We've released a new version of HP Web Jetadmin 10 (.NET-based) with several new enhancements.  This update can be applied over your existing install or is cummulatively rolled-up into a single download if preferred.  Network print administrators will receive the following enhancements:

• Device Support for New Products including:
• HP LaserJet P4014, P4015, P4515 Printer Series
• HP Color LaserJet CM6030, CM6040 MFP Series
• HP Color LaserJet CP6015 Printer Series
• HP LaserJet M9040, M9050 MFP Series
• HP Color LaserJet CP1515n Printer Series
• HP Color LaserJet CM1312 MFP Series
• HP JetDirect 690n (B/G) Wireless EIO Print Server
• New configurable options for HP Edgeline MFPs including the ability to adjust sleep mode settings
• Updated send-to-folder settings to reflect new capabilities in the M-series MFPs
• The reporting engine can embed reports as attachments in emails now
• Auto-group migration if upgrading from Web Jetadmin version 7.x and 8.x platforms
• Other customer-specific enhancements and fixes that may benefit you documented in the read-me

For users upgading from an earlier 7.x or 8.x version of HP Web Jetadmin or installing HP Web Jetadmin 10.x for the first time, review the documents and download from the primary Web Jetadmin Portal.  For administrators who have HP Web Jetadmin 10.x installed already, perform the updates from the "Application Management" menu and download updates in-line within the application itself or download the update files from here.

If you're just getting famliar with Web Jetadmin for the first time, I recommend taking a look at the "Evaluators Guide" on the primary Web Jetadmin Portal.  It gives an excellent overview of the main features to help you "shop" for the ones you want to exploit right away.  Also, don't forget about the formal training offered a our IT Resource Centre (click on "Printing and Imaging" then "Web Jetadmin").

Have a great week!!!

A new version of the HP MFP Digital Sending Software (DSS) is available.  This is a free upgrade for existing DSS 3 and DSS 4 customers.  The HP MFP Digital Sending Software has been upgraded to version 4.12 and includes the following new goodies:

• Improved integration with Captaris RightFax HP MFP Module: This will be useful for customers who were using the "Workflow" features in DSS previously to get advanced integration with Captaris (specifically on confirmation pages).  This will let administrators take advantage of the traditional fax interface which is handy for those who prefer this look and feel and need address book lookups.
• Improved Group Support: In a previous version of DSS, the ability to limit who could administer the server was introduced with local account group membership.  This capability has now been extended to support global/domain groups.
• Improved Error Reporting in EVT Logs: This should allow for easier troubleshooting if required.  Also, many Enterprise System Management (ESM) tools scoup local event logs for possibile automation through customization.  Providing a more granular log gives administrators a lot more choices here.
• Install MIcrosoft SQL Desktop Engine (MSDE) in an Alternate Location: This is nice for admins who want to install MSDE in a different path than that normally defined in the HP installer.  MSDE is where settings are cached for the DSS server.  Be sure to read the release notes to understand the install-time switches to use if this is desireable.
• The usual array of customer-specific fixes that are listed which may help other customers as well ...

Take Care

Posted by: Brian R. Kneebone
Technology Consultant, Imaging and Printing Group

Hi Everyone. This is the 2^nd part to the Universal Print Driver series. In the previous article we explored Installation Options for the HP Universal Print Driver. Take a look at that article first. This post explores the policy options for the HP Universal Print Driver which are available for exploitation using HP Managed Print Policies. This gives us the basis to explore the 3^rd part of the Color Access Control series.

I think I figured out what my issue was with the Group Policy Object I chose to leave in the article. Did you? Send me a comment online advising what you believe the fix to be. Some fancy logo ware is in it for the first correct reply.

Please note, the HP blogs will be migrating to a new platform over the next week. As of tomorrow, May 23, I won't be posting to my blog and won't be able to receive any comments submitted. Please hold your comments until June 1^st when our new site will be live.

Hint, some new firmware updates are available for your MFPs with some great new features. Be sure to check out www.hp.com/go/support to look up all the goodies. I’ll post on this in greater detail when the blog returns in its new format in June. Over and out...

I have to share this, even though it’s not imaging and printing specific. Mini notebooks are back. If you are a network technician or IT administrator, take note of the HP 2133 Mini-Note PC series. Most of us know from experience when you are travelling from IT asset to asset, that it’s not always practical to bring a standard notebook. Having access to your own toolkit on the go (especially a tiny one) is important – saving those few minutes (or even seconds) is important. Of course, in most cases you can do everything you need remotely from HP Web Jetadmin including rebooting printers and MFPs and pushing settings.

