFP fleets in Canada were specified for a workplace that doesn't exist anymore. When most organizations last refreshed their print fleet, the buying criteria were straightforward: page volume, per-click cost, maybe toner availability. Cloud integration, security compliance, and remote work weren't part of the conversation — because they didn't need to be. That MFP is often still in service today. The workplace around it is not the same one it was specified for. Today, th

Is your multifunction printer actually working for you — or just working? Most MFPs in Canadian offices today are completing tasks. Very few are contributing to security, compliance, or operational efficiency in any meaningful way.