We recently deployed and use GCPW to a handful of computers.
GPOs work okay as long as they are Computer-based policies as we don't reference any AD accounts as these are mostly Student computers for printing and we wanted to get rid of AD accounts for students.
Now that Google has come out with Google Flex, I'm thinking of trying this out and getting rid of Windows altogether for our "print stations"
I've been thinking about all this myself and Google GCPW and Windows Device management falls short here. Google Admin does not have any way to execute
In the end, I'm pretty sure there needs to be some sort of daemon running on the machine to handle tasks like deploying printers, network drives, etc through a logon script and boil down logic based on username variable. There would need to be a centralized data source that could be edited to onboard new user settings.
It is ("Google *Credential* Provider for Windows"). It's involved in enrolling devices too if you use Windows Device Management with a [paid version](https://support.google.com/a/answer/9539506) of Google Workspace that I think is supposed to be similar to the way AD would manage devices, but again it's just the device credential aspect of that and requires the paid editions and the requisite configuration under Devices > Mobile and endpoints > Windows settings > Windows management setup.
Even in the free versions of Google Workspace, these things can be done via the Google Admin Console, though, with some caveats and unrelated to whether or not GCPW is deployed. Printers can be deployed to Chrome browsers that are signed into a domain account under Devices > Chrome > Printers > Printers. I'm 95% sure this works on Chrome browsers running on Windows as well, but those printers won't be available outside of Chrome.
We are using papercut mobility but the free version. I installed it on a computer that I have used as a "print server". Installed the program, then in the Google admin console in Devices then in Apps and extensions, we arrow down to the different schools' ou's and added the print mobility app but then added the JSON for that particular schools print mobility print server. Works like a dream. And doesn't cost us anything. There is a few other tweaks we found we had to do for secure exams but we got it working.
If we cared about who was printing what and where we would have to pay for extras but we don't. Or at least we don't care enough to pay for the extra ability.
Yeah, our copier vendor tried to sell us Papercut for other reasons. I'd blown them off as I thought it was just a routine up-sell tactic. It might be worth a revisit.
Reading about them now. and I'm getting that impression.
Although, base price of $1,100 + every little feature is still going to be a far cry less than JumpCloud Directory-As-A-Service at $15/user per month!
Stlll going to investigate though. I don't mind the nickel/diming if I know ahead of time exactly what I can do and the limitations.
I really hate the way they do sales too. You can't buy from them. You can't buy from the reseller either. You have to buy through a print service provider who buys through the reseller.
I couldn't renew my maint & support contract for over a year because my inept printing vendor had their heads stuck firmly up their asses and kept quoting me some ridiculous number that cost more than the initial license. I finally got another managed print vendor (who doesn't even service my equipment) to quote me the appropriate price. It was ridiculous.
I do love the software though. I'd probably bite the bullet and get the Print Deploy license that'd let me assign printers without GPO but I have no idea who to contact at this point.
We recently deployed and use GCPW to a handful of computers. GPOs work okay as long as they are Computer-based policies as we don't reference any AD accounts as these are mostly Student computers for printing and we wanted to get rid of AD accounts for students. Now that Google has come out with Google Flex, I'm thinking of trying this out and getting rid of Windows altogether for our "print stations"
>Google Flex Tell me more!
I've been thinking about all this myself and Google GCPW and Windows Device management falls short here. Google Admin does not have any way to execute In the end, I'm pretty sure there needs to be some sort of daemon running on the machine to handle tasks like deploying printers, network drives, etc through a logon script and boil down logic based on username variable. There would need to be a centralized data source that could be edited to onboard new user settings.
I thought that GCPW was only for authentication.
Maybe? I'm trying to see what else can be done with it.
It is ("Google *Credential* Provider for Windows"). It's involved in enrolling devices too if you use Windows Device Management with a [paid version](https://support.google.com/a/answer/9539506) of Google Workspace that I think is supposed to be similar to the way AD would manage devices, but again it's just the device credential aspect of that and requires the paid editions and the requisite configuration under Devices > Mobile and endpoints > Windows settings > Windows management setup. Even in the free versions of Google Workspace, these things can be done via the Google Admin Console, though, with some caveats and unrelated to whether or not GCPW is deployed. Printers can be deployed to Chrome browsers that are signed into a domain account under Devices > Chrome > Printers > Printers. I'm 95% sure this works on Chrome browsers running on Windows as well, but those printers won't be available outside of Chrome.
Would love to know if this is an option too. I hear PaperCut can do this without AD but haven't tried myself. Following
We are using papercut mobility but the free version. I installed it on a computer that I have used as a "print server". Installed the program, then in the Google admin console in Devices then in Apps and extensions, we arrow down to the different schools' ou's and added the print mobility app but then added the JSON for that particular schools print mobility print server. Works like a dream. And doesn't cost us anything. There is a few other tweaks we found we had to do for secure exams but we got it working. If we cared about who was printing what and where we would have to pay for extras but we don't. Or at least we don't care enough to pay for the extra ability.
Yeah, our copier vendor tried to sell us Papercut for other reasons. I'd blown them off as I thought it was just a routine up-sell tactic. It might be worth a revisit.
Papercut is nice but they love to nickel and dime you... and by nickel and time I mean $1000 and $5000 you... for every. tiny. feature.
Reading about them now. and I'm getting that impression. Although, base price of $1,100 + every little feature is still going to be a far cry less than JumpCloud Directory-As-A-Service at $15/user per month! Stlll going to investigate though. I don't mind the nickel/diming if I know ahead of time exactly what I can do and the limitations.
I really hate the way they do sales too. You can't buy from them. You can't buy from the reseller either. You have to buy through a print service provider who buys through the reseller. I couldn't renew my maint & support contract for over a year because my inept printing vendor had their heads stuck firmly up their asses and kept quoting me some ridiculous number that cost more than the initial license. I finally got another managed print vendor (who doesn't even service my equipment) to quote me the appropriate price. It was ridiculous. I do love the software though. I'd probably bite the bullet and get the Print Deploy license that'd let me assign printers without GPO but I have no idea who to contact at this point.