This is just a quick note to let people know that HP MFP Digital Sending Software (DSS) 4.11.11 has been launched. This is a free update for existing DSS 3.0 and 4.0 customers and is available from http://www.hp.com/go/dss_software. Trial versions (such as the one on the URL) are identical to the full versions. We call it a trial version since it doesn’t have license keys and by default goes into a 50-device, 60-day evaluation mode but will accept any of your existing DSS 3.0 and 4.0 license keys.

Key Enhancements:
Extract from Readme File in the ZIP you would download

Optical Character Recognition (OCR) for Send To Email and Send To Folder

This revision includes the capability to have documents sent to email or folder destinations OCR processed. In previous revisions of DSS it has only been possible to use OCR processing within the Workflow application.

This new capability is disabled by default. The administrator can enable the feature in the DSS Configuration Utility by entering the Send To Email or Send To Folder configuration of the device. Multiple devices can be configured simultaneously by selecting several devices in the list. When the new feature is enabled it adds new file types to the front panel of the Digital Sending device. If the user selects a file type ending with “(OCR)” the output will be OCR processed.

IMPORTANT: This feature requires firmware support in the Digital Sending device. The below table indicates the minimum firmware revision required per supported device. Devices with older firmware revisions, or device models not listed, will NOT show the new OCR file types.

Better integration with the device Authentication Manager
This revision includes an improved authentication tab that integrates better with the Authentication Manager in the Embedded Web Server (EWS) of Digital Sending devices. There is a new look-and-feel that resembles the device EWS Authentication Manager and DSS is now capable of managing the authentication settings for non-DSS features (such as “Sign In At Walk Up”). Also, DSS can now assign 3^rd party authentication methods to the various device features.

Important: DSS will only read back the authentication settings from the device when it is added to DSS (read: added to the ‘Mfp Configuration’ list). Therefore, if e.g. a 3^rd party authentication solution is installed on the device after it was added to DSS the device will need to be first removed, then added back into DSS for the new authentication solution to be selectable.

Support for Edgeline devices
DSS can now manage the configuration of HP Edgeline devices (CM8050/8060 Color MFP). Note that Edgeline devices have a complete set of Digital Sending functionality embedded and cannot use any of the service-based features in DSS, such as LANFax, authentication and addressing. However, DSS will now configure all the Digital Sending features within the Edgeline device. More information.

Ability to designate DSS administrators
Previous revisions of DSS require that the operator of the Configuration Utility is an Administrator on the server where DSS is installed. This is still the default behavior in the current revision, but it is now possible to allow users without administrator privileges to operate the Configuration Utility. The below steps outline how:

1. Create a user group locally on the DSS server named “DSSAdmins”
2. Add the users that will operate DSS to the group.

The following steps apply if you want to use a different name for the group:

• Locate the hpbs2e.ini file in the DSS install directory.
• Locate the setting named ConfigUtilityAdminGroup and replace “DSSAdmins” with the desired group name.
• Save and close the file
• Follow steps 1-2 above using the name specified in ‘ii’.
  Note: It is not possible to use global/domain groups for this purpose. The group must be local on the DSS server. HP is planning to allow use of global/domain groups in a future release of DSS.

Several other patches have been included contained within the readme of the ZIP download, please review it plus upgrade instructions before applying the software update. Get your latest version of HP MFP Digital Sending software now.

Hello everyone. I’ve had to put a bit of a pause on the “Colour Control Options (Part 3) – Driver Controls” because of some changes (good ones) that will become clear shortly. I realised it’s been a month since my last post, so I wanted to do another video tutorial as a treat (or punishment, I don’t have the world’s best narrative voice). This one focuses on the new features we’ve added in firmware for the M, CM and some of the previous series devices. It used to be that speed dials an address books had to be edited manually at the control panels.

Here are the devices that will look similar to the way I’m configuring in the demo:

· HP LaserJet M3027mfp, M3035mfp, M4345mfp, M5025mfp, M5035mfp

· Color LaserJet CM4730mfp

You can do a lot of similar things with these devices as well, but the screens may look a little different:

· HP LaserJet 4345mfp, 9040mfp, 9050mfp

· HP Color LaserJet 4730mfp, 9500mfp

Important: Regardless of the device, make sure you update your firmware to get these new features.

