Print Auditing & Toner Monitoring software - Nowhere reliable to install util.

[ian85uk]

Hi all,

Apologies if this has been covered. I did a quick search and couldn't find anything recent.

We currently use FM Print Audit for our toner monitoring and meter reading across our customers.
But with Cloud overtaking, and on-site servers becoming a thing of the past, we are finding it more and more useless.

Of course you can install the software on Janet in accounts PC....but when Janet switches her PC off and buggers off to the Dominican Republic for 3 weeks its kind of useless.

Ideally it would be great if you could run the app from a Raspberry Pi tucked in a comms cab somewhere, but as far as I know they haven't thought that far ahead.

What is everyone else using?

Most of our fleet is Toshiba copiers and Lexmark rebranded desktop printers. Would rather not have to setup the email alerts on each and every machine.

Many thanks,

Ian

[rthonpm]

Re: Print Auditing & Toner Monitoring software - Nowhere reliable to install util.

Back when I worked for a dealer, the app was often installed on a server, generally the customer's print server, or some other special piece of equipment that was always powered on.

[tsbservice]

Re: Print Auditing & Toner Monitoring software - Nowhere reliable to install util.

Back when I worked for a dealer, the app was often installed on a server, generally the customer's print server, or some other special piece of equipment that was always powered on.

Same here most of our customers have IT so we always asked them to install DCA on server(ideally).
So far so good we are lucky having only one stubborn IT bod to refuse install at all.

[ian85uk]

Re: Print Auditing & Toner Monitoring software - Nowhere reliable to install util.htt

Thanks for the reply guys.

This is the problem I'm having though now - customers are getting rid of their on site servers....switching to Azure and other cloud platforms. So finding a device that is always on in order to run the app from is getting difficult.

[Gift]

Re: Print Auditing & Toner Monitoring software - Nowhere reliable to install util.

We also use fm printaudit - not having the chance to install the ICE service on a 24/7 server or a daily used PC is not really an issue in 95% but I think we have to look for alternatives in the future.

I heard good things from a tool called printanista:

https://www.ecisolutions.com/products/printanista-hub/

Haven't tested it myself though...

[techsxge]

Re: Print Auditing & Toner Monitoring software - Nowhere reliable to install util.

I am trying to write a small software for this that copytechnet users atleast could put to use.
My Question is how do you need it? Collect the Data live and central on your own server or maybe have a monthly status report send to your email so the data is being collected and stored at your customers site?

[rthonpm]

Re: Print Auditing & Toner Monitoring software - Nowhere reliable to install util.htt

Thanks for the reply guys.

This is the problem I'm having though now - customers are getting rid of their on site servers....switching to Azure and other cloud platforms. So finding a device that is always on in order to run the app from is getting difficult.

As long as the client configures SNMP traffic to route to their Azure instance you should still be able to install it there.

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

[tsbservice]

Re: Print Auditing & Toner Monitoring software - Nowhere reliable to install util.

I am trying to write a small software for this that copytechnet users atleast could put to use.
My Question is how do you need it? Collect the Data live and central on your own server or maybe have a monthly status report send to your email so the data is being collected and stored at your customers site?

For me it's better data to be collected live and stored in one place.

[CoreyAbels]

Re: Print Auditing & Toner Monitoring software - Nowhere reliable to install util.

I am trying to write a small software for this that copytechnet users atleast could put to use.
My Question is how do you need it? Collect the Data live and central on your own server or maybe have a monthly status report send to your email so the data is being collected and stored at your customers site?

IMO KFS (Kyocera Fleet Services) is the gold standard in remote monitoring. All of your information is on a cloud server, available anywhere, any time. It collects all of the relevant data and allows me to truly manage equipment. There are a handful of shortcomings (most importantly the monitoring of Non-Kyocera equipment) but it just works! Thoughts?

[ihatefinishers13]

Re: Print Auditing & Toner Monitoring software - Nowhere reliable to install util.

We have been contemplating the use of Raspberry Pi's to run Predictive Insights(used to use FMAudit), but now that they're getting more and more expensive and likely aren't worth the price if something happens to them.

The other benefit to using them is we can VPN in to it and hit the webpage of the printer and change settings/check network info, etc.

A benefit to Predictive Insights now though, is we can install multiple DCA's on the same network as redundancies to ensure PI works longer. PI doesn't typically get blocked which is awesome, but end users are upgrading equipment more and more often, causing the software to stop reporting.

We have KFS on the Kyocera devices in the field, though we're no longer a dealer, so that's a backup thankfully; same with Epson and ERS which is free-built in software. Sharp though, has MICAS, and we stopped using it a decade ago because it was a waste of money at the time. Now it's free, but our GM wants nothing to do with it still.

I wish there were things that could be built in to the copier as an add on service, that would link up to FMAudit's cloud servers, or PI's cloud servers. Would be so much nicer than worrying about end users' PCs.

[davidmtupper]

Re: Print Auditing & Toner Monitoring software - Nowhere reliable to install util.

We have been contemplating the use of Raspberry Pi's to run Predictive Insights(used to use FMAudit), but now that they're getting more and more expensive and likely aren't worth the price if something happens to them.

The other benefit to using them is we can VPN in to it and hit the webpage of the printer and change settings/check network info, etc.

A benefit to Predictive Insights now though, is we can install multiple DCA's on the same network as redundancies to ensure PI works longer. PI doesn't typically get blocked which is awesome, but end users are upgrading equipment more and more often, causing the software to stop reporting.

We have KFS on the Kyocera devices in the field, though we're no longer a dealer, so that's a backup thankfully; same with Epson and ERS which is free-built in software. Sharp though, has MICAS, and we stopped using it a decade ago because it was a waste of money at the time. Now it's free, but our GM wants nothing to do with it still.

I wish there were things that could be built in to the copier as an add on service, that would link up to FMAudit's cloud servers, or PI's cloud servers. Would be so much nicer than worrying about end users' PCs.

Look into Libre Computing boards, software compatible with Raspberry PI but around $30-35 USD.