What's New in Pharos Cloud

Pharos Cloud 3.7.0 - April 2024

Note: For a complete list of the features included in this release, refer to the Pharos Cloud 3.7.0 April 2024 Release Notes.

Direct Print Enhancements

This release includes improvements to the Direct Print

  • Modified update frequency for IPP Auto Install Queues

  • IPP Class driver checks printer capabilities

  • Install print queues based on groups (Group-based printing)

  • Improved Print Driver Management

  • Added HP Universal Printing PLC 6(v7.1.0) to the list of pre-loaded print drivers

Modified update frequency for IPP Auto Install Queues

The Pharos Cloud web console includes a print queue setting (called “Applied”) that controls the timing of updates applied to print queues on user workstations (user’s printing preferences). In the previous version, there were two options: “New Install only," where finishing options are applied only during installation, and "Every Day," resetting finishing options to default settings daily (every 24 hours).

In this update, the "Applied" setting is extended to support updating print queues at intervals of every 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or 2 hours. This improvement offers organizations the flexibility to select how frequently users' changes to a queue are applied. Previously, user’s updates to queues occurred only every 24 hours or during new installations.

More Information: Direct Print IPP Queues

IPP Class driver checks printer capabilities

The IPP Class driver for Direct Print has been updated to now check the printer's capabilities and shows only the finishing options that the printer supports. Users won't see unsupported finishing options when printing. For example, if a printer is limited to monochrome (Black and White) printing, the color option won't be available by default. This improvement is designed to enhance user experience and minimize unnecessary costs associated with incorrectly printed documents.

More Information: Direct Print IPP Queues

Install Print Queues based on groups (Group-based Printing)

Direct Print now lets you assign groups to install specific print queues, regardless of where printers are physically located. Users in these groups can access a particular queue without their location needing to match the printer. This ensures that the queue is available to users in the assigned group, no matter where they are. Now, organizations have the option to either have location-based printing or group-based printing.

To support this update, a new section called "Installation Rules," has been added to the Print Queue configuration settings. These rules dictate which print queues get installed on a workstation client based on conditions related to location, group membership, and platform.

More Information: Group-based Printing

Improved Print Driver Management

The Direct Print January 2023 update simplified the management of Windows print drivers for administrators by introducing a list of pre-loaded printer drivers. In this most recent update, we have further improved print driver management by allowing administrators to manage the list of pre-loaded universal drivers, providing them with additional control.

Here's what administrators can do with this feature:

  • Hide drivers from the list, especially those not relevant to your organization.

  • Set a default printer driver. This becomes the default driver when creating a Windows queue. If not specified, it will default to HP Universal Printing PCL 6 (v7.1.0).

More Information: Print Driver Management

Added HP Universal Printing PCL 6 (v7.1.0) to the list of pre-loaded print drivers

In the January 2023 update, we introduced the print driver management feature, integrating universal print drivers for various Windows printer manufacturers. The list of pre-loaded drivers has been updated to include the latest HP Universal Printer driver v7.1.0. This driver is now the default choice when creating new queues from the web console, replacing the previous default, which was the Canon print driver.

User Portal Enhancements

This release includes improvements to the Pharos Cloud End-User Portal that will improve user experience.

  • Added the option to set a user-friendly URL for the end-user portal

  • Added the option to change the logo

Added the option to configure a user-friendly URL

The Pharos Cloud End-User Portal provides a convenient way for users to manage their documents and their passcodes. It also eliminates the requirement for users to install a Print Scout to configure their passcodes.

Your organization now has the option to add a descriptive and meaningful name to be part of the User Portal’s URL. This aims to improve user experience by making sure that the User Portal URL is easier to read, remember, and share. Users are more likely to share links that are simple and readable.

Notes:

  • The Friendly Name is limited to 20 alphanumeric characters.

  • Only users with System Administrator and IT Administrator roles can configure the Friendly Name for the User Portal.

  • Friendly Names cannot contain special characters; only alphanumeric characters are allowed.

Pharos Cloud has been updated to enable administrators to customize the logo displayed on the Pharos Cloud End-User Portal. This feature also allows customization of the browser icon (favicon). This helps align the User Portal’s look with your organization’s branding, creating a more personalized user experience.

The Secure > Theme tab of the web console has been updated to include the User Portal section. Administrators can modify both the logo image and the favicon image through this section.

More Information: End-User Portal

New User Management

This release introduces a new User Management system that enables administrators to effectively manage end users and groups comprehensively. Administrators can now quickly identify users and access user information at a glance. User details, user groups, or user activity are now conveniently accessible within the Pharos Cloud web console.