So be sure to update that firmware and enjoy. If there other types of tutorials you’d like me to cover, please let me know. Depending on just how early I can do the Color Control Options, I might do one around Authentication if that makes sense.

Well, it’s been a while since my last post, so I thought I’d do something special. I wanted to make a “Part 2” to the Colour Control Options I discussed earlier. It covered some high-level topics, but I didn’t go into any depth showing them in action. This article casts a very bright light on just what can be done with embedded Color Access Controls under the “Settings” -> “Restrict Color” menu in the device’s embedded web server.

Alternate colour control methods become increasingly important for administrators who wish to manage colour access especially where centralized print queues (on print servers) are being retired.

So which devices support embedded “Color Access Controls”?

Okay, before we get started, I’m Canadian and you’ll notice I normally spell “Colour” with an extra vowel (except when it’s being used to refer to a brand name or trademark or technology). My spelling can be terrible at times, but this one is on purpose.

Generally “Color Access Controls” (CAC’s) are available in Commercial Color LaserJet devices launched in fall 2004 and later. Note that some of these products will require a firmware update.

• HP Color LaserJet 3000 Printer Series
• HP Color LaserJet 3800 Printer Series
• HP Color LaserJet CP3505 Printer Series
• HP Color LaserJet 4700 Printer Series
• HP Color LaserJet 5550 Printer Series
• HP Color LaserJet 4730mfp Series
• HP Color LaserJet CM4730mfp Series
• HP Color LaserJet 9500mfp Series
• HP Color Multifunction CM8050 MFP with Edgeline Technology Series *
• HP Color Multifunction CM8060 MFP with Edgeline Technology Series *

* Note that the HP EdgeLine devices support the ability to enumerate groups (not just users) because of advanced features built into its embedded companion that don’t exist on LaserJet and Color LaserJet devices. The colour controls look a little different as a result in the embedded web server including the ability to differentiate between the two major colour modes, but conceptually are the same.

So which devices support the older Access Control Lists?

If embedded Color Access Controls aren’t available for your older device or if sticking with ACL’s is more practical in your environment, that option is still available of course. Generally any device with a commercial JetDirect solution which is a JetDirect 610n or higher, USB connected 300-series or full-feature embedded JetDirect supports an access control list. This at least limits traffic to/from a specific IP/Mask combo (print server for example) where controls are managed at the print queue.

What is this driver pre-configuration software to lock in features?

So I made a brief mention about “Driver Pre-configuration Software”. This software lets administrators modify most modern commercial printer drivers. There are features which allow administrators to define defaults and even go so far as to lock in features (including B/W printing only, duplex only, etc).

Modifying the driver does break the WHQL signature since a configuration file is being modified. This is expected. But if all you need is the B/W version of the driver only for a color device, it’s usually posted on the support portal for your product.

There are other tools from HP that might be available. As they become public, I’ll do my best to share them here.

What next?

So this is the world of embedded controls, next I hope to show people the world of our “2^nd Generation Color Access Controls” used in the HP Universal Print Driver. This is fantastic stuff which can be manipulated through either an IIS based web-service or Active Directory using ADM templates (with group policy objects). So look forward to a “Colour Control Options (Part 3) – Universal Print Driver Controls”. I’ll cover the GPMC from Microsoft as wells as a few other goodies for those new to GPO management (this will be new for a lot of print administrators, although something many domain administrators have been comfortable with for some time). Coming soon...

This one is just a short post for today. We appear to be publishing a semi-regular newsletter that keeps IT staff primed on new, emerging and resolved issues with LaserJet devices. For customers interested in staying on top of things proactively as they arise, I recommend taking a peek at this website from time to time. I’ve had a customer strongly recommend this and thought it would be wise to share.

Updated versions of firmware have launched for the following HP LaserJet MFP, HP Color LaserJet MFP and Digital Sender products:

* The links above will take you to the main support pages for the products, select “Download Drivers and Software”. After selecting your device’s sub-model, you’ll find the firmware located under the “Cross operating system (BIOS, Firmware, Diagnostics, etc.)” section.

So what’s included in these updates?

You’ll notice that there are not updates for the 9xxx classed MFPs (this is planned as there is a slightly different code-base which didn’t require many of the updates). For the devices which have been included in the update list, you will find that it is mainly changes in code to address issues HP has discovered with other customers for you to take advantage of (plus some minor changes in device authentication which most customers would likely not notice).

