ThinPrint virtualizes printers

ThinPrint, a global leader in producing management solutions for server based computing architectures, now offers a print solution for VMware Virtual Infrastructure 3. The .print Virtual Desktop Engine with its well proven DRIVER FREE PRINTING technology virtualizes printer drivers and therefore also creates total independence from hardware, operating system, application, and physical location for printing. The solution developed by ThinPrint, a VMware Technology Alliance Partner, eliminates the need for installation of native printer drivers on the virtual machines, compresses print data to down to 1% of its original size, and makes it possible to use mixed 64- and 32-bit environments.
Many companies today focus on virtualized environments. The independence from hardware, operating system, and application that virtualization creates helps businesses achieve high savings and consolidation potential. Trouble is, though, that printing puts an end to the freedom of a virtualized environment. As always, the applications are directly connected to the printer hardware by the relevant printer drivers, and the operating system is predefined, as well, because 32-bit printer drivers cannot be used in 64-bit environments or vice versa. The remedy is ThinPrint’s .print Virtual Desktop Engine. Its DRIVER FREE PRINTING technology disengages the inflexible connection between application and printer driver and even makes it possible to use mixed 32-und 64-bit environments. Thanks to compression of up to 99%, the distance and/or connection between application and printer hardware is almost limitless. That means complete virtualization of print management regarding hardware, operating system, application, and physical location.

As for hardware, customers profit by ThinPrint’s years-long experience in server based computing: more than 30 OEM partners have integrated the .print Client in over 200 different devices, including terminals, print servers and printer network cards; in other words, all of these devices can receive and decompress print data.

“We are excited about the possibilities the Virtual Desktop infrastructure opens and proud that so many customers are already deploying our solutions in these environments,” says Carsten Mickeleit, Managing Director of ThinPrint GmbH. “The technologies we have developed through product generations let VMware customers also benefit from the advantages of virtualization in print management."

The .print Virtual Desktop Engine is available from more than 400 authorized partners around the world.