Pcounter Pro Print and Copy Software Overview

Description

GISL ’s unique integrated approach to the management of reprographic
resources allows our customers the option to either: Charge their users;
or to account for usage against User, Client and Job (Matter) codes.

GISL’s solution uses Pcounter software to manage print/copy accounts and
Infineer’s own range of powerful application terminals to control access to
photocopiers and other reprographic equipment. CHS are a certified Pcounter
and Infineer reseller and CHS can supply Pcounter individually or as part of a
larger campus management solution.

Pcounter is a network based software package (running on any Microsoft or
Novell server) providing control of network printing and photocopiers, helping to eliminating waste and abuse. Pcounter monitors, reports on and is able to control: Who prints or copies; What; Where; When and How Much - resulting in dramatic costs savings. Pcounter includes a wide range of print and copy management capabilities including auditing, accounting, quota management, cost-control and cost-recovery.

Pcounter options include…

PCounter Software – Controls your network print traffic and provides powerful rule based load management tools. Charge users using on-line accounts or charge against Client/Job Codes and allowances.

Pcounter Pro – Incorporate copiers as well as network printers using the Infineer Pcounter Pro range of terminals. Allow users to revalue their on-line accounts using Pay2Print Value Loaders

Pstation & Debit Cards – Combine your Infineer debit card payment with the power of Pcounter for the most effective way to ensure payment up-front for prints and copies in large volume environments.

Now you have full control of your photocopier fleet as well as your network print resources.

Application Focus

Any organisation with a network of PCs and access to print and copier resources will suffer from waste and abuse - whether accidental or deliberate. The availability of printers on networks encourages casual use of an expensive resource. Statistics show that each full-time equivalent user will print an average of 200 pages per week. This translates into significant costs for even small organisations. Monitoring and controlling who prints what, where, when and how much will result in a reduction in usage of copier’s printers, paper, toner, ink and administration time - providing dramatic cost savings.

For professional organisations Cost Recovery is the key and the Infineer solution allows professional offices of any size to allocate every copy made and print taken by User, Client and Job (Matter) codes. Fully integrated Infineer Pcounter Pro photocopier control terminals can be connected over the Ethernet and combined with the Pcounter print management tools allow the administrator, live, touch of a button, reporting of resource usage.

 

• Measure the total volume of copying and printing across your network. Determine which users are printing and copying the most.
• Identify which resources are being under or over utilised. Enforce use of printers with the most appropriate capacity and use intelligent load balancing across similar devices
• Restrict and automatically delete duplicate print jobs
• Enforce payment for printing and copying using card systems, Pcounter Web Payment or wall mounted Pay2Print Value Loaders
• Pcounter Web Client: enables administration, client billing and balance queries via web interface
• Recover costs of printing and copying, either internally or externally, against User, Client and Job (Matter) codes.
• Pcounter works on Windows 2000/2003 and Active Directory networks, in both native and mixed modes.
• Internally, Pcounter records user names using NT4 syntax, as DOMAIN/Username. However, Pcounter Administrator is able to navigate Active Directory trees and view users in organizational units, in addition to viewing NT4-compatible domains.

Network Printing

The following tools are available to allow you to control your ever expanding network print traffic in the most efficient manner…

 

• Pcounter tracks & records all print activity per printer and per user.
• Who printed What, Where, When and How Much?
• Stop, pause, delay or re-schedule print jobs based on criteria such as copy/page count, job size/type, paper size, document type with an option to detect and automatically delete duplicate print jobs.
• Load-level printing for device optimisation and lowest cost output.
• Quota Management: Real-time enforcement stops printing when print credit is exhausted –
• Automated allocation of print quota on a scheduled basis to reduce administration – ideal for non-charging environments
• Set costs per device, per paper size – with cost multipliers for colour and/or duplex usage
• Print job confirmation for users – show cost and page count before print is released.
• Secure printing, controlled release + print from anywhere to anywhere
• Charge-back & Client-billing from any network PC including Windows, MAC and Unix clients
  

The integrated approach provides several print release options…

Pcounter Pop Up – Customers can make decisions about which jobs they really want to print from their workstation using the Pcounter Pop Up. Their Account Balance can be displayed prior to payment for the print. Pcounter Pop Up is completely customizable.
PStation – For busy environments a dedicated network PC is turned into a Release Station using the Pcounter Pstation software. Customers go to the Release Station, identify their print jobs and select which ones they would like to print. Payment is made with a Card.
Pcounter Pro Secure Print Release – In any environment, jobs that have already been dispatched to a printer can be held and released from a dedicated Pcounter Pro terminal situated next to the printer providing an ideal way to protect sensitive documents

Integrated Copy Control

The Infineer 60XX range of terminals are a copy release terminal designed for connection to any
make or model of network-enabled copier or modern multi-function device,
providing the ultimate in flexibility and control for those organisations wishing
to manage, control, monitor or charge-back against copies made.