That said, for the newer M-series and CM-series MFP’s some interesting new enhancements and changes in behaviour have been added:

• These products had the ability for administrators to enable an icon at the front panel for language switching (popular for our customers with bilingual environments). A new feature has been added which allows administrators to decide whether or not the entire device switches languages or just the keyboard layout.
• Outbound faxes can be copied and forwarded to an archive fax number for compliance (which compliments inbound faxes routed to an archive number, otherwise known as fax forwarding).
• Improved address book management for analog fax with the ability for end users to edit the addresses from the front panel as well as allow administrators the ability to lock certain entries from deletion.
• If using HP MFP Digital Sending Software (4.11), there is the option to OCR documents for regular send-to-folder and send-to-email now. This has been quite a popular feature request as originally it was designed for the Send-to-Workflow function only.  If you're using HP MFP Digital Sending Software (3 or 4), the upgrade to the latest version is a free one by downloading the trial software from here. The trial software is the same as the full software, just use your existing license keys.
  (Update 23-JAN-08: As some people may have noticed, DSS 4.11 is not currently available, a new launch date is planned and I'll communicate an update when it becomes available for download.)

I’m sure there are other really interesting goodies included in these updates. Take a look at the read-me documents in the product for the full list of enhancements, changes and fixes.

For my next post I’ll cover device controls using color access controls (a part 2 to this article). Also, I’ve been getting more questions around fax speed dial and address book management, so we’ll probably cover that off in the new-year as well.

Happy 2008!!!!

Update for users of our HP Web Jetadmin printer management software. Both version 8.1 and 10.0 have been rolled this week and include a number of new features, enhancements to existing capabilities and fixes.

Click here to view the differences between HP Web Jetadmin 8.x and 10.x and download the version of your preference. A number of online training courses are available for HP Web Jetadmin. I’d encourage larger customers to consult with their enterprise or public sector account representative here at HP to have a formal onsite consultation appropriately customized and billed to suit their needs.

Have you ever been asked to define new printing defaults for end users? I've put together a video tutorial targeted for new printing administrators. And for that matter existing print administrators who have only recently looked at applying settings by default.

Speaking personally, I know that I had to discover some of this (earlier in my career) by trial-and-error and got some bruises along the way. My hope here is that I can share out what I've learned and let administrators make their own decisions about how best to proceed in their organization.

Rather than go into a full on discussion here in email, take a peek at the video tutorial below:

In summary, printing defaults can be defined at the hardware level or the driver level. Drivers trump hardware settings (except when using advanced Color Access Controls for select colour devices which we'll explore in some future post). Also, printing defaults (when properly defined in "Advanced" -> "Printing Defaults..." are used by clients who point-and-print-connect the first time or have existing connections where the end-user has not saved any permanent defaults themselves in their Printers folder.

Next we'll take a look at driver deployment and preconfiguration utilities HP like HP Web Jetadmin as well as tools like the Microsoft Print Management Console in a future series.

I wanted to share this with the general public since there’s a fairly important update included in the latest firmware upgrades for select LaserJet, Color LaserJet and Digital Sending products.

Due to popular demand, Hewlett-Packard has implemented Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) on the devices below with the latest firmware versions. This change in time behaviour was to offer improved management of time during SDT to DST and vice versa switches:

* Note that there may have been previous firmware versions with UTC support, but the versions above are recommended.

Time stamps are used on fax confirmation pages and logs, device event logs, some job tracking solutions as well as Kerberos authentication.

To download the firmware, go to the product support site for Canada or the US. Look up the product then go to “Download Drivers and Software” section. After selecting a sub-model (doesn’t matter which) you will find the firmware under the “Cross Operating System...” underneath the operating system choices.

For customers with larger fleets of products, I would recommend you test on one of your devices first and make sure that you are comfortable with some of the other changes made in firmware. The details on the enhancement are included in the readme on the support site (and part of the ZIP, TAR or SIT file you download).

TIP: Firmware can be updated using a number of different methods including FTP, job spooling applications and more importantly HP Web JetAdmin. View the readme document for all of the methods available with step-by-step instructions.

Once the firmware is updated, it will be represented as “Not Specified” or “GMT” until you set the time zone for the first time.

I would ask that you contact your support resources if you have any questions or concerns with the upgrades or need a little help during the process. Making the time for time now just prepares you properly for the next time change coming in the Spring ‘08.