The User Management view allows administrators to perform the following tasks:

  • Review and manage registered users - Administrators can view and oversee all users registered in Pharos Cloud.

  • View users by groups - Users can be filtered and displayed based on their assigned groups.

  • Monitor User Activity - Administrators can track user activity (e.g. how many jobs the user has printed) within Pharos Cloud.

  • Update and View User Details - Administrators can modify or review user properties such as Data Privacy Region, and other user-associated data.

Note: Modifying user details is restricted by the Source type, which indicates how the user record was acquired. To make changes to user details, you must first switch the Source to Manual and then adjust the value accordingly. You can find more information about editing user properties in the Edit User Properties topic.

  • Retrieve User Registrations - Essential user information such as registration methods (e.g., Cards, Mobile app, passcode) can be viewed per user.

More Information: User Management

Multi-language Support for Secure Release

Secure Release adds the ability for administrators to edit the text for the labels displayed on Secure Release printers in their preferred languages.

The Secure Release web console now includes a drop-down list of supported languages within the Secure > Theme tab located just above the labels. Selecting a language allows administrators to edit the login label text specific to the chosen language. It is important to note that choosing a language does not set the language for Secure Release or devices secured by Secure Release. Secure Release merely chooses the prompts to display based on the language set on the device itself.

More Information: Customize Secure Release Theme

Added a new Data Privacy Region

Secure Release has 22 geographic regions available for you to choose from. With this update, a new data privacy region, Europe (Zurich in the EU-C2 region), has been introduced, expanding the total options to 23 geographic regions.

Print Scout Improvements

Direct Print Enhancements

  • Group-based queue installation

    With the introduction of the group-based queue installation feature, the Print Scout has been enhanced to install “Auto-Install queues” regardless of location. Now, an auto-install queue can be installed if the user's group matches the configured group for the queue. Previously, matching locations were necessary for the installation of auto-install queues.

  • IPP Class Driver now checks printer capabilities

    The Print Scout has been updated to check a printer's capabilities (e.g. color, duplex ) during queue installation. The Printing Preferences dialog will only show the supported capabilities of the printer, reducing user confusion during printing.

  • Modified Update Frequency for IPP Auto-Install Queues

    Direct Print now provides more options for deciding how often users' queue modifications are applied. The Print Scout receives the Applied setting value once a day or when the Print Scout Services restart. It then applies the obtained setting (e.g. every 15 minutes, every hour). Changes made to the Applied setting won't take effect until the next settings update, which occurs overnight or when the Scout Service restarts.

Suppress the Pharos Secure Release Setup Guide after authentication

This enhancement significantly simplifies the user experience by removing the need for users to navigate through the Pharos Cloud Pharos Secure Release Setup Guide after authentication. By automatically suppressing the Setup Guide, users can proceed directly to printing documents.

Print Scout Bug Fixes

  • Resolved the issue where multiple users with the Print Scout installed would intermittently lose printing capabilities. Users were able to submit jobs, but there were no print jobs appearing in the Secure Release desktop app.

  • Addressed a macOS Print Scout problem: during uninstallation, a bug was causing all user launch agents to halt instead of only the Print Scout launch agent. The uninstallation scripts were also enhanced through refactoring.

  • Addressed the following issues related to changing the Windows Regional and Language settings to Turkish.

    • Addressed the issue where Print Scout prevented users from printing after registration. Additionally, when the Welcome Screen and the system accounts were set to Turkish, the Print Scout was unable to operate when a user printed a job.

    • Addressed the issue where the Print Scout installation was failing due to how Turkish handled capital "I" when it was converted to lowercase. This was causing errors and stopping the Print Scout installation .

  • Resolved the issue where the Print Scout installer failed to install when executed from a folder path containing Japanese characters.

Secure Release Site Service - March 2024

Note: For a complete list of the features included in this release, refer to the Secure Release Site Service March 2024 Release Notes.

This release represents the latest version of the Secure Release Site Service including several significant new features, improvements, and bugfixes

  • Multi-language support for Secure Release

  • Added support for HP Legic Card Reader

  • Ricoh Pull Print: Support for IPP Driver

  • Support for new Xerox devices (Versalink 71xx Series)

  • Support for new Lexmark devices (eSF7 printers)

  • Enhanced user experience for small screen printers

  • Various bug fixes and minor improvements

Multi-language support for Secure Print

The Secure Release Site Service has been updated to support multi-language support. Administrators can now customize the text for the labels displayed on Secure Releaseprinters in an organization’s preferred languages.