The Pcounter Pro Terminals at a glance

• 4 pricelines
• SMS entry for alphanumeric characters or QWERTY entry
• Username & Open log in options
• Client & Job billing code options
• 10 BaseT network interface
• Security mode to hide user passwords
• Backlit graphical display
• Print Release Option
• Optional HiD Prox Card acceptance
• Optional Mifare Card Acceptance
• Optional Magnetic Card Acceptance
• Optional Smart Card Acceptance

In addition to the standard SMS key entry terminal the Pcounter Pro Range includes: Terminals that allow a proximity card to be used to shortcut log-on; Terminals that can be used in dispersement mode for recording fax transmissions etc. and QWERTY keypad versions. Check with CHS for the full range of copier terminal options. Click here for more information on the terminals.

Pay2Print Value Loaders

For sites where customers pay for the use of reprographic resources using Pcounter can benefit from the use of the Pay2Print Value Loader

Value Load Stations have been designed to offer self-service Pcounter account revaluation. They are secure, robust, easy to install and simple to use with low maintenance demands.

System Design

Pcounter Pro Integrated Print and Copy Management
Click Here to Download Pcounter Pro Powerpoint Presentation

• Pcounter Pro is installed onto a File/Print Server. Individual Accounts are held here, and a complete record of all activity and account balances is stored here.
• Information can be imported from other Cost Recovery Systems. This must be in a comma delimited format, or Pcounter can import from Equitrac (EQT files).
• All MiFare Chip ID’s are associated with each user’s AD information within Pcounter Pro Software.
• User Cards that have been lost or stolen can be disabled within Pcounter Pro Software.
• All transactions that take place on the network for Copying or Printing, account balances are adjusted in real time.
• Users can check their account balances in several ways;
• At a 6055M Copier Terminal, account balance is displayed after login
• Using Wbalance at a workstation, a user can immediately view their account balance
• Using the Pay2Print Value Loaders, a user’s account balance is shown after login.
• An optional Web CGI application for users to check their account balance can be setup.
• Only authorised personnel have rights to modify user’s account balances.
• Full reporting facilities are provided with Pcounter Administrator Software, just select the Print History or Reports button - calculate printing totals for various categories. Pcounter Administrator can read from the current PCOUNTER.LOG file, or any combination of log files. Reports can be saved in HTML, Comma delimited text (CSV), or space-padded text files. Reports can also be sent by email using a MAPI-enabled program such as Eudora, Netscape Communicator, Outlook, and Outlook Express.
• Generate statistical reports on printing activity - by user, group, printer, or department code.
• Pcounter Pro will communicate over any existing TCP/IP network.
• The Pcounter print server components (Pcounter Printer Control service and Ports) are not supported on Windows clusters at this time.
• The Pcounter Data Server service is supported on Windows clusters. When attempting to configure a Pcounter server, Pcontrol will detect cluster nodes and offer the ability to install the service on each node. However, Cluster Administrator should be used in advance to create the PCOUNTER share.
• The 6055M Copier Terminals can interface to all leading branded copiers. Some may require an additional interface – in most cases is not necessary.
• Each printer has multiple per-page prices which refer to a number of commonly used paper sizes. Each paper size has a check box (to allow the paper size) and a price entry field.
• To allow jobs which use a particular paper size, check its corresponding box and optionally enter a price to charge for each page which prints with that paper size. In order to track pages printed without cost totals, prices can be left at zero.
• If the price value is negative, then Pcounter will add the number of pages in each print job (multiplied by the per page price) to the user's account balance, otherwise Pcounter will subtract the number of pages in each print job (multiplied by the per-page price) from the user's account balance.
• Any print job using a paper size which is unchecked will be deleted, and a broadcast message will be sent to the user who submitted the job. This prevents users from requesting a paper size not supported or used by a particular printer, such as an A4 job on a Letter sized printer - which would cause the printer to pause.
• Duplex Print and Copy jobs can be charged at different rates.
• Colour Print and Copy jobs can be charged at different rates.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON PCOUNTER PRO SPEAK TO US TODAY OR CLICK HERE

Pcounter Pro Integrated Copy & Print Management!