printing using magnetic cards

[Nostradamus]

This is going to be a long one, but please take your time. I appreciate it.
I've tried two different solutions to print to different network-connected printers using magnetic cards as verification. Many users have to walk some way, to get to the printer. Since we print sensitive material, we can't afford to have anyone looking at printouts laying by the printer. We must have the printer print our jobs, while we're physically at the printer.

The solution we use at the moment is Controlprint.
It works like this...
You connect a magnetic card reader to the serial interface of a Axis print server. The axis firmware have controlprint settings. You install the software on a server where you associate the magnetic cards to users in the windows domain. When a certain user print to this printserver he/she must pull her magnetic card in order to get the jobs out. It works, but it's not ideal.

First: It's a very simple and basic program, but the card reader and licenses are expensive. If we want to use this on all our users and printers we're facing big costs (hundreds of printers and perhaps 6000 users). If we're to buy anything, it shouldn't this much for so little.

Second: This solution only works on Axis printserver and nowadays we only buy HP printers using ther built-in Jetdirect cards.

Third: We're converting to Active Directory soon, and the software for controlprint seems to only work with the older nt-domain system.

My question is if anyone of you knows any way to safely print to any print-server (preferably jetdirect) using magnetic cards. Everyone's looking for cheap solutions and so are we.

I welcome all ideas that can help me solve my problems.

Thanks in advance.

/Sören

 

[UncleRick]

Sorry I don't know of a general solution.

Is switching to Canon an option(yes I work for Canon).

Our larger network printers have something similar built-in.
SSO, or single sign-on. You would log into the printer/copier with the same username and password as your Active Directory account.

So for your environment, you would print to a secure "Box" on the printer. Walk up to and login to the printer using SSO and print your document while you are there.

have fun,

 

[Nostradamus]

I don't think switching is an option.
Replacing all printers would probably be a bigger cost.

The solution sounds excellent though. It's something like that, that I'm looking for.

/Sören

 

[HamishZA]

Could try Pharos' Uniprint- that might be an option.

(

http://www.pharos.com)