Ricoh Pull Print: Support for IPP Driver

In the previous release, we introduced support for Print Scout to transmit the spool file format (e.g., PDF, XPS, PCL, PostScript, URF) of the submitted document to the Pharos Cloud. This file information is utilized by Ricoh devices for releasing print jobs. While Print Scouts returned jobs in PDF format using the IPP driver, PDF jobs did not have finishing options within the spool file. Specifically, the finishing options for Pull Print on Ricoh devices were not reflected in the IPP Driver. This release addresses this issue by adding support for finishing options on the IPP Driver.

Added support for new Xerox devices (Versalink 71xx Series)

This update adds support for new Xerox devices, allowing them to be secured with Pharos Cloud Secure Release.

Added support for new Lexmark devices (eSF7 printers)

This update adds support for Lexmark eSF5 devices, allowing them to be secured with Pharos Cloud Secure Release.

Enhanced user experience for small screen printers

For small screen printers with a width less than 500 pixels, users will now see only the "Welcome" message after authentication. This adjustment ensures a cleaner and more streamlined interface for smaller screens. For printers with a width above 500 pixels, the full username will be displayed on the next line after the "Welcome" message.

Default scan options are now supported for Toshiba

This update simplifies the scanning process on Secure Release printers. Users no longer have to navigate through various scan options. With this update, selecting scan options is now easier and quicker. We’ve added default scan options for Toshiba devices, which were available exclusively to Konica Minolta devices only and not available on other printer manufacturers.

Pharos Cloud 3.6.0 - November 2023

Note: For a complete list of the features included in this release, refer to the Pharos Cloud 3.6.0 November 2023 Release Notes.

Direct Print Enhancements

This release includes improvements to Direct Print that drive efficiency and improve user experience.

  • New Direct Print Dashboard

  • Support for multiple IP Ranges for a location

  • Control access to a print queue by group

  • Initial location for Print Scout Deployment

  • Secure Communications for Windows Manufacturer Drivers

New Direct Print Dashboard

In this latest version of Pharos Cloud, we are introducing a new dashboard for Direct Print. This dashboard offers a concise overview of significant metrics related to your Direct Print setup and offers guidance on potential actions you can implement to enhance your print environment.

To launch the Direct Print Dashboard, simply click the Dashboard tab under the Direct screen in the web console.

More Information: Direct Print Dashboard

Support for multiple IP Ranges for a location

In the March 2023 update, we introduced support for adding multiple gateways and Wi-Fi SSIDs. In this release, Direct Print has been enhanced to allow the addition of multiple IP ranges for a single location. This feature is especially valuable for organizations with multiple subnets.

More Information: Location-based Printing

Restrict access to a Print Queue by group

With this update, Pharos Secure Release now extends support for assigning groups at the Print Queue level. This enhancement offers flexibility in giving access to specific print queues. For example, your IT administrator can configure Direct Print to grant exclusive access to the “Color print queue” for the Marketing group, while allowing all users to print to a “Black and White print queue”.

Notes:

  • Print Queue level permission is not supported on Chrome extension. Only Device Level permissions apply to Chrome extension.

  • Permission at the queue level overrides permission set at the device level

More Information: Restrict access to  a Print Queue by group

Initial Location

Location-based printing enables users to print to devices based on the network location of their workstation. The Print Scout, installed on user workstations, identifies the user's current location, and presents a list of available printers at that location.

In this release, the Print Scout has been updated to enable administrators to assign an initial location before deploying it to user workstations. Configuring an initial location provides users with immediate access to their printer list, even when workstation locations are not configured. This enhances the initial user experience and simplifies the Print Scout deployment process. In the previous version of Direct Print, if the workstation location was not configured, users had to manually select a location or manually install printers themselves using the Secure Print desktop app.

More Information: Location-based Printing

Secure Communications for Windows Manufacturer Drivers

When creating a print queue of type Manufacturer Drivers for Windows, there is a new setting called Delivery Service under the Configuration settings. This setting allows IT admins to specify the method for delivering Direct Print jobs to the printer.

  • Pharos Systems Sentry Print Service – When set to this option, print jobs will be delivered to a printer using the Pharos Systems Sentry Print Service. This is the default value.

Note: If your site already has queues set up with Windows drivers, these will not automatically transition to using the Pharos Systems Sentry Print Service during the upgrade process. However, you have the option to manually update your queues to use the Pharos Systems Sentry Print Service after the upgrade. This update will be applied to any auto-install queue, whether it is configured for daily reset of finishing options or not. The update will occur either when the Print Scout Service is restarted or during the daily overnight update.

