Mobile Printing Solutions: Securing Productivity in the Hybrid Work Era

Hybrid work isn’t a trend anymore — it’s how business gets done. And while laptops, collaboration tools, and VPNs have all kept pace with the new normal, one critical workflow hasn’t: secure, flexible printing from any device, anywhere.

Many organizations don’t realize it yet, but mobile printing has quietly become one of the biggest blind spots in Zero Trust strategies. Employees are working between offices, homes, client sites, and coffee shops, and your data follows them — including the files they print. Without a secure, cloud-managed solution, those documents often end up in risky places (hello, personal email inboxes and unapproved home printers).

That’s where modern mobile printing solutions come in: not as a convenience feature, but as a security requirement.

Why Mobile Printing Solutions Matter More Than Ever

Back in 2015, mobile printing was considered cutting-edge — the cool party trick of “Look, I can print from my phone!” But in 2025, with every employee carrying a personal device and every sensitive document accessible in the cloud, mobile printing is part of the core security perimeter.

Employees expect to move seamlessly between devices and work locations. Security teams expect printing to be audited, authenticated, and protected. Mobile printing solutions bridge that gap.

What Are Mobile Printing Solutions?

Mobile printing solutions enable users to securely print documents from any device — smartphones, tablets, laptops, or personal devices — to any approved printer, whether on-site or remote.

Key characteristics include:

• Cloud-based print management

• Encrypted data transmission

• Authentication at the device (badge, PIN, mobile app, or QR code)

• Compatibility with BYOD devices

• No VPN requirement

If you’re looking for the industry standard definition, frameworks like NIST’s Zero Trust Architecture provide the foundation for how printing fits into a modern, identity-first security strategy.

How Mobile Printing Has Evolved

Ten years ago, mobile printing was still an emerging feature — something early adopters used to show off how “modern” their workplace was. It solved small productivity annoyances, but it wasn’t considered mission-critical. The tools were basic, the risks were low, and printing itself wasn’t part of the cybersecurity conversation.

But today’s environment is different. Hybrid work, personal devices, and cloud access have transformed printing from a simple utility into a workflow that directly impacts security, compliance, and productivity. Comparing the old approach with today’s expectations makes the evolution crystal clear:

Then: Convenience

• “Print on the go!”

• AirPrint and Google Cloud Print were the big players.

• Mostly for salespeople or traveling executives.

Now: Security

Fast-forward to 2025, and printing isn’t just an output step — it’s a data transfer event. Every print job contains sensitive information, and once it leaves a device, it becomes part of your security perimeter, whether you planned for it or not.

Attackers target unmanaged devices, organizations must meet higher compliance standards, and employees print from everywhere. That’s why mobile printing has moved firmly into the world of Zero Trust. The priority is no longer convenience — it’s controlling who prints, from what device, and where that data goes.

• Google Cloud Print is gone.

• Mobile workforces require authenticated, trackable, encrypted printing.

• Everyone prints from mobile now — contractors, hybrid staff, guests, and remote employees.

• Organizations must ensure sensitive documents don’t leak through unmanaged devices.

The shift is huge — and unavoidable.

The Security Gap: Shadow IT Printing Is a Real Risk

When mobile printing isn’t provided by IT, employees get creative. And creativity, unfortunately, is a security incident waiting to happen.

People will:

• Email documents to personal accounts so they can print at home

• Save files to USB drives

• Use unapproved cloud storage apps

• Send documents to consumer printers with no security controls

This exposes confidential data, creates compliance issues, and eliminates audit trails. Modern mobile printing solutions eliminate these Shadow IT behaviors by providing a secure, frictionless alternative.

Zero Trust Printing: The New Standard

Zero Trust isn’t just for networks — it’s now the gold standard for printing too.

Modern mobile printing solutions follow Zero Trust principles by requiring:

• Identity verification (MFA, SSO)

• Device verification

• Encryption from app to printer

• Secure release at the device

• Least-privilege access controls

Tools like Microsoft Universal Print apply Zero Trust to printing by moving print infrastructure to the cloud and integrating with Azure AD identities.

Benefits of Modern Mobile Printing Solutions

A modern mobile printing solution isn’t simply a mobile app or a driver — it’s a security layer. It gives you the ability to maintain control over your documents, no matter where they originate. Whether an employee is printing from a personal MacBook at home, a tablet in a client meeting, or a smartphone on the go, your policies, authentication rules, and audit trails follow them.

This is the foundation of secure mobile printing: giving employees the freedom to work from any device while giving IT the confidence that every print job is protected.

1. Secure Printing From Any Device

Users print from their phone, tablet, personal laptop, or work device — without sacrificing security.

2. Flexible Workflows for Hybrid Teams

Whether working at home or in the office, print jobs follow the user securely until they release them.

3. Eliminates VPN Bottlenecks

Modern cloud print services bypass the need for VPNs entirely.

4. Improves Compliance

Authenticated print release helps meet HIPAA, CJIS, FERPA, and NIST standards.

5. Cuts IT Overhead

No more managing drivers, print servers, or device compatibility issues.

Guest & Contactless Printing Become Standard

The pandemic accelerated the need for low-touch printing. Today, most organizations expect fast, secure, guest-friendly options.

Features include:

• QR code release at the device

• Temporary guest print access

• Remote worker printing with secure cloud release

• No need to join the corporate network

Solutions like PaperCut Hive helped standardize this model by offering cloud-based, contactless printing workflows.

How to Choose the Right Mobile Printing Solution

When evaluating mobile printing solutions, decision-makers should consider:

• Integration with M365, Entra AD, and SSO

• Cloud-first architecture

• Encrypted, authenticated mobile workflows

• Cross-platform compatibility (iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, ChromeOS)

• Print analytics and auditing

• Support for BYOD and guest users

• Future-proofing (AI-driven print routing, automated security policies, etc.)

Modern organizations require more than just an app; they need a comprehensive platform.

The Kelley Create Advantage

At Kelley, we help organizations turn printing from a security liability into a business enabler. Our team provides:

Cloud print management setup and migration
Mobile + BYOD print enablement
Zero Trust print configuration
Multi-site print fleet consolidation
Ongoing monitoring and optimization

Whether you’re modernizing workflows or deploying mobile printing for the first time, we deliver secure, scalable solutions tailored to hybrid teams.

Think of us as your print security pit crew: fast, friendly, and laser-focused on keeping your data — and your documents — in the right hands.