After being in beta for nearly 10 years, Google pulls the plug on Google Cloud Print. The announcement is made in a casual support note. Bottom line: the U-turn your documents take from desktop, into the Cloud, over Google premises, back to your office printer just a few feet away from your desk, is no longer supported after December 31st, 2020. Surely a relief for anyone who values privacy and a smooth printing experience. On the other hand a disappointment for everyone who invested in Google Cloud Ready Printers, both vendors and consumers. Even SavaPage took the effort to be Google Cloud Ready.
Now what? Google recommends that over the next year, you identify an alternative solution and execute a migration strategy. It also advises to use your platform’s native printing infrastructure. Google already implemented Chrome OS support for Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) with CUPS Print Servers. In connection with this, we recommend user organizations to take a look at SavaPage Open Print Portal. This portal runs on your own premise and implements a simple 2-step user scenario:
- Transfer documents to the Portal with IPP or file upload: each document is persisted as PDF.
- Login to the Portal Web App and pick one of the sand-boxed printers to print the PDF.
Basically this is it.
The Portal Web App is a desktop printing environment embedded in a web browser. It offers a broad range of scenarios, including secure Follow-me and Job Ticket printing. Users can preview (and edit) their transferred documents and pick a printer to print them. The print dialog shows all printer settings, including finishings (staple, punch, fold, booklet), just like on a regular desktop.
Last but not least, check out our SavaPage Android Print Service.