  • Windows Print Spooler – IT admins will have the option to use the Windows Print Spooler if desired. With the Windows Print Spooler option, print jobs are delivered to a printer via a standard Windows TCP/IP port using RAW over 9100.

Ethernet 241 Support for Secure Release

Pharos Cloud 3.6 now offers support for the rf IDEAS® Ethernet 241 device, providing seamless integration with Secure Release, much like the SR25 hardware. Ethernet 241 is a compact device that connects to a printer and an external card reader, facilitating Secure Release. When a user submits a document, it remains in a queue until the user authenticates at a secured printer to release the document, improving document security and confidentiality.

Here’s the user workflow for releasing jobs via the Ethernet 241 hardware.

  1. A user submits a print job to the Pharos Secure Printer.

  2. The user walks to any secure printer and holds their proximity card over the reader (connected to the Ethernet 241 device) to authenticate.

  3. When the user is successfully authenticated, all print jobs belonging to the authenticated user are released.

More Information: Ethernet 241 Deployment Guide

Pharos Cloud Web Console Enhancements

Data Privacy Enhancements

Added the option to anonymize print user information

This update provides organizations the flexibility to anonymize print user information when necessary to reduce the risk of exposing sensitive personal data. This feature is suitable for sites where associating print transactions with specific users is not required.

Each Data Privacy Region is associated with a default Collected Print Job Information setting found in the Profile > Data Privacy tab of the web console. This setting determines whether to collect, one way hash, or not collect print user information. The Data Privacy region feature now includes the following updates.

  • The Do Not Collect option has been added to the Name field. With this option, Pharos Cloud will not collect a user’s name and other associated user information.

Notes:

  • When the Name field is set to Do Not Collect all other user fields (except for Document Name) are automatically set to Do Not Collect as shown in the image below. In reports, the user data will be displayed as “Uknown”.

  • This setting applies at both the regional and individual user levels

  • The Collect and Hide option has been replaced with Collect and One Way Hash to reflect its actual functionality.

Added the option to collect only print job information from Pharos Cloud managed printers

Pharos Cloud 3.6 introduces a new option that allows you to collect print job data either from devices managed by Pharos Cloud only or from all printing sources.

To support this feature, there's now a new option called "Report" in the Print Scout Configuration settings within the web console (Discover > Print Scout > Configure). This setting gives you control over whether to collect data from all printing sources or only from printers managed by Pharos Cloud.

More Information: Print Scout Configuration

Security Enhancement: User Account Lockout

This update introduces the new User Account Lockout feature, which is designed to protect user accounts in the Pharos Cloud web console from unauthorized access.

With this feature, a user’s account is automatically locked out after a specified number of unsuccessful sign-in attempts. Pharos Cloud will track sign-in attempts made by users. By default, once five (5) consecutive failed sign-in attempts are detected, the system will temporarily lock the associated email address with a lockout duration of 10 minutes. The user receives an email notification when their account is locked. The following image shows the email notification that a user receives when their account is locked.

Improved Licensing Page

This update introduces significant improvements to the licensing interface (Profile > License tab) on the Pharos Cloud web console. This provides IT administrators with a smoother and more user-friendly user experience when managing Pharos Cloud licenses. The new user interface provides a clearer and simpler overview of your licenses. You can easily view information such as expiration dates, products, add-ons, number of licensed users and devices, and so on.

Serial Number Display for Local Devices

In this latest release, Pharos Cloud now features the display of serial numbers for local devices (for example devices connected via USB). While Pharos Cloud has been collecting serial numbers for local devices, IT admins have not had access to this information through any available device detail views, reports, or analytics. This feature provides IT admins with additional information regarding their connected devices. It significantly improves device identification and enhances asset tracking capabilities.

MFP New Features and Enhancements

Support for cloud-connected devices (Ricoh and Konica Minolta devices)

In March 2020, Pharos Cloud introduced support for cloud-connected devices (Cloud Connector) enabling organizations to eliminate their print infrastructure, including print drivers and queues. This feature was initially limited to HP devices only.

With this update, support for cloud-connected devices is now extended to Ricoh and Konica Minolta devices. This means that Ricoh and KKonica Minolta devices will move to a true cloud experience, eliminating the need for a locally installed Site Service. Cloud-connected devices also do not require running in a local network with direct line-of-sight access to print devices. Ricoh and Konica Minolta devices can now seamlessly operate with the Pharos Systems Sentry Print Service.

