HP has introduced colour access controls on HP Color LaserJet printers and multi-function products (MFPs). With these embedded colour access controls, office colour printing can be controlled on a per-need basis, the associated costs can be kept under control, and colour usage can be valued for billing purposes.

HP Color LaserJet Printers are ideal for small companies who nowadays are increasingly printing their own marketing collateral in-house using colour printers. But without the ability to control colour printing costs some organisations may still be hesitant to fully incorporate colour in office environments.

HP's colour access controls are the framework for using colour in the office in a cost-effective way. This embedded software, which comes free with printers, provides the customer with the ability to control and limit the amount of colour print-outs or copies made in an office. The colour management options include:

¤ enabling/disabling colour copying or printing for the device;
¤ enabling/disabling colour for selected users only;
¤ enabling/disabling colour for selected applications (such as Microsoft Outlook); and
¤ generating usage reports about the number of pages printed or copied in colour and which applications were used.

Colour access controls can be used from the smallest to the largest office environment. These control capabilities are available in HP's latest line-up of Color LaserJets and MFPs.

HP Easy Printer Care is a printer management software to help small businesses or large business groups manage up to 15 printers. Its colour access management functions include detailed tracking and reporting of printing. HP Easy Printer Care can be downloaded for free at www.hp.com/go/easyprintercare.

HP Web Jetadmin software, already a standard in the printing management industry, can help control various aspects of colour usage. The HP Web Jetadmin Report Generation Plug-in which tracks which user group is using colour can also report on patterns of use for specific colour devices or a group of devices. Web Jetadmin is available as a free download from HP's Website at www.hp.com/go/webjetadmin.

Colour access controls save businesses money by managing access, enabling easier job tracking and billing. HP's colour access controls remove concerns businesses might have on colour printing.

They can now have full control over colour printer usage, guaranteeing users the availability of colour when needed, while easily charging for colour use when there is a requirement to do so.