Features and applications of Sentinel print management software

True printing control starts with the ability to analyze print usage. Since all Sentinel print information is stored an Archive table in the database (local or SQL-type), it can be used to generate a wide variety of reports.
Sentinel has a set of built-in print reports which include information about printing activity according to various filters such as users, printing devices, date ranges, etc.
These built-in reports display various aspects of the information, both in summary and detailed formats.
It is also possible to create a wide variety of customized reports, according to the organization’s specific requirements.

Sentinel Server Software

Rule-based printing

Customize just about anything in your print management using scripts to implement complex workflows, rule-based actions, email alerts, customized data handling and much more.

Sentinel's open scripting platform allows rule-based printing, highly specialized features or customizations to be rapidly developed, without the need to wait for the next release cycle for your custom feature to be included. Scripts may even be created in-house by customers wishing to keep their secure workflows or policies under wraps.

Managed Print Services (MPS)

What are Managed Print Services (MPS)?

Managed Print Services (MPS) allow an organization to gain visibility and control of all its printing and optimize it, which helps save money, enables the organization to print more efficiently. Managed printing also helps the organization to improve environmental sustainability and document security.

Sentinel Design Engine (Print Output Designer)

SDE is a Sentinel dynamic forms component that is simple and easy to use to convert an XML input into a well-organized and designed output.

With SDE Sentinel users can enhance their printing output and bring it to a different level. Sentinel Design Engine is typically used by for enterprises, banks, insurance agencies, and government agencies for printing of licenses, insurance policies and anything else that requires a template and produces large dynamic print output.

Sentinel Design Engine creates and deploys XML-based form templates, uses data from any data source, the output can be printed, e-mailed, sent to destination folder etc. Security features of Sentinel Design Engine include password protection of output files and digital signatures support.

Pull printing, private cloud printing with Sentinel

What is pull printing?

Pull printing is a system where users select and release (pull) their print jobs when they arrive at the printer of their choice, rather than sending a print job from their PC (push) to a pre-specified printer or MFP (multifunction printer) for immediate printing.

Centralized print management

Sentinel allows you to use a centralized print center without sacrificing print job security.

Recent trends in printer fleet management show that there is a definite move towards central print management.

BInfo software for automatic printer counters collection

Collect printers counters automatically & schedule printer counters reports

BInfo Sentinel Module automatically collects printer counters information from all printers in the organization – both network and local printers (with Sentinel APClient or BInfo client used). Any make, a model of printer and any type of connection are supported. New network and connected locally printers are discovered automatically.

Automatic Print Counters Collection Network printers monitoring, automatic collection of printer counters

Sentinel Built-in Load Balance and Failover for Print Server

Sentinel managed print services provide your organization with 24/7 print server high availability with built-in Load Balance and Failover.

Managed print services are mission-critical systems in any organization. Therefore print server robust and stable functioning is one of the highest priorities of organizations IT department.

Private Cloud Printing

Print — from anywhere to anywhere.

Users send print jobs. They are held in the organization's private cloud until the users pull them for printing, wherever required, via the company intranet. This method is also known as "Pull Printing". Print anywhere.

Retrieve a print job at your current location, even when you are not in your own office.

Secure distributed printing via VPN or WAN from UNIX, Mainframe

Distribute and print across the WAN or VPN connection with Sentinel APClient.

Sentinel AP Client can be used as an additional extension of Sentinel Print Management Software or as standalone printing solution in certain situations.

SSL encryption of printing data can be added to the additional layer of security.

With APClient distributed printing to local or network printers in remote branches and offices, connected by WAN or VPN is possible from any Data Source (UNIX, Mainframe, IBM AS/400, iSeries, VAX, AIX, etc.). The print data is transferred via TCP/IP or VPN connection to the branches at any location.

Secure Scanning of your documents for increased Data Leak Prevention

Ensure your scans are secured using Secure Scanning and Data Leak Prevention (DLP) technology.

By default, Sentinel only sends scans to the authenticated users' email address, shared folder, or Sharepoint location; this ensures that sensitive data will never be sent to the wrong person or group, or saved to the incorrect group folder by mistake.

Pull printing using QR codes or NFC tags and a mobile phone

Use a mobile phone as a print release controller for pull printing.

Use QR codes or NFC tags with your mobile phone or any other mobile device (tablet or even a laptop) as a secure pull printing release controller.

The device configuration web page in Sentinel allocates all physical printers with a QR code to match their IP address during device setup by default.

Control, management, monitoring and data leak prevention for network and local printers

Centralised print management for local printers and network printers.

APClient (Advanced Printing Client)

Sentinel print management software controls and monitors, not only network printers but also any printers, copiers (printing function) and multifunction printers (MFPs) connected locally, displaying printers’ counters and printed jobs.

Any type, make, or model of printer is supported, with any connection: USB printers, parallel, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc.

Print and billing quotas

Set print quotas and billing quotas to limit and control the number of pages printed and copied.

Use quotas to restrict unsupervised printing. Quota Policy saves the organization money and gives management better control of the printing budget.

This is especially relevant for organizations that bill their users and customers, such as universities, libraries, law firms, insurance companies, and any other entity that want to manage budgets separately for each department. ow can an organization limit and control printing? How to set printing quotas?

Mobile Print

Pull print jobs wirelessly from a network printer using a mobile device (BYOD).

Usually, printing documents within the organization using a mobile device requires a special connection, and in many cases, the result is not rendered correctly, particularly when printing Microsoft Office documents.

Traffic-less printing

Use Sentinel Traffic-less printing for branch offices to take advantage of Sentinel without a local server.

For organizations with branch offices, Sentinel may be centralized and used in a traffic-less configuration. This method conserves Wide Area Network (WAN) bandwidth, which would otherwise be untenably high due to large-size print job traffic clogging it up.

Multi-Site Printing

Print management solution for organizations with multiple sites or branch offices.

For organizations and businesses with multiple branches and/or international locations that wish to manage and control all printing in one system, Sentinel is the best print management solution. While employees in various locations can initiate and collect print jobs, Sentinel secure printing ensures that no one outside the organization has access to them.

Scan To Me

Fast, Easy, Secure and Managed

Fast and Easy: Scan a document at a printer/scanner and send the generated document as a file automatically to your e-Mail, personal folder, or SharePoint.

Server-less Printing

Server-less printing is a feature which allows the use of secure pull printing, but without any print server being required.

The solution requires that the Sentinel AP client application is installed on all PC's on the LAN. The printers will be paired with Sentinel controllers (either external touch-LCD controllers, or Sentinel embedded controllers), and pull printing is then facilitated through the use of packet broadcasts across the LAN.

Sentinel Print Release Controllers

Streamline and Low Profile Print Release Controllers (Printing Terminals):

Sentinel won't clutter up your office with bulky additional equipment.
Print release controllers are small and can be placed on a table or shelf, or mounted on a wall to save space. There are several models of Sentinel print release controllers produced by ePaper Ltd, compatible with any printer, MFP, MFD, copier or scanner.

Mail To Print

Print your emails and attachments — directly.

Whether you are a recognized user or a guest on the network, you can forward an email message to the Sentinel system or to a printer, without connecting to the organization's LAN. Sentinel's unique solution lets you print emailed documents from your mobile device, without distorting the document format. The original look of the document is maintained.

Reduce toner consumption with SaveToner

SaveToner is a proprietary toner optimization feature which comes as standard with Sentinel print management software or SaveToner can be purchased as a separate software product.

It allows toner usage to be reduced on a sliding scale, with little impact on the quality of printouts up to a certain level.