More Information: Configuring Cloud-Connected Devices

Support for Cloud Release (Pull Print) on Ricoh devices

With this update, Ricoh devices now offer support for Cloud Release, also referred to as "Pull Print." When Cloud Release is enabled, print jobs are retrieved directly by the printer from cloud storage.

For this feature to work, the following are required.

  • Cloud Connector is configured (i.e., Cloud Site Service)

  • Cloud Storage is enabled.

  • Cloud Release is enabled

Note: Previously, Cloud Release was supported on HP printers only.

Known Issue: The Print Options feature on the Ricoh Printer does not function as expected for jobs submitted via IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) queues. For example, if a user prints a document in "Mono" and tries to switch to "Color" at the printer, the change will not be applied. Instead, the document will be printed using the finishing options set when it was first submitted.

More Information: Cloud Release

Secure Scan Updates

User-based authentication for Scan to Office 365

The “Scan to Office 365” feature allows users to upload scanned documents directly to a user’s Microsoft OneDrive folder. In the previous version of Secure Scan, integrating scanning to Office 365 required tenant-based configuration with application permissions.

This release introduces the new User-based authentication feature for secure scanning, which uses delegated permission (i.e., user’s permission) instead of application-based permissions, thereby enhancing security. With the User-based authentication, individual users will authorize the Secure Scan app access their Office 365 OneDrive or SharePoint folders. When a user clicks Scan Document, they will receive an email notification with an authorization link to complete the process.

Scan to SharePoint Integration

In this release, Secure Scan introduces SharePoint as a supported destination. This new feature enables users to conveniently upload scanned documents directly to a user’s SharePoint folder.

To enable Scan to SharePoint, navigate to the Secure > Settings > Secure Scan Settings tab of the web console and select the Enable User-Based Authentication setting.

Note: SharePoint integration is available for user-based authentication only.

More Information: Configuring Secure Scan

Multi-Language Support

Secure Scan has been enhanced to support multiple languages. When using Secure printers with Secure Scan, the device's screens will be displayed in the language configured for that particular device. The supported languages for Secure Scan include:

  • French

  • Italian

  • Japanese

  • German

  • Spanish

  • Swedish

  • Chinese

  • Portuguese (Portugal)

  • Portuguese (Brazil)

  • Dutch

  • Norwegian

Note: If an unsupported language is detected, the user-facing components will display in English.

Bug Fixes and Miscellaneous Improvements

Added support for HP Legic Card Reader

This release adds support for the HP Legic Card Reader. The Proximity Card Options section of the Secure > Settings > Secure Print Settings of the web console has been updated to add the Legic Card Reader as an option. When selected, it automatically populates the VID and PID values with 1008 and 69, respectively. Legic Card Types 6F03 and 7901 are supported.

Known Issue: When connecting a Legic card reader to the printer, it's crucial to select the HP Legic Card Reader option from the web console first. Failure to do so can result in the card reader not working properly. It's also important to note that Legic card readers currently only support the values 6F03 and 7901. If any other value is added, the card reader will not function properly. Therefore, it's essential to ensure that the Supported proximity card type is set to have only the values 6F03 and/or 7901.

Support for Xerox Primelink Devices

This release adds support for Xerox Primelink devices, allowing them to be secured with Pharos Secure Release.

Limitations

The following Secure Print features are not yet supported on Xerox Primelink devices:

  • Authentication to home

  • Secure Scan

Replace the certificate on Konica Minolta devices

The SHA-1 certificate included with the KM SDK is now being replaced with a more secure SHA-256 certificate. This replacement is made to enhance the security of Pharos Cloud and protect against potential vulnerabilities.

Updated Secure Scan process for unsupported devices

The Secure Scan process has been modified for devices that are not supported, such as single-function devices. If a device is not supported, it no longer proceeds with the scan process. Users are now presented with a message indicating that "Scan Functionality is not supported by this device”.

Addressed a 2-sided scan issue for Secure Scan

Resolved an issue that appeared when a user selected the "2 sides, Top to Bottom" option, only one side of the first page was scanned, while both sides of subsequent pages were scanned as expected. With this update, when a user chooses "2 sides, top to bottom," both sides of all pages are scanned as intended.

Scan to email: Resolved an issue where the Note field could be edited

The issue where the Note field could be edited has been resolved. After this update, the Note field will no longer be editable.

Print Scout Improvements and Bug Fixes

Ricoh Pull Print: Support recording the format of the spool file

Ricoh devices require the spool file format to process print jobs in Pharos Secure Release. To support Pull Print for Ricoh, the Print Scout has been updated to include passing the spool file format such as PDF, XPS, PCL, PostScript (or PS), URF, etc. of the submitted document to Pharos Secure Release. This file format information is used by Ricoh devices to release print jobs.

