Ricoh Americas, a provider of digital office equipment, has updated to its latest locked print security system, Enhanced Lock Print NX v1.3 (ELP-NX). The updated version adds the distribution and retrieval option of FlexRelease Server and protects an organisation’s confidential and proprietary information by allowing users to store, print and manage confidential documents with the security of user authentication at a multifunctional product (MFP).
The company said that with the new offering, users can protect specific documents by selecting ‘locked print’ from the print-driver menu, while network administrators can set ‘locked print’ as the default for organisation-wide document protection. ELP-NX users enter their ID and password on the MFP at walk-up. This ensures documents won’t be released by another MFP user or left unattended in output trays where others can easily view sensitive information.
According to Ricoh, the FlexRelease Server for ELP-NX allows businesses to provide FlexRelease technology across their entire fleet of MFPs and printers. Using a print architecture that stores print jobs centrally, users can approach any ELP-NX enabled MFP or printer to access and retrieve their locked print jobs. The server supports Windows 2008 Server, Windows 2003 R2 Standard/Enterprise server, and Windows 2000/XP/Vista operating systems.
The new product comes as a stand-alone product, and as an option for Ricoh’s Card Authentication Package (CAP), said Ricoh. CAP supports the use of proximity card readers that can be used for authentication by passing a proximity card near a card reader attached to the MFP or printer. With FlexRelease Server for ELP-NX, the user authorisation process can be automated using a proximity card with CAP.
The company added that utilising a card reader installed on each machine, a user swipes their proximity card to authenticate his or her identity, allowing the MFP or printer to release their individual locked print job. This cuts down on the time required to manually input user login information while protecting sensitive documents from unauthorised viewers.
