City University London in IT sustainability drive

Print Solutions

City University London has launched a new sustainable IT initiative, designed to deliver significant cost savings and reductions in printing waste following a new managed print services contract with print and document services specialist Danwood. Through the project, City University is set to reduce its carbon footprint and the 18 million pages printed every year, through more efficient processes and effective monitoring.

A critical part of the Danwood managed print services contract is the rationalisation of the University’s 940 devices, comprised of 333 different models from 19 different brands. Danwood is replacing this equipment with just 260 multi-function devices and printers from Kyocera and introducing a range of new applications to streamline the print process and deliver a more uniform, secure and user friendly service to students and staff.

Karima El-Haddad of the City University IT project said, ‘Moving to a managed print service with Danwood is a complete overhaul of our printing services and will enable us to deliver the step change in efficiency and sustainability that we are aiming for. We know that other universities have achieved cost savings of more than 25% and reduced total print by more than 30% and we are confident that by working with a single, specialist supplier we will deliver notable benefits.’

Danwood’s proactive management of the printer estate means printers will be replaced to an agreed cycle, improving service levels and avoiding issues caused by aging devices. An on-site engineer will be available to carry out same day repairs or replacements, so printers spend minimal time out of action.

Alastair Meldrum, public sector account manager, Danwood, commented: ‘Education environments can have a heavy reliance on print, but through our work with establishments across the UK we know it is possible to significantly reduce the reliance on paper and deliver clear cost savings. When it comes to IT projects, many IT departments overlook the fundamentals such as printing, but focusing on these established business processes, which often sit at the heart of an organisation, can give clear benefits. City University is not only set to create big cost savings, but create a more efficient, environmentally friendly and secure printing environment.’