Direct Print: Initial location for Print Scout deployment

In this release, the Print Scout has been updated to enable administrators to assign an initial location before deploying it to user workstations. Configuring an initial location provides users with immediate access to their printer list, even when workstation locations are not configured. This enhances the initial user experience and simplifies the Print Scout deployment process. In the previous version of Direct Print, if the workstation location was not configured, users had to manually select a location or manually install printers themselves using the Direct Print desktop app.

Direct Print: Secure Communications for Windows Manufacturer Drivers

The Print Scout has been updated to use the “Pharos Systems Sentry Print Service” when Windows manufacturer drivers are used to deliver print jobs for Direct Print. This ensures that print job delivery is secure, supporting a zero-trust environment.

There is an option in the Pharos Cloud web console to change the delivery service to use the Windows print Spooler’s TCP/IP port if desired.

Policy Print: Enforce policies on the first print

Policy Print implementation in Print Scout has been updated in this release. A user’s policy information is now retrieved from the server upon user login. This allows policies to be applied immediately to a user’s very first print job. In the previous version, policies were only downloaded after the first print, resulting in policies not being applied to the initial print job.

Note: This feature applies to Windows Print Scout only.

Added unique Event ID for Print Scout Service “start” and “stop” events

Print Scout has been updated to generate distinct Event IDs within the Windows Event Viewer for both "Start" and "Stop" events triggered by the Print Scout Service. This enhancement enables administrators to easily query the event log for a specific Event ID, providing a convenient way to find Print Scout "start" and "stop" events.

Known Issue

Restart issue :Pharos Systems Sentry Print Service must be manually stopped and started

When attempting any restart of the Pharos Systems Sentry Print Service, an IT administrator should first stop the service in Windows Services and then separately start it again (cannot simply click "Restart").

Pharos Cloud 3.5.0 - July 2023

Note: For a complete list of the features included in this release, refer to the Pharos Cloud 3.5.0 July 2023 Release Notes.

IPV6 Support

For computers, mobile devices, IoT sensors, and other connected devices to communicate over the Internet, they require a numerical IP address. The current technology used for this purpose is IPv4. However, with the increasing number of connected devices, the available pool of IPv4 addresses is rapidly depleting. To address this issue, IPv6 was developed to provide a larger pool of unique IP addresses.

The adoption of IPv6 is becoming essential for larger enterprises that are facing a depletion of IP addresses. HP introduces IPv6 support for Pharos Insights and Direct Print, allowing these enterprises to leverage the expanded address space provided by IPv6.

Here is a summary of changes implemented to support IPv6

  • Cloud Services can now handle IPv6 details.
  • The cloud components have been enhanced to process and store IPv6 records.
  • On-premises components can communicate using the IPv6 protocol.
    • Device Scout and Print Scout can establish communication with the Cloud Services using IPv6.
    • Device Scout can collect SNMP information using IPv6.
    • Print Scout can release documents to a printer using IPv6.
    • Print Scout can directly print to a printer using IPv6.
    • Print Scout supports creating Direct Print printer s with IPv6 addresses.
  • On-premises components such as the Device Scout and Print Scout can now be installed on networks that exclusively use IPv6.
  • The Device Deployment Utility (DDU) can now be installed on an IPv6-only network. It is also able to communicate using the IPv6 protocol.
  • The web console has undergone significant changes to provide support for IPv6. To view a list of the specific changes made to the web console, please refer to the section titled "Updates to the Pharos Cloud web console" of the Release Notes.

Notes:

  • IPv6 support forPharos Secure Release will be available in a subsequent release.
  • Your IPv6 network configuration must have a NAT64 to facilitate communication from IPv6 to IPv4 outside the network.

Supported Configuration

Pharos Insights and Direct Print offer support for the following configurations.

  • IPv4
  • Dual stack (IPv4 and IPv6)
  • IPv6-only

More Information: IPv6 Support

Direct Print Enhancements

This release includes improvements to Direct Print that drive efficiency and improve user experience.

Location-based Printing support on macOS

The latest release of macOS Secure Print Direct includes support for location-based printing, which enables users to easily select printers based on their current location. It also includes the ability to automatically install print queues on users’ workstations based on their location. This allows users to immediately print as soon as they connect their workstation to their location’s network. No user intervention is required. Users do not have to search for and add a print queue. Users have the option to search for printers using their printer label, hostname, or IP address.

