Printers look cheap until you add up toner, repairs and the time staff spend fighting with them. Managed print services promise to fix that for a monthly fee. Whether that is better value depends on how much you print and how much the printers matter to your work.
What you pay when you buy printers
- Hardware: the purchase price, often low for small printers because manufacturers make their money on consumables.
- Consumables: toner or ink, drums and other parts. This is usually the biggest cost over time.
- Repairs: callouts and parts once the warranty runs out.
- Staff time: ordering supplies, clearing jams and dealing with drivers.
- Energy and paper.
What managed print usually includes
- A printer or multifunction device supplied (bought or leased).
- Servicing, parts and repairs.
- Toner delivered automatically when levels run low.
- A charge per page printed, often with different rates for mono and colour.
- Monitoring and reports on usage.
How to compare the three-year cost
- Find out how many pages you print each month, split by mono and colour.
- For buying: add the hardware price, the cost per page of genuine consumables at your volume, expected repairs after the warranty, and staff time.
- For managed print: add the monthly fee, the cost per page, any minimum volume commitments and end-of-contract charges.
- Compare the totals over the same three-year period.
Do the sums with your own numbers. Low-volume offices often find buying a reliable printer works out cheaper; offices that print a lot, or depend on printing, often find managed print better value and less hassle.
Contract terms to check
- Minimum term and what happens at the end.
- Minimum monthly volumes or charges.
- Response times for repairs.
- Price increases during the term.
- Who owns the device at the end.
Don’t forget security
Networked printers are computers. They need firmware updates, changed default passwords and sensible settings, such as secure print release so confidential documents are not left on the tray. Check that whoever looks after your printers covers this.
When to speak to BMT
Our managed print service gives you a clear cost per page and handles toner, servicing and security updates. We will happily compare it against buying if that turns out cheaper for you. Call us on 0161 672 7461 or 01706 391 047, or get in touch online.
Related reading: Are printers designed to break? · Extended warranties on electronics: worth it?