More Information: Location-based Printing

Secure Print Direct Reporting

Pharos Cloud introduces a new transaction type called "Secure Print Direct" for Direct Print jobs, as part of the preparation for the upcoming Direct Print Dashboard feature. Previously, jobs sent to Pharos Cloud- Direct Print printers were categorized as "Print" transaction type, while Chrome jobs were categorized as "Chrome Direct".

Starting with this update, Direct Print jobs from Chrome, macOS, and Windows will now be reported as "Secure Print Direct". It's worth noting that Print-at-home jobs will continue to be reported as "Print".

IPv6 Support

In Direct Print, hostnames are now the primary method used to create Direct Print queues (vs. IP addresses).

Direct Print queues are now configured to have their port use the Network Address defined for the device. In cases where the Network Address is a hostname, but the Print Scout is unable to resolve it, the system will fall back to using the IP address instead. This is a significant change from the previous version, where the IP address was always used regardless of the presence of a hostname.

Pharos Secure Release End-User Portal (Beta)

This update introduces the Pharos Secure Release End-User Portal, which provides a convenient way for users to manage their documents and their passcodes. It also eliminates the requirement for users to install a Print Scout to configure their passcodes.

Using the Pharos Secure Release End-User Portal, end users can:

  • Access the portal by using their OpenID email address.
  • Manage documents
    • View documents in the queue including documents submitted from the Print Scout, Chrome Extension, Mobile App, or Microsoft Universal Print
    • Upload documents
    • Update finishing options before uploading documents
    • Delete documents (single or multiple documents)
  • Manage passcode
    • Generate passcode
    • Reset passcode

Note: To release documents, users will need to walk up to a secure printer and use the generated passcode to release the document. Users can also release jobs by swiping their proximity cards.

Key Features

  • Provides a true cloud experience by eliminating the need to install the Print Scout on user workstations for passcode management.
  • Users can conveniently manage their documents and passcode from any operating system using any web browser.
  • Easy to set up. The administrator simply needs to send users a link to the end-user portal.
  • Documents are securely transferred and stored in the cloud.

Changes to the Web Console

A new User Portal Settings has been added under Secure > Settings screen. When enabled, it displays the link to the Pharos Secure Release User Portal, which the IT admin can distribute to users for accessing the portal.

F

Note: The User Portal Settings section is available for sites with OpenID authentication only.

More Information: End-User Portal

MFP New Features and Enhancements

Secure Scan Updates

The Secure Scan feature of Pharos Cloud (introduced in September 2022) enables IT administrators to easily manage printing and MFP scanning across an organization and provides users with a simplified and consistent user experience across all the supported manufacturers.F

  • Unclock "To:": field for Scan to Email (allow scan to fax destination)
  • Scan to Email enhancement (configurable maximum file size)
  • Scan to Network Folder
Unlock "To:" field for Scan-to-Email

This update introduces Unlock "To:" field for Scan-to-Email, enabling users to scan documents and send them directly to a fax machine destination. In addition, it expands the functionality of the Scan to Email feature by allowing users to send scanned documents to another user’s email address. Previously, the To field was not editable and limited to sending scanned documents to the user's own email address.

To support the Scan-to-Fax feature, the Enable editable To: field setting has been added to the Secure > Settings > Secure Scan Settings.

Scan to Fax User Workflow

1. In the Scan Destinations screen, select Email.

2. In the To field of the Scan to Email dialog that appears, enter the fax number (e.g., 5558675309@fax.rightfax.com) where you want to send the document.

3. Select Scan Document to start the scan operation.

4. The scanned document is sent to the user’s selected scan destination.

Scan-to-Email enhancement (Configurable maximum file size)

The Scan To Email Settings (under Secure Scan Settings) now includes a new setting called "Max file size" that enables IT administrators to define the maximum file size for scan to email. The default value is 5MB, while the maximum allowed file size is 2047 MB.

Scan to Network Folder

The Scan to Network Folder feature which allows a user to save a scanned document to a shared folder on their internal network was introduced in March 2023 but without a user interface to configure settings.

In this release, a new setting called Scan to Network Folder has been introduced. It can be found under the Secure > Settings > Secure Scan Settings screen of the web console.

More Information: Configuring Secure Scan

Print Scout Improvements and Bug Fixes

IPv6 Support

The Print Scout component of the HP Insights has been updated to provide support for IPv6

  • Print Scouts can now be installed on an IPv6-only workstation.
  • The Print Scout has been updated to use the IPv6 protocol, allowing documents to be released to printers using IPv6.

Location-based printing for macOS Print Scout

The latest version of macOS Print Scout includes support for the location-based printing feature of Secure Print Direct.

Limitations:
  • The IPP finishing options set on the web console are not applied on macOS Print Scouts. So, all the print queues installed on a macOS Scout will have the same finishing option default. Therefore, creating multiple queues for the same printer is not ideal.
  • Queue synchronization is not automatically triggered on a macOS Scout during user logon, unlike the behavior on a Windows Scout where queue synchronization events occur at user logon. This inconsistency between Windows and Mac Scouts results in certain actions not taking place on the Mac Scout. For instance, if an IT admin adds a new IPP auto-install queue on the web client, the new queue will be added to the Windows Scout during the user's next logon. However, it will not be automatically installed on the Mac Scout when the user logs on. Auto-installation will occur on the Mac Scout if the Print Scout Spooler Service is restarted or during the scheduled daily settings update.

More Information: Location-based Printing

Notarized macOS Print Scout

The macOS Print Scout has been updated with the following enhancements

  • Comply with Apple's new notarization requirements. The latest release, macOS Print Scout ensures that the software can be installed on macOS 10.15 to macOS 13 without any warnings of malicious software.
  • Replace the HP UPD PCL 5 print driver with Apple's AirPrint technology. The HP UPD PCL 5 print driver has been replaced with Apple's AirPrint technology, which is used by Print Scout to deliver print jobs to printers when Pharos Secure Release is configured for Local Connector. It is important to note that for organizations using Cloud Connector, the Pharos Secure Printeruses the IPP Everywhere (IPP/E) protocol. Additionally, Pharos Secure Release desktop app also now supports the Apple AirPrint technology.

macOS Print Scout no longer tracks non-Pharos Cloud printers

The macOS Print Scout no longer monitors printers that are not associated with Pharos Cloud . However, it continues to track and monitor printers that have been added through Direct Print and Pharos Secure Release.

Print Scout IPP Driver support for Pharos Secure Release

Pharos Cloud includes the Print Scout IPP Driver built on the Printer Working Group’s IPP Everywhere™ standard to support thousands of printer models across all manufacturers—from low-end single-function printers to large, departmental MFPs. Previously, support for Print Scout IPP Driver was available for Direct Print only.

In this update, the Print Scout has been updated to support IPP Driver for Secure Print. This also changes the default print driver of the HP Secure Printer from the HP Universal Printing PCL driver to the HP Print Scout IPP Driver.

Note: For existing customers, the upgrade process will keep the HP Universal Printing PCL driver. However, if you wish to switch the secure queue to use the new IPP driver, you will need to uninstall the previous Print Scout and install the Print Scout provided in the latest Pharos Secure Releaser elease.

Key features of the Print Scout IPP Driver:

  • Print jobs are submitted to the printers using IPP or IPPS
  • Does not require printer manufacturers' drivers
  • Supports paper size selection, double-sided print mode, color or black and white printing, page ranges, multiple copies, and advanced finishing options like stapling and “n-up.”

Supported Clients

64-bit Microsoft Windows 10 or later

Note: 32-bit versions are not supported.

Print Scout Configuration Update

The Print Scout Configuration tool has been updated to include the Secure Queue Settings for Deployment section, providing IT admins with the option to configure the driver type for the Pharos Secure Printer secure queue. It also facilitates the creation of default finishing options for the secure queue.

There are two driver types to choose from:

  • IPP Class Driver – This is the default option for new installs. This will set the secure queue to use the Print Scout IPP Driver.
  • Manufacturer Driver –This will set up the secure queue to use HP Universal Printing PCL 6 driver.

Note: If your organization does not have a Secure Print license, the Secure Queue Settings for Deployment section will be greyed out.

Print Scout IPP Driver Printing Preferences dialog

The default finishing options (i.e., print settings) for an IPP queue depend on how they are configured in the Print Configuration Tool. Users can change the finishing options before sending their print job to a printer.

More Information: Secure Release IPP Queues

Print Scout bug fix

The unavailability of the color option on macOS Print Scout using the Local Connector with AirPrint 1.0.0 PPD has been fixed. Users can now access and use the "color" option while using the Local Connector on macOS.

Device Scout Improvement

The default value of the Perform Hostname Lookup setting on the Device Scout has been changed to OFF (disabled). Previously, this setting was enabled by default, which posed issues for sites without a reliable DNS infrastructure. If you have reliable DNS information for your devices, you can choose to enable this setting.

Note: This update exclusively applies to newly created Device Scouts and does not impact existing Device Scout installations.